Were capes ever really popular, or is that just what period movies would have us believe? If so, when? And did they offer any real utility or were they just a flourish? Seems like a coat beats it in terms of being able to use your arms.
FDR wore a naval boat cloak as a matter of practicality.
My family (other than me) did Am Rev War re-enactment. They are very strict about historical accuracy, and capes (at least for women) were very much a thing.
But what is practical about it?
It is easy to get on and off from a wheelchair.
Actual period art (and tailor’s manuals) would have to be lying to us as well
Middle ages up to at least the 1800s.
Have you ever worn one? I can use my arms in mine, just fine.
Also, it’s hard to quickly shrug off a sleeved coat for use as an off-hand parry device in a sword fight.
I bought a thick, quilted cape off of Amazon that is a replica of the cape that Dr. Strange wears in the recent films. I bought it as part of a Dr. Strange costume I put together, I often wear it for Halloween.
Although it’s a costume piece, it is very well-made. And it is extremely warm. On the days when Halloween was very cold I was glad to have it. It’s just a jacket without sleeves that you can’t fasten shut.
If it didn’t make me look like a crazy person, I could definitely see wearing that sort of thing routinely. One thing handy about capes is that you can push it back to uncover your arms when it gets a little too warm, or you can pull it around yourself to warm up. It’s more versatile than a jacket in some ways, where all you can do with a jacket is close it, open it, or take it off.
The least practical thing about a cape is how it hangs off your neck. I know you can also attach it to the shoulders of a garment instead with brooches or some other kind of fastener, but it seems to me that would just pull on your shirt and be equally uncomfortable.
Cloaks are just excellent in all types of weather, they are practical as shawls, coats, wraps, and easy to apply over indoor clothes. They are made to be repellent to water, mud, and dirt. They are warm when buttoned, cool when unbuttoned, a one-size-fits-all garment, doesn’t restrict movement during difficult terrain.
Forget the cumbersome Toga, the restrictive suit, the costly/tailored overcoat, the too breezy skirt/kilt, the neutered cape. The cloak is the most versatile, adaptable, and practical out door garment. Rain, wind, or shine (but if you are in a dessert wear a very light cloak and call it a jellabiya or something)
Can’t say about it being popular or not, but I have seen more than one person wearing an Inverness coat. I am pretty sure it had to do with the cold/rain and not with any kind of “fashion statement”.
Anyway IMO any really vintage style can only be “retro”, so go ahead and wear your overcoat, cape, cloak, or whatever and I doubt the fashion police will bust you (a normal cape; not a “Dr. Strange costume”!)
Is there a meaningful difference between a cape and a cloak?
Capes are great. So are ponchos. The only disadvantage is the lack of pockets but there is probably a solution for that. A bag, perhaps.
I think a cape is just a shorter version of The cloak. So a cloak can be a cape (button it to be shorter) but a cape cannot be a cloak.
Thus capes tend to be flourishes sowed onto a larger garment (coats for example). As a stand alone thing its just an umbrella for your upper torso (in case you need it).
So, the thing that Superman has… the full length train of material stretching from the back of the neck all the way to the floor… would that more properly be called a cloak?
Having owned and worn an inverness cape they are fantastic in rain, even wind and rain. You can easily use your arms and they act almost like an umbrella for your entire body.
Cloaks/capes have the advantage of requiring very little tailoring, which in eras where getting garments made might save you money/effort, and you tended to use a garment for many, many years during which you might gain/lose weight (and for women go through pregnancy) their one-size-fits-all feature was a bonus. They can also double as blankets when you sleep. They can be worn over a little clothing or, in winter, over already multiple layers or heavy garments so they can always add additional protection.
So yes, in many places and times they were a practical garment. But that doesn’t rule out them also being fashion statements for those who could afford to make fashion statements.
To tell you the truth, in my mind they fall under cape. I think it might be because they are so light and sheer, or simply because everyone calls them that.
I also mentally associate the word “cloak” with items that have substance or thickness to them.
and yes; I see it now too.
The costume piece I have is certainly a cloak. (In the comics it is even called the “Cloak of Levitation”.)
I found the listing on Amazon, but it is out of stock. It is really thick and warm, like wearing a blanket.
Capes tend to be shorter, hip length or knee , cloaks go to the ground. No hard and fast rule. Capes tend to be more lightweight, cloaks are heavier.
A good cloak can also double as a blanket.
I have a cloak with pockets.
And I never sad my son was a “usual” kid, but when he was in grade school, he took considerable pride in the fact that he owned THREE capes!
Yeah - I used to wonder what it would be like to have those kids who went out for sports and such… 
That’s a badly-made cape. A good cape should sit on your shoulders.