From being a popular piece of fashion clothing in the medieval ages to being worn by clergy, the cape has traveled quite a bit. The capes that fashionistas are flaunting today are far removed from their ancestors and their superhero-worn siblings. Today's stylish capes are much shorter, reminiscent of jackets, and surprisingly easy to pull off, if worn correctly. A lot of women think, nay believe, that wearing a cape is a pain and a half. But get your hands on this fun, flattering, and beautiful alternative to a winter coat and you will see why we love this piece of outerwear as much as we do. It exudes glamor, it reeks of high fashion, it makes the slouchiest of outfits look chic and modish. There never were and still aren't better reasons to own a piece of clothing. And once you have your hands on a beautiful cape coat, here are 3 ways to rock this over-sized, trendy outerwear. Like we have been harping on all this while, wearing a cape coat is really easy. But it is not something that you can just slip on when you are out grocery shopping. This is a piece of clothing you should reserve for something a little more stylish; for a business meeting, a dinner date, an outing with the girls, all perfect occasions to take out the cape coat. With it, ensure you have its BFF at hand―the omnipresent high heels. Now that you have some inspiration, let's give you some pointers that you should keep in mind.

• Capes are voluminous jackets. In order to keep that illusion of balance, ensure that the separates (especially bottoms) you wear with it are slim and streamlined.
• The bag you carry with your cape is quite the choice to make. The reason we suggest a hand-held tote, a clutch, or a cross body satchel is because bags with shoulder straps tend to mess around with the fabric of the cape, and make the entire experience uncomfortable.
• If you are petite and it is ridiculously cold, then and only then wearing over-sized sweaters under capes is a good idea. Otherwise, these coats are the perfect accompaniments to those weirdly shaped clothes that you love but can't wear just on their own.
• If you are athletic-shaped or petite, then most cape styles will suit you. With the latter body type, you need to be careful that the length of the coat doesn't overwhelm your height.
• Women who are pear-shaped should look for a structured cape, like one with a belt. Also, wear it with slim pants to prevent your bottom half from looking bigger.
• Fitted capes work best for women who have a larger upper body. These give a streamlined figure that can be extremely flattering

While cape coats are restrictive in what you can wear with them, you can really make the jacket work for you by making the right, and more importantly, the smart choices. Not only are they a cozier alternative to jackets and coats, they are also a much more sartorially forward option.