Inverness Cape?

[jsrnephdoc]

It's often VERY cold here in Montana in wintertime. We approach the number where °F and °C are the same integer (that's –40° for those who don't remember their high school math and science classes) almost every winter once or twice. I probably wear a kilt more often in Winter than in Summer because I do so for occasions where looking good is appropriate (for example, we have a Symphony Orchestra in Bozeman that plays WAY above its weight, and just the fact that I show up kilted brings attention from our outstanding conductor and guest soloists in the post-concert meet and greet lobby sessions).

The last time I was in Scotland I spent a tiny amount of time inquiring about an Inverness Cape (wandering into Kinloch Anderson after touring the Royal Yacht Britannia). Although they sell them, they did not have any in the store. I've never actually SEEN one (an ex band piper showed me his rain cape, but except while being worn, it's basically almost a shapeless piece of plastic).

I've not seen any discussion of Inverness Capes here with posts newer than a decade ago, but the few I've read have some enthusiastic endorsements. Of course, the real item from Scotland is extraordinarily pricey (I suspect I could add 2-3 VERY nice kilts to my collection for the same cost as a tweed Inverness Cape).

I do have a good American wool overcoat, so this certainly isn't something I NEED desperately, but I'm just curious. Have any forum members much experience wearing one while kilted in REALLY cold weather?

[Father Bill]

I chose instead to get what is sometimes called a "Coachman's Cape". It looks like an Inverness, but has sleeves under the shoulder cape for additional warmth. Also a little longer. Bought it in a heavyish wool tweed.

Tricky to find, but worth the difference in my opinion.

[Pleater]

I have a number of capes, cloaks and variations on same, ranging from embroidered silk through velvet, light and heavy wools, I even had a red ridinghood, or reedencote with liripipe hood, but the mice got that some time ago now.
They are fairly easy to make if you have the space to lay out the cloth and there are a fair few patterns around now, for costume and historical re-enactment.
We d not get severe weather here though, so it is possible to wear a complete circle cloak which would not be of much help in high winds, it would just fly with the wind.
The colder and windier the weather the more tailored a garment you need.
Actually, now I think about it our own dear Steve Ashton sent me a pattern for one - some years ago now.
The main thing is to get the shoulders and upper body right, so it is large enough and the lower parts fall correctly, not pressing against your legs front or back. It should hang rather like a bell and you should be able to firstly keep it closed and secondly walk about in its shelter.

Anne the Pleater

[jsrnephdoc]

I chose instead to get what is sometimes called a "Coachman's Cape". It looks like an Inverness, but has sleeves under the shoulder cape for additional warmth. Also a little longer. Bought it in a heavyish wool tweed.

Tricky to find, but worth the difference in my opinion.

I did a web search for "Coachman's Cape." Every one of my "hits" was for a shade of Benjamin Moore paint. I suppose if I apply enough "coats" so that my skin cannot breathe, I may not get cold, but then again I probably wouldn't survive the paint poisoning

[jsrnephdoc]

I meant to ask what you mean by "heavyish." One forum member told me he had a 22 oz (he called it "military weight" I think) kilt, and that if the straps were buckled it would stand up by itself. But my American overcoats, while not tightly woven like a kilt, is heavier.

By any chance, do you have any pictures of your Coachman's Cape? Would you wear it at < 0°F over a kilt and tweed jacket/waistcoat?

Thanks so much,

[Father Bill]

I did a web search for "Coachman's Cape." Every one of my "hits" was for a shade of Benjamin Moore paint. I suppose if I apply enough "coats" so that my skin cannot breathe, I may not get cold, but then again I probably wouldn't survive the paint poisoning

Try "Coachman's Coat" and see what comes up.

Try some of the "steampunk" suppliers too. They seem to like the style.

[jsrnephdoc]

The colder and windier the weather the more tailored a garment you need.
Actually, now I think about it our own dear Steve Ashton sent me a pattern for one - some years ago now.
The main thing is to get the shoulders and upper body right, so it is large enough and the lower parts fall correctly, not pressing against your legs front or back. It should hang rather like a bell and you should be able to firstly keep it closed and secondly walk about in its shelter.

Anne the Pleater

Do you have a sense of what fabric weight (tweed or solid kilting fabric) would be correct for an Inverness or Coachman's Cape?

Thanks so much.

[Troglodyte]

It's often VERY cold here in Montana in wintertime. We approach the number where °F and °C are the same integer (that's –40° for those who don't remember their high school math and science classes) almost every winter once or twice. I probably wear a kilt more often in Winter than in Summer because I do so for occasions where looking good is appropriate (for example, we have a Symphony Orchestra in Bozeman that plays WAY above its weight, and just the fact that I show up kilted brings attention from our outstanding conductor and guest soloists in the post-concert meet and greet lobby sessions).

The last time I was in Scotland I spent a tiny amount of time inquiring about an Inverness Cape (wandering into Kinloch Anderson after touring the Royal Yacht Britannia). Although they sell them, they did not have any in the store. I've never actually SEEN one (an ex band piper showed me his rain cape, but except while being worn, it's basically almost a shapeless piece of plastic).

I've not seen any discussion of Inverness Capes here with posts newer than a decade ago, but the few I've read have some enthusiastic endorsements. Of course, the real item from Scotland is extraordinarily pricey (I suspect I could add 2-3 VERY nice kilts to my collection for the same cost as a tweed Inverness Cape).

I do have a good American wool overcoat, so this certainly isn't something I NEED desperately, but I'm just curious. Have any forum members much experience wearing one while kilted in REALLY cold weather?

The Inverness cape takes essentially two forms - they are both like a large, loose unstructured overcoat without sleeves. One has the loose cape sleeves sewn into the side seem and attached to the back; the other has an all-round cape that drapes from the shoulder to cuff level, and so gives added cover or protection from the elements.

