Trendspotting: What’s Up With Fashion People Wearing Jackets Like Capes?

Wearing a coat or blazer draped over your shoulders isn’t exactly a new trend. It’s kind of a fussy dignified old lady look. Cardigan clips existed in the late ’50s and ’60s (and Glee’s Emma Pillsbury is bringing them back) to facilitate wearing your button-downs draped instead of arms-in and buttoned-up.

But if you follow the big street style blogs, the ones that follow the fashion crowd over fashion month like Tommy Ton, Garance Dore and the Sartorialist, you’ve probably noticed that the fashion elite have taken to this trend like gangbusters. Most notably, Marie Claire’s Taylor Tomasi Hill and Zanna Roberts and Elle’s Kate Lanphear seem loathe to put their arms in their blazer sleeves.

It’s a styling trend that has hit the runways, too. At Banana Republic’s spring show this past week, one of the model’s was styled with her jacket draped cape-style. Of course, it’s hard to keep a jacket on when your stomping the runway and your arms aren’t in the sleeves, so they buttoned the coat at the neck, which just makes her look a bit like she’s being strangled.

Do you or would you wear a jacket like a cape?

All these people are. Take a look.
**All photos via Tommy Ton for Style.com and the Sartorialist.