lets talk cloaks!

among all of the new apparel i'm working on for this year, i'm especially excited and nervous for the cloaks. all things considered, theyre a pretty quirky piece of clothing! 

first, the basic details: these are constructed by combining an inner vest with the outer cape layer. the vest itself will have belt loops and an optional waist tie, and 2 zippered pockets. all embroidered details are on the outer cloak. the outer material is cotton twill again like the bomber jackets and trench coats - im very attached to it now, haha! the inner lining is tencel - so its super smooth and soft. 

the magnolia design will be the only one released at first - probably in a couple months. the upcoming moth collection may include one or two as well, but i dont have a definitive date for a wider release right now!

for those wondering why i decided to go with this style of cloak instead of the open underneath-closed at the neck type, ill leave this bit of info from my cloak faq on insta: 

a: this is the only version of the cloaks that will be made right now. here’s how i came to this decision! 

when i first started this project and i was looking at different cloak styles, i noticed there were really 3 types: ones that look kind of like a poncho, ones that are open in the front and clasp at the neck, and ones that are connected to a vest. 

The poncho ones were disqualified right away because i didn’t super love how baggy and shapeless they tend to look. So, that just left the latter 2 styles.

While i wanted this garment to look pretty and eye-catching, first and foremost i was thinking of the cloak i wanted to design as a piece of outerwear. Cloaks that are open underneath and close at the neck dont really function that way, imo - they’re more like an accessory to the bigger outfit. Cloaks with vests underneath, however, function more like a jacket to me. Theyre meant to keep you warm and not as susceptible to the wind/light rain! these cloaks live in the same sphere as the bomber jackets and trench coats to me - very much a marriage of function and style. 

Which brings us to the topic of detachable cloaks. First, ive only ever seen this for cloaks in a way that lets you wear the vest on its own, not the other way around. Also, this would create a couple of new problems: the inherent wear detachable mechanisms put on a garment and the fact that the cotton twill is so heavy as a material that it’s basically a given that it’ll put a lot of strain on the neck area. I didn’t want to run the risk of the material getting damaged over time or having the buttons/zipper holding the cloak to the vest become damaged and unusable.

As far as weight goes, the vest is actually really integral in making sure the cloak itself doesn’t feel like it's unbalanced - it’s sewn into the vest between the neck and the shoulder to better carry the weight of the fabric. 

Ultimately, this is my preferred version of a cloak, and its okay if it doesn’t work for everyone! I’m not a fashion expert tbh, just an illustrator with very specific experiences with clothing ive owned over the years which then informs how i want to design my clothing now. I just hope those who are maybe unsure of the vest keep an open mind about it and try to see it as the outerwear it is meant to be :) and if not, i hope my other apparel is of interest instead!

For now, the size range ill have on these will be small-3xl. other designs are in the works too! you can let me know which design you'd like to see as a cloak by filling out this poll. so far the frontrunners are: corvid (which i actually have sketched out), scarlet garden, nocturne, deathly bouquet, salamander woods, velvet night and witch's garden. the cloak and vest color will be changed to match each design, like the bomber jackets.

the nitty-gritty of planning aside, these are a lot of fun to wear! a little whimsical but sturdy and comfortable as well. :) 

if you'd like to sign up for a restock notif so we can gauge how in-demand this design will be, you can sign up below!

[COTTON TWILL CLOAK] Magnolia & Goldenrod

$200.00

Add a little whimsy to your wardrobe with our cotton twill cloaks! cotton exterior fabric, tencel inner lining. The outer cloak connects to an inner vest, which has button closure and zippered pockets. The outer cloak does not detach from… read more

Sold Out