A cape is a garment that covers the upper torso.
A cape is a long, loose garment, open in the front and without sleeves . The term comes from the Latin cappa .
For example: "The count appeared with a velvet cape and a galley" , "My uncle usually wears a cape in the winter, even though the garment is now out of fashion" , "I would like to buy a red cape that matches." with my wallet and my shoes .
Originally, the cape was a fairly common coat that was used to cover the back of the torso. The usual thing was to fasten it with a brooch around the neck or one of the shoulders. The cape fell into disuse and currently only appears in gala clothing or certain ritual garments .
The superhero cape
Superheroes usually wear capes because, when flapped by movement or the wind, it causes a dramatic effect. Superman and Batman are two of the superheroes who use capes. In this context, it is common for the public to associate capes with the ability to fly, especially for individuals whose species does not naturally possess it.
Among the iconic characters in the world of comics who, for different reasons, can fly freely despite not having wings, very few do so without sporting a wide and striking cape on their backs. However, there are examples such as Rogue , also known as Titania , one of the members of the well-known group of X-Men ; His mutant powers consist of absorbing other people's abilities and also allow him to fly for an unlimited time, but he wears a tight-fitting jumpsuit (a one-piece suit that covers the entire body) and a waist-length jacket.
Given that, with some exceptions, the cape has an aesthetic purpose, the explanation for the fact that some flying characters do not wear it may lie in the fact that they have some other element that reacts to the wind in a graphic and obvious way for the public; In the case of Titania , without a doubt, her puffy hair is enough to denote the effect of her movements tens of meters from the ground.
Issues related to the differences that society establishes between men and women can explain why Superman does not have long hair or Titania , a close-cropped haircut; If her physical aspects were reversed, it is likely that the enigmatic journalist from Metropolis would lose less when changing clothes in phone booths, and that the daring mutant would need a cape to make a greater impact on her followers as she glides through the air like a bird
Many superheroes use capes.
Other uses of the term
The term is also used to name what covers something : "This house needs a layer of paint to make it look like new" , "I have prepared a vanilla cake for you and I have covered it with a layer of dark chocolate" , "A dense layer of snow makes it difficult for vehicles to travel on the provincial route."
Another use of the notion of layer refers to the overlapping areas that form a whole : "Scientists committed to carrying out an exhaustive study of the layers of the atmosphere to evaluate environmental damage" , "The government must ensure the well-being of all social strata .
The layer in the field of design
Certain design applications use layers to organize documents; This happens, for example, with Photohop and Blender .
In the case of Photoshop, layers correspond to a virtual representation of a series of leaves placed on top of each other. Blender , on the other hand, makes use of the independent concept of the position in space of each element: a layer is understood as any group of objects, which can be hidden or shown according to the user's needs.