A great, long coat can make you feel all sorts of things. It lends a sense of bravado and builds confidence by making any outfit feel sleek and finished. But take your arms out of the sleeves and see how you feel. It’s as close a feeling to what I can imagine wearing a cape must be like and will take you from powerful to heroic in one fell swoop. Only those who have walked a mile in public with their coat draped over their shoulders will truly understand.
But before you accuse us of being slaves to fashion trends, the draped coat is in fact, not a trend at all — it’s historic. It dates back to aristocratic times, where the royals showed their elite status through extravagant clothing, and traditionally regal pieces like robes and capes were draped elegantly across one’s shoulders — a sign of wealth and influence.
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People who talk smack about this sartorial-superhero aesthetic are either villainous trolls of the Internet or have only come across people who have worn it wrong. In order to do this grand look justice, your coat must be a suitable size — big and spacious, to lend the illusion of broad shoulders and to allow you ample room to move.
Obviously, if you’re having to do things that require serious arm mobility — grocery shopping, talking on a phone, driving a car — don’t be stubborn. Put your arms back into your sleeves – we’re not advocating style to the detriment of everything else.
When done right, draping your coat over your shoulders not only makes you look like a boss, but it makes you look like a busy hustler. So busy, in fact, that you simply don’t have time to go through the last step of completing your outfit.
