Wraps and shawls for women were already around since the 19th century. Women’s capes even have an older history with the very first ones reported to have existed as early as the 1600s. The styles of all three kinds of garments may have changed over the years, but their purposes remain the same: to protect one’s self from strong winds and cold weather as well as to serve as fashion accessories.
You’re a woman yourself, but you noticed you don’t have any capes, wraps, or shawls at all in your dresser. So you bought yourself some, and now you suddenly find yourself having a difficult time figuring out how and when to wear them. To help you wear each garment without becoming a fashion victim, here are some do’s and don’ts that you should take note of.
- Do use a decorative pin to fasten your shawl, especially during windy days.
Imagine for a second that you already have a shawl. You then decided to go outside for a walk with it wrapped around your shoulders. Unfortunately, you didn’t expect the wind to blow so hard that it took your shawl off of you.
Unless you want to knit a shawl all by yourself, it might be impractical for you to buy a brand new one as a replacement. To avoid losing it, you can fasten it with a decorative pin.
- Don’t use an extra narrow belt to wrap around your cape’s waistline.
You can usually fasten most capes around the neckline with a button or string. But if you don’t feel like fastening your cape this way, you can try wrapping a belt around its waistline – a belt that would complement the rest of your outfit. However, don’t make the mistake of using a skinny belt as you might end up dressed horribly. Instead, use a wide belt with a not-too-flashy buckle.
- Do check the length of your wrap.
The length of the wrap you’ll be using to accessorize whatever outfit you decided to wear would determine where you should swathe it. If it’s short, it should go around your neckline. Otherwise, it should go around your shoulders.
- Don’t mistake a wrap for a shawl.
Wraps and shawls may look very similar to your untrained eye. To make differentiating one from the other less cumbersome: if you can’t wrap a piece of fabric around your entire body, chances are it’s a shawl; otherwise, it’s a wrap.
Capes, wraps, and shawls for women may all look the same to you if you aren’t into fashion that much. However, as the above-listed do’s and don’ts had shown, you wear each of the three garments mentioned differently, which is why you’ll want to keep these rules handy with you whenever you find yourself having a hard time wearing a cape, wrap, or shawl. If you still don’t have any of these items yet, you should check out Le Moda Clothing’s collection of women’s capes, wraps, and shawls and choose whichever among them would fit you comfortably and look good on you.