Bespoke Cutter And Tailor

I would assume this to be an extremely anachronistic topic if it wasn't for the fact that I recently learned about the boat cloak still existing within the US Marine Corps uniform manual. A little more poking around and I find the US Army cape.

I looked around for some civilian examples and I think that they can look very handsome in the right circumstance and, perhaps more importantly today, with the right level of confidence. So does anyone know of any classical resources about how to draft a well fitted cape? Or even construction? Which I assume is probably extremely simple, but what do I know?

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Louis DeVere's 1866 "Handbook of Practical Cutting on the Centre Point System" has a section on cloaks and capes.  I've had good results with it for reenactment purposes.  Send me a PM if interested and I'll be happy to send a scan of my original copy.

I don't know how well fitted a cape can be since it drapes around the body. The main question is the amount of fullness which depends on how big a segment of a circle you cut.  DeVere puts a dart in the neck for some of the less full capes.

I haven't studied more modern drafts, so I expect knowledge has evolved since the mid 19th century.

For construction your best bet might be to find an original and study it.  For unlined capes I just turned the edges under and topstitched.  For a lined cape, you can sew the lining and shell right sides together around the perimeter, then turn and press.  Topstitch the edges to make sure the lining won't show around the finished edge.

Frederick Croonborg's 1907 "Blue Book of Men's Tailoring" has a draft for a US Army officer's cape.  You can find the book here:

https://archive.org/details/grandeditionofsu00croo/page/148/mode/1up

These are both great references! Thank you. Now I have something to experiment with when I've had it with more complicated projects.

How to develope a cape pattern from an overcoat pattern. From "Das Schneiderhandwerk", III edition by Willi Leibold, 1958




A is the Centerpoint of the circle. A from x is 1/3 of e-f

Have a book from Simon's that has a simple cape. Don't know where the book is at.
Always have plenty of room for the head to slip out. Lots of people got hung by their own cape. Down the chest two or three buttons with do.  Good tailors always make plenty of room for the head escape so they are never accused of choking someone to death. They for sure keep their name clear of that. People don't know much about capes anymore. Be sure your name is not in the headlines or your picture on TV news.
You can also put slits in for the arms to slide through. Opening up the front is not always a good method of reaching forward.

In womenswear, capes come and go... There is a distinction between capes and cloaks. Most influential are the british postal cape, the french "gouvernante" style cape, the french police cape and the WW1 nurses' cape. Arguably, the most beautiful cape isn't a cape but a cloak. That is the cloak of the italian carabinieri, it has a pelerine...

Famous cape wearers are Giuseppe Verdi, Fantomas and Batman...

Cheers, Hendrick

Curious... what is the difference between a cape and a cloak?

Quote from: jruley on February 17, 2025, 12:31:30 PMCurious... what is the difference between a cape and a cloak?

Cloaks were, initially, broadcloth squared blankets, part of Roman soldiers outfits an called cloaka then and closed by means of a brooch, the fibula. Gradually they started to fold the top back, some 8 or 10 inches, which after draping the cloak formed the origin of the shawl collar. First for women, a triangle was cut out the middle of the shawl part, then sewn closed to form a rudimentary hood. Capes and pellerines were always constructed garments, originally shorter and serving only to cover shoulders and back and often made in rich materials like fur and brocades (think Henry VIII!). Because they were considered "practical" when horse riding, they became part of uniforms. So, capes are more for horseman and cloaks for footmen, so to speak. One exception is the matador outfit, although not on horseback a cloak would be unhandy. Clearly, running 'round the arena in a ruby red lined cloak equals a swift suicide...

Cheers, Hendrick

Thanks Hendrick.  But from a drafting perspective, they're very similar - or at least members of the same family.  Right?

Quote from: jruley on February 18, 2025, 12:40:36 AMThanks Hendrick.  But from a drafting perspective, they're very similar - or at least members of the same family.  Right?

Of course; the historical cloak had no shoulder seams, but capes did. Whereas the original cloak , like the ancient roman toga had no seams, the garments we call cloak these days do. Cloak is a reference for a much longer, drapy garment (like the carabinieri style), whereas cape is moreoften referred to as something shorter sometimes with a collar or hood ("Umhang mit Kragen oder Kaputze", standard garb for the Gouvernante).

Cheers, Hendrick

For completeness, this pattern has captured my imagination since I was a teenager. Sadly, not being born in Middle Earth, I never found a good enough reason to make it, though I have the pattern. Folkware find authentic garments and create patterns for home sewers. They are never fitted when looking at examples online, but thats how it goes.

Quote from: Schneiderfrei on February 18, 2025, 11:46:43 AMFor completeness, this pattern has captured my imagination since I was a teenager. Sadly, not being born in Middle Earth, I never found a good enough reason to make it, though I have the pattern. Folkware find authentic garments and create patterns for home sewers. They are never fitted when looking at examples online, but thats how it goes.




Beautiful! I love those too! Considered rebellious at some time...

Cheers, Hendrick

Yes, I've read that. Like the dancing too.