Capotes!

[George]

Might want to try one of this type. :grin:

John Dabney Shane interview of John Hanks, area of Wheeling, Virginia about 1780.

"Silas Zane and George Green went to Detroit driving cattle and made a great amount, bring back a great pile of money with them. They went a 2nd time and my mother made some cappo-coats for them to take along and sell among the Indians, made them of blue broadcloth, with a cap or hood to draw over the head, otherwise they were like a match coat. I recollect that I sewed some on them myself."

Spence

 

[Rifleman1776]

Informative post. The Hutter commentary is interesting. A servant buttoned up the gentleman. How did the servant stay warm? I'll guess. He didn't.

 

[Artificer]

Might want to try one of this type. :grin:

John Dabney Shane interview of John Hanks, area of Wheeling, Virginia about 1780.

"Silas Zane and George Green went to Detroit driving cattle and made a great amount, bring back a great pile of money with them. They went a 2nd time and my mother made some cappo-coats for them to take along and sell among the Indians, made them of blue broadcloth, with a cap or hood to draw over the head, otherwise they were like a match coat. I recollect that I sewed some on them myself."

Spence

Spence,

OK, I am confused. :redface: Does that mean it was a sleeveless wrap around blanket coat with a hood?

Gus

 

[Artificer]

Informative post. The Hutter commentary is interesting. A servant buttoned up the gentleman. How did the servant stay warm? I'll guess. He didn't.

I only recently found out that men also used muffs in the 18th century to keep their hands warm and not just women.

Since the "gentleman" was riding in a carriage, he could do without gloves when his sleeves were rolled down in this fashion.

The coachman had to have his hands free for the reins, so I suppose he used woolen gloves. I ALSO imagine he could have used the separate hood, shown in the Kannick's Korner pattern, to protect his face and head when it was cold.

Gus

 

[tenngun]

We will say match coat today and refer to a square of blanketing. Such was used then. How ever I think match coat was applied to capote then also.
I think 'cappo', is interesting. Since I got in to this sport I have heard ' k-poat' and 'k-poe'. I don't know how many times I have said it one way and had it corrected by some one.

 

[Artificer]

It gets confusing as the word "capote" is often mentioned as the earliest reference in the 1790's, but Spence's quote of a "cappo-coat" is from the 1780's.


Gus

 

[George]

Many things about the history of that time are confusing, for certain. This one, even more so, since, like the word moccasin, the word capote is spelled and used in several different ways, meaning not always clear.

From _An Account of the Remarkable Occurrences in the Life and Travels of Colonel James Smith, 1799_, by James Smith. He published this in 1799, but in 1755, at the age of eighteen, he was captured by Delaware indians at the site of Braddock's defeat. He was adopted into a tribe of Mohawks, and described the ceremony and activities involved.

"They gave me a new ruffled shirt, which I put on, also a pair of leggins done off with ribbons and beads, likewise a pair of mockasons [sic], and garters dressed with beads, porcupine-quills and red hair also a tinsel laced cappo. They again painted my head and face with various colors, and tied a bunch of red feathers to one of these locks they had left on the crown of my head, which stood up five or six inches . . . "

Spence

 

[LaBonte]

I am not familure with the pattern. Is it s fringed boxy capote?
Such a coat is late in time near the 1880/90s but it's the look many want when they think capote. The name was used for coats back to before the 17th century.
Period blanket coats tended to be more fitted, had little or no fringe, most stopped at or a little above the knee. Matching leggings was seen, some were lined.

depends on several factors f who when and where..

A traveler to Louisiana in 1803 described the capots he saw there :

'This capot is made of a single blanket and is loose enough to look like our greatcoat ; ther is no seem on the back ; they have simply cut on the blanket's length enough cloth to make the sleeves, the collar or the hood ; around the skirt is a blue stripe, and at the extremity of the sleeves is another blue stripe placed there to look like a cuff. The Negroes instead of having a collar have a hood as those of our Chartreux or Trappist monks...The masters' capots differ because they are a little bit fuller, made of a finer cloth and without hoods...'

