I may dress in 50s styles predominantly but I have a fond appreciation for the vintage clothing of many a past era. I tend towards big skirts and small waists, bold colours and vibrant patterns, but I can still appreciate a sleek 40s skirt suit, a cute 60s mini dress, an example of exquisite beading of the 20s.

One of my favourite pieces of clothing that just doesn’t get utilised enough in modern day fashion is the capelet, whether a toasty warm one made for winter in a heavy tweed or a luxe decorative cropped number worn entirely for glitz and glamour on an evening out. It’s a taste of the latter I’m pleased to be indulging in this post, with this gorgeous beaded capelet on offer from Joanie Clothing.

Capelet: Cody Embellished Occasion Cape in black C/O Joanie Clothing
Gown: Claudette by Collectif (Old season)
Bag: Black purse by Lola Von Rose

It’s not often you get to really dress up in full glam, gown and all, but it was my birthday recently so it made for a great excuse to shimmy into this pretty piece. At first I couldn’t decide how I wanted to style it, paired with a black 30s style sleeved dress with a slim trumpet skirt? Or maybe worn with a super curvy pencil skirt and a bustier so there were no conflicting lines across my shoulders to distract from the cape? Ah but then I considered a deeply plunging black gown with a long thigh slit, and elbow length black gloves, for optimum drama and opulence. In the end, though, I opted for one of my favourite gowns, this gorgeous deep green velvet number by Collectif, so the green could play with the silver of the beadwork and add dimension.

I love the zig zag hemline of this piece, and the echoing zig zags of the beads that run in lines down to meet each alternate point of that hem. It’s the kind of piece of clothing that makes a statement even from afar, but only grows more beautiful and interesting the closer you get.

The cape closes simply with a hook and eye at the neck, and it’s a one size piece so there’s no sizing advice needed here, just solid marvelling at the lovely beadwork. Plus, for ladies who feel self-conscious about their upper arms or need a little more coverage for their decolletage, this is a gorgeous solution to those problems for a glamorous event. As heavily beaded pieces can often lose a bead here or there from wear, this capelet comes with a little packet of replacement beads for repairs, if needed.

The Cody Embellished Occasion cape is available in Tap Shoe Black or Sea Shell Pink, both £38 from Joanie Clothing, available for international delivery. New customers who subscribe to their newsletter can get 10% off their order, with orders also receiving a return customer discount code as thanks.