Superheroes

My mom is doing a heroic job of bouncing back from her recent injury (broken arm, followed by shoulder surgery and a lengthy recovery process).  She's back at work full-time and so has had to adapt her work wardrobe to fit over a bulky sling.  Since temperatures are plunging here and she still has to hang outside for recess duty, she needed a warm layer badly, and jackets aren't cutting it right now.  She solved the problem with the most beautiful dark brown wool cape which fits right over her sling, and which she'd better keep one eye on after she recovers, as I'm not-so-secretly in love with it.

After seeing my mom rock this cape so effectively, my friend Angella showed up for a visit sporting an equally fabulous black cape as her winter layer of choice...

Like so many things of this nature, once I became interested in capes via Mom and Ang, I started to see them everywhere.  And the more I saw, the more I loved...

Stylish Scot-inspired capeness via The Sartorialist

Parisian chic, also via The Sartorialist

Cozy knit in my favorite hue from The Sartorialist, but booooo smoking (I hate cigs with an intense passion!).

Preggo cape awesomeness via Hatch

My new favorite blogger, Heather of L.A. in Bloom, rocking a toffee-colored Zara cape outside her gallery.  Super cool.

I fear if I owned this delicious Sundance cape, it would be literally the only thing I wore for the rest of winter.

Black n' tan J.Crew cape... on sale!

Things I love about capes:

1) They are incredibly forgiving.  Be you injured, preggo, or in need of hiding the damage from Thanksgiving, your cape has got you covered.

2) They allow you to swoop dramatically into and out of a room.  I really enjoy swooping.

3) Capes seem to be the ultimate in coziness.  You can really bundle yourself against the elements in one of these bad boys.

4) They are basically the adult equivalent of a swaddle, affording the same sense of warmth and security.

Clearly, I think I need to add a cape to my wardrobe this winter.  And while I realize that I just vowed to venture away from all things black or brown for cold weather, if you're going to be swooping around, it is probably best done in a neutral color, lest your drama veer from chic towards maniacal (its a fine line, friends). Hence, the dark choices above to display my current cape love.  I wish I had a photo of my cape-clad mama to include, but between work and PT, she's not currently available for photo shoots.  When she's doing better, I'll have to share her cape fabulousness as well.  In the meantime, she's truly a superhero.  Up, up and away!

Happy Friday, everyone! 

What are you doing to make dressing for the cold a bit more fun?