Carnival Cloaks: This Is Where the Colour Lives

We have written about hooded cloaks twice now, and both times the honest advice was some version of buy black or brown. Medieval cloaks live in earth tones because that is what reads historical. Gothic cloaks live in black because that is the whole point.

This rail is different, and it is worth saying plainly: the carnival cloaks are where the colour is. Emerald, burgundy, sapphire, purple, metallic silver. Forty pieces between $46.79 and $55.79, and only seven of them are black.

That is not decoration. At a masked ball or a carnival everybody's face is covered — which means colour is how your friends find you, and how you read in a photograph. Black is the one choice that guarantees you disappear.

1. Pick the colour first

Deliberately the opposite of the advice in the gothic guide. There, texture came first because everything was black anyway. Here, colour is the decision.

Green — eleven styles, the deepest colour range here. From bright emerald satin to muted olive. The Green Cloak with Feather Trim is the standout. For the muted end, the Olive Green Hooded Cloak, the Dark Green Hooded Cloak and a sized S/M/L version. Also a Long Green Hooded Cloak, a Green Cloak with Hood and Trim, a Theatrical Green Cloak, an XL Green Cloak and a Khaki Cloak with Belt in S–L.

Burgundy and wine — five styles, the most photogenic. Deep red holds detail under warm light better than anything else here. The Burgundy Cape with Gold Trim is shoulder-length rather than full, with metallic braid along the edge. Full-length: Burgundy Cloak with Full Hood, Long Burgundy Cloak, a sized version, and a Burgundy Cloak with Trim.

Blue — four styles. The Blue Hooded Feathered Cape pairs royal blue with a dark feather collar. There is a Blue Cape cut for stage, a Long Blue Hooded Cape and a Dark Blue Hooded Cloak.

Purple — three styles. The Purple Cloak with Feather Trim has a black feather collar; there is also a Purple Cloak with Hood and a plain Purple Hooded Cloak.

Metallic — one, and it is the loudest thing here. The Silver Carnival Cloak. There is also a Black and Gold Hooded Cloak for a subtler version of the same idea.

White — two. The Long White Hooded Cloak and the White Hooded Cloak for Costumes. White is the strongest choice against a dark venue and the worst choice anywhere near a drink.

Brown, grey, red and black fill out the rest: five browns including the Brown Asymmetrical Cape, a Grey Long Hooded Cloak, a Red Cape with a Large Hood and seven blacks.

2. Then the trim, because that is what makes it carnival

A plain coloured cloak is just a coloured cloak. Four trims turn it into a costume:

• Feather collar — four styles, and by far the most carnival-specific. A band of feathers across the shoulders reads as festival rather than fantasy. See the green, purple and blue versions.
• Metallic braid — a gold or silver edge traces the whole outline of the cloak, which is exactly what you want in a dim room. See the Burgundy Cape with Gold Trim.
• Fur collar — warmer and heavier, pulls the look toward Nordic rather than Venetian. See the Green Cloak with Fur Collar.
• Shaggy trim — the Black Cape with Shaggy Trim runs a textured edge along the hood and front opening, which stops black from going flat.

And one that is not trim at all: the Black Cloak with Horns and Feathers ships as a full look.

3. Cut: full circle or asymmetrical

Almost all of these are full-circle cloaks — even hem, symmetrical, maximum sweep.

Two are not. The Brown Asymmetrical Cape and the Green Asymmetrical Long Cape are cut short on one side and long on the other. In a room where everyone else is in a symmetrical cloak, an uneven hem is the cheapest way to not look like everyone else.

4. Stage, or party?

Two things separate a cloak that works on stage from one that works at a party.

Length and sweep. The pieces described as theatrical or cut for stage — the Blue Cape for Stage and the Theatrical Green Cloak — are built for movement seen from a distance. At a crowded party that same sweep is a liability.

Sizing. Most here are one-size. If you want a fitted fit, the sized options are the Dark Green Cloak in S/M/L, the Khaki Cloak with Belt in S–L, the Black Cloak in S/M and an XL Green Cloak if one-size runs short on you.

5. What to wear it with

This is the piece that pairs most directly with a mask, so get the pairing right.

Scale against scale. If you are wearing a full plume headdress, the cloak should be plain — no feather collar, no horns, or you have two large feather objects fighting each other. If your mask is a small filigree eye mask, a feather-collared cloak is doing the work your mask is not. Our masquerade mask guide sorts masks by exactly this scale.

Colour: match or contrast, never almost-match. A green cloak with a green mask works. A green cloak with a teal mask looks like you tried and missed. If you are not confident of an exact match, go black mask with a coloured cloak — that always works.

Hood up or down? Up hides your hair and doubles the drama, but combined with a mask it can leave nothing of you visible at all. Down shows the collar trim, which is usually the most expensive-looking part of the garment. At a ball, down. In photographs, up.

For a darker look, the gothic cloak guide covers texture and hardware in black.

Quick picks

• The best-looking piece here, full stop: Green Cloak with Iridescent Feather Trim
• Maximum impact in a dark room: Silver Metallic Cloak
• A complete costume, nothing else needed: Black Cloak with Horns and Feathers
• Most photogenic colour: Burgundy Cloak with Full Hood
• Not to look like everyone else: Green Asymmetrical Long Cape
• Shoulder length, not full: Burgundy Cape with Gold Trim
• A real size, not one-size: Dark Green Cloak, S/M/L
• Cheapest way in: Red Cape with a Large Hood — $46.79

Quick questions before you choose

Which colour photographs best at an evening event?

Burgundy and emerald. Both are saturated enough to stay visible under warm indoor light but dark enough to keep their folds. Silver is the most eye-catching in person and the hardest to photograph — it blows out under a flash. Pure white reads beautifully against a dark room and shows every mark.

Will a coloured cloak look cheap?

The failure mode is a flat, evenly-dyed synthetic with no trim and no sheen. What stops that is either a sheen in the fabric (the satin greens and burgundies) or a trim at the edge (feather, fur or metallic braid). A plain matte coloured cloak with nothing at the collar is the one combination to avoid.

How do these compare to the medieval cloaks?

Same silhouette, different palette and trim. The medieval range is earth-toned wool-look fabric with clasps and ties. This range is satin and velvet-look in saturated colour with feathers and metallic braid. If you want to look historical, go there. If you want to be seen across a ballroom, stay here.

Can I wear a full-length cloak while dancing?

Briefly. A full-circle floor-length cloak catches other people's feet. If the event involves actual dancing, choose the shoulder-length burgundy cape or plan to check the cloak after the entrance.

Do the feather collars shed?

A little on the first wear, mostly from the outer edge. Shake it out before you leave. If you are wearing it over a pale outfit, do that twice.

One-size — how much does it actually vary?

The one-size cloaks here are cut generously and fasten at the throat, so they accommodate most adult frames; the variable is length, not width. If you are tall, look at the styles described as long or XL rather than assuming one-size covers it.

Pair it with something from Masks.