Vampire Cape, Red Riding Hood Cape or Superhero Cape? The Best Capes and Cloaks for Fancy Dress

A cape can be a whole fancy dress costume on its own: black with a red lining and a high collar is a vampire cape, a short red hooded cape is Red Riding Hood, and a bright cape is a superhero. Between 1 September and 7 November 2026, red capes drew about a third of the cape and cloak searches that showed our site in Google web search in Great Britain, and vampire cape or Dracula cape searches about a fifth. Our Halloween capes and cloaks range covers both.

Three checks come first, then the capes by job: a cape that is the costume, a cloak that finishes a bigger look, and a cape plus one prop for a last-minute plan. For the full costume behind the cape, our best Halloween costumes guide covers the whole range, and our vampire and Dracula costumes guide goes deep on the collar-and-cape look.

What should you check before you buy a cape?

Check three things before you buy a cape: how long it is, what it is made of, and how it fastens at the neck. Length decides the character: short reads as a superhero or Red Riding Hood, full-length as a vampire, a king, or a Viking. Fabric decides how it hangs and how it washes; every cape here whose product page names a fibre is 100% polyester. The fastening decides whether a collar stands up and whether a child can get the cape on alone: our Vampire Cape Deluxe uses a neck clasp that holds its high collar upright, our red hooded cape is a self-tie, and the King and Queen cloak ties at the neck.

One row needs a second look: each King and Queen bundle is one robe and one crown, so for a couple, order two.

What costume can you make with just a cape?

With just a cape you can be a vampire, Red Riding Hood, or a superhero, because each of those characters is known by the cape first. A black cape with a red lining and a high collar over a white shirt and dark trousers is the classic stage and film Dracula; the Count himself comes from Bram Stoker's novel of 1897, and with Stoker dead since 1912 the character is long out of copyright. A short red hooded cape over a dress or jeans is Red Riding Hood. A red or blue cape over a plain top is a superhero, and a rainbow one is a parade, a Pride march, or a party.

Vampire is the character named most often in those cape searches, so start there. The Vampire Cape Deluxe is a long black cape with a red lining and a high collar, one size for most adults, with a neck clasp so the collar sits upright; fasten it before you put your teeth in. For a witch, a wizard, a warlock, or a hooded vampire, the Black Velour Hooded Cape is cut long with the hood permanently attached. For Red Riding Hood, the Womens Red Fairytale Cape Hood Cape is a short red hooded cape with a self-tie at the neck, so there are no buttons or zips to fight with. For the superhero, our Red Superhero Cape (a short cut) and Blue Superhero Cape (cut generously for a range of heights) are one-size adult capes in 100% polyester.

Pride Rainbow Cape: the cape for a parade, a party, or a hero of your own

The Pride Rainbow Cape is an adult cape in one size, sold on its own. Its product page lists Pride events, carnivals, and parades, and it does the superhero job over any plain top: add a mask and you are the hero of a kids' party.

Which cloak finishes a king, Viking, gladiator, or wizard look?

A full-length cloak finishes a king, Viking, gladiator, or wizard look because the cloak carries the character and the clothes underneath can be your own. Faux fur says Norse, velveteen and a crown say royalty, a red cape over a tunic says Rome, and a hooded black robe says sorcerer. For the dresses, tunics, and banquet looks around them, our medieval fancy dress guide has the rest.

Men's faux fur Viking cape: the Norse look in one piece

Our men's faux fur Viking cape is a full-length cape in 100% polyester with faux fur trim along the collar and edges, one size for most adult men. It fastens at the collar, and the product page's tip is to adjust the drape across the shoulders before you head out so it sits evenly all evening. Worn over a plain dark top and trousers it is a Viking or a Norse warrior. The pack is the cape alone, and the page gives no chest or height measurements, only one size.

King and Queen Cloak and Crown Bundle: the robe and the crown together

The King and Queen Cloak and Crown Costume Bundle is a purple velveteen cloak robe with gold trim, a white faux fur collar with black spots and a neck tie, plus a gold crown with faux gems. The robe hangs about 54 inches long (137 cm) and the crown stands about 5.5 inches tall, one size for ages 14 and over. Its care is different from the rest of this guide: spot clean only and line dry. For a king's cloak without the crown there is also our Mens Red King's Cloak, a one-size velour cloak with a jewelled clasp at the collar.

Boys Brown Gladiator Costume with Red Cape: new for 2026, a warrior in one pack

The Boys Brown Gladiator Costume with Red Cape is new for 2026 and comes with a muscle-effect tunic with armour styling, a red cape, arm guards, leg straps, and a headband, in 100% polyester lightweight stretch fabric with foam-backed padding across the torso and shoulders. Sizes run S to XL, ages 4 to 14, with a regular fit that leaves room for a layer underneath on a cold night out. For younger children, our Boys Brown Roman Gladiator Tunic and Cape Costume starts at T1 (1 to 2 years) and packs a tunic, a cape, shin guards, and arm cuffs. Both hand wash and air dry. All of our kids' products are safety tested by accredited labs.

Mens Sorcerer Robe Costume: the hooded wizard

The Mens Sorcerer Robe Costume is a full-length black hooded robe with a silver lining and a silver belt, in 100% polyester with crushed velour trims, in adult sizes up to XXL. Its product page stretches it from sorcerer to medieval monk, so one robe covers more than one party. For a child's wizard, the Boys Wizard Cape Costume with Wand is a hooded black cape with a wand in sizes S to XL, ages 4 to 14; for the hooded horror version, our Mens Grim Reaper Horror Robe Costume adds gloves and a removable face cover.

Which cape plus one prop saves a last-minute costume?

A cape you already own plus one prop makes a last-minute costume: the same black hooded cape becomes a witch with a pointed hat, a wizard with a wand, or a grim reaper with a toy scythe. Plenty of people work this way. In a YouGov survey from October 2026, 29% of UK adults sourcing a Halloween costume for themselves planned to rewear one they already own and 30% to make one (the options add up to more than 100%).

Hair finishes the quick version: a long black wig under the hooded cape, a grey bun for the grandmother in the Red Riding Hood story. Our fancy dress wigs guide sorts wigs by job in the same way, and our fairytale costumes for girls guide has the Red Riding Hood with the dress included.

Are capes safe for kids near candles, and how do you wash one?

Keep a child's cape short and well away from candles and open flames. Where flames are likely, think about skipping the cape: Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service urges people to consider a costume without a cape or trailing parts for exactly that reason. The same page points out that fancy dress costumes are classed as toys rather than clothes, that a CE mark on the label means the costume meets the EN71-2 flammability requirement for toys, and that pumpkins are safer lit with battery candles. London Fire Brigade adds two habits for children's costumes: look for a UKCA or CE mark on the packaging, and wear ordinary clothes underneath.

• Washing: a cold hand wash and an air dry for every cape here except the King and Queen robe, which is spot clean only and line dry.
• Collars and hoods: hang the Vampire Cape Deluxe or fold it loosely so the collar keeps its shape; reshape the Viking cape's faux fur by hand while it is damp.
• Storing: keep a cape flat or on a hanger between parties, with its prop, so the next last-minute costume is already made.

As a brand, we run over 500,000 quality checks a year. Five of the capes here, from the Vampire Cape Deluxe to the Pride Rainbow Cape, sit together in our Halloween capes and cloaks range; the robes and gladiator sets live on their own product pages.

Frequently asked questions