F. Back, 10, citing Robin, 2:103

Back, Francis. 'The Canadian Capot (Capote)', in Journal of the Fur Trade Quarterly, 27.3 (Fall 1991), 4-15

Robin, C. L. Voyages dans l'interieur de la Louisiane, de la Floride occidentale et dans les Iles de la Martinique et de Saint-Domingue pendant les annees 1802, 1803, 1804, 1805 et 1806, vol. 2. Paris, 1807.

 

[Crewdawg445]

Super easy to make, certainly something that doesn't need any over thinking. I've made several and actually am making one from a HB point blanket now. Easily tailored to each individuals needs. Below is the template I use, easy peasy.

 

[KLWeaver]

Is this a particular size?

 

[Crewdawg445]

Yes, kinda like a general universal size. You can tailor the measurements to whatever you want. Use a flexible tape measure, not sure if there's a particular name for those in the sewing world...

Also with this template, make sure to leave room on the blanket to cut your ties.

 

[tenngun]

The so called simi taylored capote is cut so the body is one piece the seams appear just a little below the shoulder and the sleeves are also one piece but tapered and curved to form a sleave and not just a tube. It really has no more stiching then the above boxy coat.
We don't know when the above style was first used. We don't see records of it till late 19th century. Certantly any one with a 60 inch wide piece of woolen blanketing could have made this here from 1607 on. It dosnt seem to have been used till later. I am a big believer that simple technology can be very old, and in absence of having a solid documented first date for something it is impossible to say such and such is to early. That said I DON'T THINK that was used yet, they well could have been :idunno:

 

[CrackStock]

"You might try making a first one out of an old bed sheet as a cheap pattern."

I tried this, but the thickness of the cloth is also a major consideration, so I got some surplus US Army blankets and learned on these before cutting up high dollar blankets. The kids then used the Army blankets as Halloween costumes while my mistakes were made on $10 worth of material.

 

[CrackStock]

"My tip would be to NOT have a hood. My preferred head gear is either a Rifleman's round hat or a bear skin hat with feather decoration. The hood cannot be worn over these and is useless extra weight. I would have prefered a shawl collar."

I will make an alternative suggestion - to making a hood and installing a button at each shoulder blade. Then sew a corresponding buttonhole to each side the neck of the hood so that it can be buttoned into place when desired or removed when wearing another type of hat. The buttons can be located so that the collar hides them when not in use.

On one it is simply a button under the collar and the hood is buttoned directly to the button holes in the hood. On another I used a tab from the hood which has the button holes that go through gaps in the stitching of the collar to attach to the buttons. All of the attachment is thereby hidden.

I often used my hood buttoned in place when hunting in cold weather and was quite happy for the warmth of the hood which protected my neck better than any hat.

CS

 

[tenngun]

Often commercial made capotes were fitted with button on hoods. Those often had a draw string to tighten up over the face.the loops on the top.

 

[Crewdawg445]

"My tip would be to NOT have a hood.

CS

In our territory, a hood is a very sound investment. Depending on your style and persona, I can see your point. I made one without a hood and hate it.

I'm making one from an extra HB point blanket. I honestly haven't seen any true HB capotes without hoods... I'm sure it's been done though.

 

[KLWeaver]

Yeah, I gotta have a hood. But they're always too small so I'd definitely alter it to be larger. That is one of the things I love about my cloak is the giant hood!

 

[CrackStock]

"My tip would be to NOT have a hood.

CS

In our territory, a hood is a very sound investment. Depending on your style and persona, I can see your point. I made one without a hood and hate it.

I'm making one from an extra HB point blanket. I honestly haven't seen any true HB capotes without hoods... I'm sure it's been done though.

I was advising to have a hood. My quote was to show that I was differing with the original author who was advising against one...

 

[CrackStock]

Yeah, I gotta have a hood. But they're always too small so I'd definitely alter it to be larger. That is one of the things I love about my cloak is the giant hood!

Actually, this is an argument for a matchcoat. That makes a great hood.

 

[Crewdawg445]

I see your reasoning now. :thumbsup: