Inverness style rain cape

[JerseyLawyer]

As a piper coming from a family of people who play in pipe bands, I have found that inverness rain capes tend to proliferate like wire hangers in a wardrobe. Getting them back in the pouch is like folding a parachute, but the secret is to putton the thing and flatten it completely, then press all the air out as you fold.

Mr. Anthony, as you can see from the website, also makes two other models, which I've never seen for sale in the US - one is a heavier version of the standard, and the other is a Gore-Tex model that costs a mint ($400+). Frankly, for the money of the last one, I'd probably go the extra and buy a scotch-guarded tweed cape.

Trust me, though, carrying a cape is a guarantee of a bright sunshiny day. Until the minute you get tired of carrying the thing around on your belt. Then good luck. Oh, and put the pouch on with the flap on the bottom, so that you can get the cape out when you need it. You're never going to need to fold it back up before you get home anyway (as if that would even be possible).

[James MacMillan]

As a piper coming from a family of people who play in pipe bands, I have found that inverness rain capes tend to proliferate like wire hangers in a wardrobe. Getting them back in the pouch is like folding a parachute, but the secret is to putton the thing and flatten it completely, then press all the air out as you fold.

Mr. Anthony, as you can see from the website, also makes two other models, which I've never seen for sale in the US - one is a heavier version of the standard, and the other is a Gore-Tex model that costs a mint ($400+). Frankly, for the money of the last one, I'd probably go the extra and buy a scotch-guarded tweed cape.

Trust me, though, carrying a cape is a guarantee of a bright sunshiny day. Until the minute you get tired of carrying the thing around on your belt. Then good luck. Oh, and put the pouch on with the flap on the bottom, so that you can get the cape out when you need it. You're never going to need to fold it back up before you get home anyway (as if that would even be possible).

You are so right!

and - from Sunny Southern California, just outside the back gate of Camp Pendleton!

[Nanook]

Frankly, for the money of the last one, I'd probably go the extra and buy a scotch-guarded tweed cape.

Tradition here is not tweed but melton or loden cloth--- the standard pattern for the Highland Regiments is dark green. No need for "scotch guard" or other fluorochemical treatments as wool is naturally water resistant.

[JerseyLawyer]

Tradition here is not tweed but melton or loden cloth--- the standard pattern for the Highland Regiments is dark green. No need for "scotch guard" or other fluorochemical treatments as wool is naturally water resistant.

I've seen tweed and barathea offered, but nothing else. Maybe I'm just not looking in the right places. Doesn't the water-resistance of wool depend on how it's treated?

Now I'm curious - I do one day hope to invest in a "real" Inverness cape for cold weather.

[Nanook]

I've seen tweed and barathea offered, but nothing else. Maybe I'm just not looking in the right places. Doesn't the

The once standard issue "Bandsman's Cape" for the "Highland Brigades" was not Barathea. Functional wool outerwear call for a different weave. Barathea capes seem more about dress and drama (eveningwear) than about protecting one from a downpour. Most of the ones I've seen are black.

water-resistance of wool depend on how it's treated?

One can process wool to make it less waterproof or more waterproof (for example spun or boiled) but all wool resists water. Wool fiber sheds water and its natural fats (Lanolin) provide waterproofing. More importantly: wool also insulates even when wet.