A cape to covet


Summer’s not over yet (although it might as well be) but the new collections are flooding in so of course I’m going to get excited about them. A few days ago I was interviewed for a book on bloggers and was asked a question about my must-haves for autumn-winter. After the Isabel Marant ankle boots I saw at Merci in Paris, and the entire Sonia by Sonia Rykiel collection that has just landed at My-wardrobe.com, the only thing I could think of was something that doesn’t exist. Or does it? I’m hankering after a knee-length gold sequin cape – or chain mail at a push. Something dramatic and luxurious that would work as an entrance-making evening coat. Let’s be clear, I’m not talking about a namby pamby Primark flammable capelet sprinkled with a few cursory gold-coloured beads, but something substantially fabulous that weighs a ton – something Patrick Wolf might wear. 

The more I think about it, and the more I realise it just isn’t out there, the more I want it (of course). In the meantime, at the other end of the cape spectrum, I’m really feeling ASOS’s duffle cape with its straight front, draped back and nice school uniform-ish navy blue colourway. Not quite the show-stopper I had in mind but possibly something that might get more wear. Hmm, fabulous or practical – such a tough call, no?