Capes, Robes & Tunics

A good cape is not something many of us in the twenty-first century would consider to be a wardrobe staple and it's no exaggeration to say that most adults could go their whole grown-up life without once leaving the house in a cape. When it comes to fancy dress, however, costume capes can really make an outfit – what self-respecting superman would leave the house without his trusty red cape after all?

As has already been mentioned, perhaps the first thing that springs to mind when we think of fancy dress capes are super hero costumes. Superman proudly ran around wearing an iconic red cape, whereas Batman wouldn't be seen dead without a black one. Rather than emulating a recognisable superhero many choose to put together their own generic superhero fancy dress costumes, in which case a cape should never be forgotten.

In recent years vampires have also made a huge come-back into popular culture and any self-respecting traditional vampire should always wear a gothic style flowing black cape. Similarly magicians, specifically of the Harry Potter variety, are increasingly popular as fancy dress choices, a costume which again requires a cape. True Harry Potter fans could even try to emulate the famous invisibility cloak!

Costume capes and cloaks are particularly popular at Halloween, as many traditional Halloween costumes require a cape of some variety. Witches, for example, are known for their black cloaks, as is the Grim Reaper. When opting for historically inspired costumes it is also worth considering a cape, as there was a time when these items were most certainly a wardrobe staple!