Whatever Happened to Cloaks and Capes?

Is anyone watching the ABC show Once Upon a Time?

Essentially it's a unique story line where all fairytale characters are real, but as part of an evil curse, they've been banished to our world and have no memory of their past. Conceived by a couple of people behind the series LOST, parts of it are pretty good, but there are also times when the acting and writing are ridiculously awful. But! Let's talk about fashion, especially the cloaks.

Why did we ever move away from wearing capes and cloaks in real life? Seriously, I know winter coats are more fitted, but they're also shorter so you're colder. Plus, who wouldn't want to wear what is essentially a blanket wrapped around them during the winter? I mean, look at how popular Snuggies are, and those things are so hideous I can't even look at them when I go into Walgreens.

For those who don't watch the show, some visuals (all of which are probably owned by ABC):

Aren't they all beautiful? Seriously, check out a couple episodes just to watch the cloaks because a picture can't capture the movement I'm obsessed with.

But I can't bring myself to make one because it would probably be weird walking around New York City with a full length cloak, especially since it hasn't really been snowing much in the last few years. 

I've thought about making a capelet, but I feel like they're too short to really be able to justify making it. It would purely be a decoration piece, and I'm far too practical for that.

I have this Vogue pattern, and I've had it on my list of things to make for this winter. (Although now that it IS winter, perhaps I waited too long?) I think it would be a good start, and a fashionable transition from the Enchanted Forest to NYC.

What do you think? Any interest in cloaks or capes?

Finished: Bulletin Board Cover

For the last month, I have been in a terrible funk. I'd like to attribute it all to my sewing mishap back at the beginning of October just because that would be ridiculously absurd, but it actually started before that. I'm happy to report that I'm feeling better than I have in months because I got off some medication. And with the halting of these drugs, I'm not only feeling much better, but also incredibly creative!

I want to thank everyone for their thoughts on ways I could try to fix my dress. I think I like the idea of making a bias tape with the same fabric the best. Of course, that left me in the same spot I was in previously because my fabric store didn't have a matching color thread. Luckily, I was able to get into Manhattan shortly after Hurricane Sandy and my favorite trimmings store was open and with a matching color!

However, I'm still a little shy about starting to fix my mishap, so I decided to work on something else. Or rather, I was placing items on my bulletin board, when I couldn't stop staring at it. It was so ugly.

Boring wood, taken at night so it looks uglier.

Ha, so of course I decided to make it a little more colorful with some scraps I had laying around. Using scrap fabric for my dress and my new thread, I created something new!

The bf thought it was a scarf at first. And it does look rather  nice as a scarf, I think.

I wasn't sure how to go about it, but I measured and sewed a simple cover for the bulletin board.

So much better now! The bottom sags a little where it's resting on the screw and the wood is slightly exposed, but that's nothing a little super glue can't fix.

I'm so proud of my corners. I had no idea how to do them when I first started, and when I realized I had just made a giant ring with the fabric, I thought it would fail, but they look gorgeous.

Hopefully I'll my dress up in a few days! Still working up the courage to tackle it...