Cloaked in Magic Wearing A Cape

Cloaked in Magic, Wearing a Cape

I know Underdog is not the most revered cartoon caped crusade. I like what the superhero stood for. Shoeshine Boy’s alter-ego, Underdog, appeared whenever his love interest, Sweet Polly Purebred, was victimized by villains such as Simon Bar Sinister or Riff Raff (don’t you love their names). When villains threatened, Shoeshine Boy ducked into a telephone booth where he was transformed into the caped and costumed hero, destroying the booth when his superpowers were activated. Underdog nearly always spoke in rhyme, saying, “There’s no need to fear; Underdog is here!”  The secret to his superpowers was in the pill he swallowed that was stored in his ring.

When considering caped crusaders, they may feel the DC or Marvel Comic Book superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, or Captain America. My memories of capes stem from Grimm Fairy Tales characters like Red Riding Hood, Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty, mainly because my Dad didn’t allow my older brother and I to read comic books while we were growing up. So, my memories of Caped Crusaders were female characters in the Grimm Fairy Tales.

Before they became Disney characters, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White were all characters from Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Did you ever notice that these ladies were always clothed in hooded cloaks or capes? To me, the cloaks represented mystery and magic.

Capes are dramatic to me. Don’t you like a touch of drama? I believe capes have magical powers. I like how a cape can transform any outfit from blah to chic, from plain to sophisticated and distinctive. Pair it with leather riding boots or booties, gloves, especially the long ones that go over your wrists, and an “it” bag, and then the elegance begins.

I mentioned in another post that the peplum is having its moment. Designers have rediscovered the utilitarian cloak to become feminine and fascinating, now as a cape, as evidenced in the latest runways. Women and men frequently wear capes as a fashion statement, so not just comic book superheroes wear capes; everyone gets to enjoy these magical moments.  Does anyone remember Barnabas Collins from Dark Shadows, the vampire drama?

Another funny cape memory I must share: Some of you may remember “The Godfather of Soul” singer James Brown, who was known to wear capes and prominently used them during concerts when he feigned exhaustion. The MC or saxophone player Maceo Parker would escort Brown off the stage, and Brown would shake off the cape and return to the stage for an encore performance with the song “Please, Please, Please.” Now that’s a showman with stage presence and drama.

I noticed that a few of my favorite movies feature lead female characters wearing hooded cloaks or capes, like Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face and Kim Basinger in LA Confidential.

You can see my fascination with capes! I still have the long black cape I wore during my first pregnancy and wore a cape for my blog’s logo. How about you? Do you have any fashion fascinations? Do you know anyone who is cloaked in magic-wearing capes? What are your current fashion obsessions?