Capot An ample coat with hood and sleeves, the capot was derived from the coat used by French sailors in inclement weather. The French inhabitants of Quebec modified the design by giving them a slightly more tailored look. These alterations were meant to imitate the justaucorps, the fashionable coat of the day. This reproduction example has mariner's cuffs. Some sleeves were plain and others had long "boot cuffs" like those on justaucorps. Capots were fastened around the waist with a sash. A single button on the right shoulder allowed the left flap to cross over the breast. These coats were typically made of serge, a woolen cloth that is pliable and drapable but durable. Blue was the favored color. Like most textiles, capots rapidly became highly sought-after trade goods in New France. Native North Americans soon adopted the design to make their own garments from square-cut blankets, creating a kind of knee-length hooded cloak held together at the waist by a sash and closed at the chest with a clasp or pin.
Date: Modern Reproduction |