Wizard!
The recent spate of shows on BBC4 about both prog rock and the history of fashion has had the unintended effect of bringing that most unique item of fashion, the cape, to the front of my mind. Stuck in the midst of history, folklore and comic books, can anyone other than Rick Wakeman and Superman possibly carry the cape off? Possibly not – the only other person I’ve ever known to wear one was our university wizard.
Clearly appointed as a student union jape in the late 60s, the official university wizard was still hanging around when I was there in the early 1990s. His job appeared to be meandering around campus flourishing his cape, waving his staff and generally annoying my cynical slacker generation with his tales of cosmology, magic and ‘alternative’ lifestyles.
We thought he was a boring old hippy. He probably went home feeling sorry for us and our miserable capitalist lives. Wonder if he’s still there and what he thinks now.
January 21st, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Elvis favoured a cape , which was inspired, like his hair, by Captain Marvel (Shazam) http://www.dccomics.com/media/product/1/1/1171_400×600.jpg
Bowie wore one at roughly the same time as Elvis, but there’s a bit of crossover between them both
http://planetmondo.blogspot.com/2008/01/theres-good-rocking.html
January 21st, 2009 at 2:48 pm
I think it takes just the right person to pull off wearing a cape.
January 21st, 2009 at 3:47 pm
When I was a kid one of the local characters was a heavily Brylcreemed chap who must have been in a circus in his youth, as his signature piece was a splendid red cape with silver suns and moons emblazoned on it. He’d wear it to do his shopping, and I can remember him swishing out of the greengrocer’s with a bunch of stolen bananas concealed beneath it. I was slightly scared of him, but impressed.
I’d put money on your campus wizard still being around, dishing out his wisdom to a third generation of twenty year olds.
January 21st, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Of course, PM, how could I forget Elvis!
Keith, I agree and there are probably very few people who can wear a cape – maybe just Rick Wakeman, super heroes, Elvis and Darth Vader too now I come to think of it (I’m afraid the jury’s out on Bowie, Mondo).
And ISBW, it sounds like your guy could pull it off too. It takes a certain person to wear a red cape, let alone one with silver suns and moons. As you point out, a cape could be a useful aid to concealing things as well. Maybe Elvis could hide a few cheeseburgers under his?
January 21st, 2009 at 10:38 pm
I’ve got a cape on I always weara small chick…..
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:01 am
errr… BLTP?
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:26 am
sorry old joke central here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capon
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:27 pm
I see! For a moment there, I thought that you’d completely lost the plot.
March 10th, 2009 at 3:44 am
I had considered, some years back, that if I were to start wearing a cape (albeit a short un-hooded variety), and carrying gold tipped cane to thwack on forehead of imbeciles, then clients might actually start listening to me.
March 10th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
Hello, Animadvertism – thanks for visiting and (for making it this far back in the archives). You know there still might be time for a cape revival. Recessions can do strange things and this could be your USP…