Hooded Capes, Made to Order

A hooded cape is a cape with the hood built into the neckline, so the hood becomes part of the silhouette rather than an addition to it. Nadya Shah makes hooded capes to order in her London studio, in hand-woven wool and in silk velvet, each one lined in silk and made to measure in sizes 4 to 14. Hooded styles in the cape collection currently run from around £570 to £1,500, and every piece ships within one to two weeks of ordering.

What Makes a Hooded Cape Different

The hood changes both the line and the purpose of the garment. A collared cape sits open at the neck and needs a scarf in cold weather; a hooded cape covers the head and the neck in one movement, which is why hooded styles work as well for travel and winter daywear as they do over evening dress. The hood also frames the face, giving the piece a softer, more dramatic outline than a flat collar.

The trade-off is volume. A hood adds fabric at the neck and shoulder, so a hooded cape is almost always the loudest thing in an outfit. It is best worn over something narrow — a roll neck and slim trousers, a column dress, a jumpsuit — rather than over anything with structure of its own at the shoulder.

How Nadya Shah's Hooded Capes Are Made

Nothing is made in advance. Each cape is cut and finished by hand once it is ordered, using hand-woven wool for the daytime styles and silk velvet for the evening ones, with a silk lining throughout. Embellished pieces are then hand-worked in silk thread, sequin or bead — the same techniques used across the hand-embroidered wool capes.

Every cape is cut true to size and made to measure in sizes 4 to 14, so length and fit can be adjusted to you rather than to a standard block. See the sizing chart for measurements. Production takes one to two weeks from order to shipping.

Featured Hooded Capes

Cape Terra: a warm chocolate hooded cape in wool, patterned with a geometric motif. The most practical of the four and the entry point into the hooded styles.
Elba Short Hooded Cape: silk velvet with a silk lining, 29 inches, worked in black degradé sequins in gunmetal and pewter thread. Drawn from Venetian black tie, and cut to be worn over a jumpsuit.
Elba Hooded Floor Length Cape: the same silk velvet and degradé sequin work taken to 47 inches, made to be worn over an evening dress.
Amir Hooded Sequin Cape: 100% hand-woven wool in midnight blue sequin, with silver metal epaulettes and pearls at the shoulder, 46 to 48 inches. The most embellished of the hooded pieces.

How to Care for a Hooded Cape

A hooded cape should be dry-cleaned by a specialist rather than washed at home, to protect the wool or velvet and the embroidery threads. Store it on a wide, padded hanger with the hood laid flat down the back rather than bunched inside the collar, or fold it flat with acid-free tissue — a hood left folded inside the neckline will eventually set a crease that is difficult to press out of velvet.

Keep it out of direct sunlight in storage so the coloured threads and sequins do not fade, and let it air after wear before it goes back in the wardrobe. Treated well, a hooded cape is designed to last for years and to be kept as an heirloom piece — part of our wider commitment to artisanal, responsible making.

New to capes? Start with our guide to the different types of capes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are hooded capes warm enough for winter? The hand-woven wool styles are, and the hood covers the two places most heat is lost. A wool hooded cape with a silk lining is warmer than a collared cape of the same weight, because it closes the gap at the neck without a scarf. The silk velvet styles are evening pieces and are lighter.

How much does a hooded cape cost? Nadya Shah hooded capes currently run from around £570 for a wool style to £1,500 for the most embellished pieces, with most sitting between £800 and £1,200. Each price includes made-to-measure cutting in sizes 4 to 14.

What do you wear under a hooded cape? Something narrow. A roll neck and slim trousers for day, a column dress or a fitted jumpsuit for evening. Avoid anything with a strong shoulder of its own, since the hood already carries volume at the neck.

How long does a hooded cape take to make? One to two weeks. Nothing is held in stock — each cape is cut and hand-finished after the order is placed, and embellished styles sit at the longer end of that window.