I understand that modern outer layers are more functional. A leather jacket, for example, can be dressed up or down so as to be worn in a variety of situations. It is also better at keeping you warm.
However, I think capes/cloaks are more aesthetically pleasing garments. It also feels good to have the fabric flowing around you as you walk. But what do you think?
100% of the cloaks and capes I've seen IRL have been as part of either someone's weird cosplay or some neckbeard/weeb shit. I think that, a bit like the fedora, they're just sorta ruined now due to the people who wear them.
They can kind of get in the way though. Cloaks could give your arms more freedom of movement if you really need it. I could see a resurgence in military and/or trade uses.
I wear a Fedora sometimes - AC can get cold and my hair isn't as thick as it used to be... it just seems easier than converting to Judaism to be able to wear a Yamaka:-P.
Just out of curiosity because I see signs for it all the time, we went to Boot City yesterday.
The first thing you see when you go through the door as the overpowering smell of leather hits you is a massive row of cowboy hats that just keeps going and going.
It was not a pleasant experience overall. This was amusing, however:
I was hearing Jeff Foxworthy in my head. "If your living room furniture is made of cow horns..."
AC can get cold and my hair isn't as thick as it used to be... it just seems easier than converting to Judaism to be able to wear a Yamaka:-P.
I pity Americans who don't just wear a touque (or as you might call it, a beanie). Honestly it's the perfect hat for cold weather. Here in Canada, basically everyone wears one for the half of the year where it's cold enough to warrant a hat. Some people are fancy and wear an Ushanka hat or a Nordic hat in the winter, but 99% just wear a touque.
Hehehe, Oh Canada... :-) Don't you know that you are using the correct "wrong" temperature system - the only sensible one is based on how many pinkies were on the toe of the king's son's aunt's cousin's horse 200 years ago. I am sure you will agree with me that nothing else makes close to that degree of common sense - on THAT much at least we are SURE to agree! 🙃
Can't really pull off a fedora (or similar) without a suit that matches, otherwise, yeah, you just look like a neckbeard or maybe a Michael Jackson cosplayer. If you aren't dressing in formal attire, consider a baseball cap, beanie, hood, cabbie hat, or even a stetson if it's up your alley.
The issue is it has to fit the overall outfit. A fedora can still look really good if you have a well tailored suit to match it, while most of the things that look good with a cloak are, frankly, uncomfortable to wear everyday compared to modern clothing. This is why it's essentially only done for cosplay and larping nowadays, looking like that is fun every now and then but not so fun that you'd want to go about daily life dressed that way.