The cape is more about providing cover, rather than insulation against the cold - and not really suitable for a Montana winter without an additional (quilted or woollen) lining. Think of draping a blanket (or plaid) about your shoulders, and you will get a good idea of how the cape works.

The important thing to remember is that the cape is loose and flighty at the best of times, and a lightweight cloth (the usual tweed suitings or kiltings) are entirely unsuitable. The rain-cape version are intentially lightweight, but for different reasons.

My advice (and this comes from three decades of cape-wearing) is to get one in the heaviest weight cloth you can find - anything less than 28oz will be too light - even though the makers offer the option. Something like the Glenlyon 32oz (700gms) tweeds are, I would say, the minimum, but would give little in the way of warmth for one of your winters. A better option might be to have one made up in a Melton cloth, which is very warm.

If lined with an insulating quilting or similar, an Inverness cape would be ideal winter-wear for when going kilted, but make sure it is long enough to cover the bare-knee area between kilt and hose-tops - thus keeping out biting winter winds. My cape falls to about mid-calf height, and I would want it no shorter for this reason.

Also, having the bottom hem weighted slightly so as to keep the cape in close control, so to speak, in breezy conditions. In still, frosty weather the cape works wonderfully well - rather like a tea-cozy sitting snugly over a freshly-brewed pot.

[Jock Scot]

The Inverness cape takes essentially two forms - they are both like a large, loose unstructured overcoat without sleeves. One has the loose cape sleeves sewn into the side seem and attached to the back; the other has an all-round cape that drapes from the shoulder to cuff level, and so gives added cover or protection from the elements.

The cape is more about providing cover, rather than insulation against the cold - and not really suitable for a Montana winter without an additional (quilted or woollen) lining. Think of draping a blanket (or plaid) about your shoulders, and you will get a good idea of how the cape works.

The important thing to remember is that the cape is loose and flighty at the best of times, and a lightweight cloth (the usual tweed suitings or kiltings) are entirely unsuitable. The rain-cape version are intentially lightweight, but for different reasons.

My advice (and this comes from three decades of cape-wearing) is to get one in the heaviest weight cloth you can find - anything less than 28oz will be too light - even though the makers offer the option. Something like the Glenlyon 32oz (700gms) tweeds are, I would say, the minimum, but would give little in the way of warmth for one of your winters. A better option might be to have one made up in a Melton cloth, which is very warm.

If lined with an insulating quilting or similar, an Inverness cape would be ideal winter-wear for when going kilted, but make sure it is long enough to cover the bare-knee area between kilt and hose-tops - thus keeping out biting winter winds. My cape falls to about mid-calf height, and I would want it no shorter for this reason.

Also, having the bottom hem weighted slightly so as to keep the cape in close control, so to speak, in breezy conditions. In still, frosty weather the cape works wonderfully well - rather like a tea-cozy sitting snugly over a freshly-brewed pot.

First rate advice here!

[jsrnephdoc]

The important thing to remember is that the cape is loose and flighty at the best of times, and a lightweight cloth (the usual tweed suitings or kiltings) are entirely unsuitable. The rain-cape version are intentially lightweight, but for different reasons.

My advice (and this comes from three decades of cape-wearing) is to get one in the heaviest weight cloth you can find - anything less than 28oz will be too light - even though the makers offer the option. Something like the Glenlyon 32oz (700gms) tweeds are, I would say, the minimum, but would give little in the way of warmth for one of your winters. A better option might be to have one made up in a Melton cloth, which is very warm.

If lined with an insulating quilting or similar, an Inverness cape would be ideal winter-wear for when going kilted, but make sure it is long enough to cover the bare-knee area between kilt and hose-tops - thus keeping out biting winter winds. My cape falls to about mid-calf height, and I would want it no shorter for this reason.

Also, having the bottom hem weighted slightly so as to keep the cape in close control, so to speak, in breezy conditions. In still, frosty weather the cape works wonderfully well - rather like a tea-cozy sitting snugly over a freshly-brewed pot.

Thanks SO much for all those details. Previously, I've made email contact with Mr. Antony (who make Band Capes but also tweed Inverness Capes, and with Kinloch Anderson, who sell goods to Royalty and whose prices confirm that). Neither seemed eager to create a cape in very heavyweight cloth, although the mill that K-A uses (in the Scottish Borders, I think, in or close to Selkirk) does weave some as heavy as 700 gms. My guess is that the shops that DO sell Capes are not eager to be wrestling with such heavy cloth. I've not found any source for quilted lining capes.

An American business wear overcoat (typically worn over a business suit) is made from wool woven into fabric more like a blanket than the tight weave in a PC or tweed jacket, or a kilt, for that matter. Perhaps the raison d'être for the garment in Scotland was the intemperate rainy weather rather than the bitter cold we often have in Montana, USA. Just last week we had temperatures of -20°F and snowfall of almost 2 meters, but today we'll have a clouds but high temperatures approaching 50°F! (and such dramatic shifts in temperature can occur in much shorter intervals, too.

Might you have any leads regarding someone who would/could make a lined heavyweight cape as you've described it?

By the way, I looked up Fettercairn and was reminded just how large a county Scotland actually is. Most of the web "hits" mention the distillery, which does tours. We TRIED to tour Glennlivet when last we were in Scotland, but were cursed by the tiny paved sheep paths we were forced to navigate in the huge SUV that the car hire company foisted on us in Edinburgh. We arrived an hour late (BEAUTIFUL countryside), missed our pre-paid tour entirely, but were able to enjoy a tasting (as the designated SUV pilot I saved my tiny bottles for another day).