Capes and ponchos: chic or impractical?

Capes and ponchos were everywhere on the autumn 2026 runways. Mystylebox counts ponchos at Ermanno Scervino, Chloé, Tod's, Balenciaga, Givenchy, Alaïa and Dolce and Gabbana, and calls coats, capes and ponchos the centre of the season's outerwear.1 Coveteur describes the same thing as shrouds: draped capes at Ralph Lauren, structured ones at Ashlyn, and fur shrouds worked into knitwear by FFORME.2

The case for chic

A cape changes the silhouette more than any other coat. It turns the shoulders into a clean line and lets the body move underneath. Over tailored trousers or a slim skirt, it looks deliberate and grown-up in a way a puffer never will. It is also generous: a cape fits whatever you wear underneath, a thick knit or a blazer.

The case for impractical

Bags. A shoulder bag slides off a cape, and a crossbody strap pulls it out of shape. Arms get cold in a real winter wind. And a cape is hard to wear with a backpack or on a bicycle. These are not small problems if it is your only coat.

A cape over a suit is the most elegant coat there is. A cape with a heavy shoulder bag is the most annoying.

Our verdict

Chic, as a second coat. Wear it on days with a small bag carried in the hand, on the way to dinner, to the theatre, to a meeting where you want to make an entrance. Keep a sleeved coat for the commute.

How to wear it

• Cape coat: a cape with arm slits, like Toteme's cape coat in navy, is the practical compromise. Wear it over a fine knit and wide trousers.
• Flannel cape: Toteme's winter flannel cape in charcoal is the softer, more relaxed version.
• Shawl as poncho: a large shawl thrown over the shoulders, like Nanushka's Kamin shawl in camel, gives the poncho line without a commitment.

Colours and fabric

Dark and plain. A cape is already a statement shape; pattern or bright colour makes it a costume. Navy, charcoal, camel and black, in wool or flannel.

What to carry

A top-handle bag or a clutch. Rouje's GALA or Nanushka's Sandi Lock work because you carry them in the hand, not on the shoulder.