Love. Want. Need. ~Cape~

Okay, I know this might sound silly, especially in light of the immediate spring and impending summer, but... I want a cape.
No, no, I feel that I must have a cape, it is my destiny to have a cape.

I first decided this last Fall/Winter when capes were in vogue along with the entire Victorian/gothic look, and in an old Love. Want. Need. I sent my mother the following vintage cape as an example:


I was reminded of this deep desire tonight when I (now, don't tell anyone) watched The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast for the first time since childhood. And everyone had capes! And they all looked gorgeous.

First there was Prince Erik and Vanessa (human Ursula) wearing their sea-side slight-draft type capelets:
(Sidenote: my friend and I decided that if we met Vanessa in real life, we would totally befriend her even if she is a total bitch and Enemy #1 in The Little Mermaid since we have to root for Ariel. (We cannot, however, understand why having Erik under her spell, being hot, and bewitching him into taking her as Queen wasn't good enough for Vanessa- why was her plan, if she could have done those three things all along, to go back to the ocean and try to steal Tritan's throne? Girlfriend doesn't know when enough is enough.))

We're going to ignore a lot of Beast capes, first of all because he is a man, and second of... both... because I cannot use the fashion of a Beast (nee Prince) when choosing my 19th century-inspired fashion pieces. But here is Belle in her riding cape, in an oft-overlooked scene of the movie, (in which she gets attacked by wolves and Beast saves her), where I personally believe she looks more beautiful than she does in some of the signature scenes- maybe being flushed from running away in terror from a talking man-beast just gives you that natural glow. (Speaking of signature scenes, Belle does make it onto the short list of people who can justifiably pull off a yellow dress. That list being Belle and Kate Hudson in How To Lose a Guy in Ten Days. Everyone else looks like a banana. Don't do it.) I had a hard time finding images of her in this cape.




And then there is the more popular bird scene cape, which is gorgeous, and also a more plausible must-have for me as I do not ride horses, it is not in fact the 1800's, and when I'm strolling along the beach it's usually Florida and warm (although I am open to chilly night beaches, I'm looking at you, California). The red cape:


(A warning: do not try the white-fringed red cape (however burgundy it may be) around Christmas. You are not Mrs. Claus.)


The capes are bold, melodramatic, but still stylish and a staple item for a winter wardrobe in a classy situation. And I feel it would personally flatter my style, which is always the most important element to consider when choosing a signature, expensive piece!

Now, all I need is a Prince...