What is the Opera Coat, the elegant trendy coat now

Floor-length, voluminous, worn slightly dropped to bare the shoulders, perhaps revealing a precious diamond necklace: nothing is more dramatic than an opera coat wants. His look has changed a lot over time, evolving from a purely masculine garment to synonymous with all-female solemnity, class and elegance and today – when gender is an outdated concept in fashion – the opera coat lives again on the catwalk and on the red carpet suggesting dreamlike escapes and regal atmospheres. On the other hand, her charm is already inherent in the name and evokes a distant world – and consequently immediately bewitching – in which one dressed up to go to the theater. The concept of the opera coat in fact, it was born in 1800 and, in reality, even before the stands, it conquered the stage directly: the exaggerated volume that magnified the silhouette, making it immediately majestic, imposing, even frightening if necessary, the wide sleeves or the cape cut that allowed you to move freely , his allure mysterious, everything contributed to creating the perfect stage costume to immerse yourself in different masks and roles.

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It was in the second half of the 19th century that the idea was picked up by the aristocracy and invaded the courts of Europe, resulting in increasingly refined and sophisticated designs, embellished with decorations inspired by distant lands, trimmed with feathers or fur. In 1883, between 39th and Broadway, the doors of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York then opened, which over the decades changed location several times but remained a driving force behind trends, in a continuous exchange of inspirations and ideas between put of the spectators and the very rich costumes. And so, aided by the American drive, by the end of the 19th century opera became almost a lifestyle for high society from all over the world and the dramatic influence of opera echoed in the fashion of the time – just think of the trends popular in Victorian and Edwardian England. In the early twentieth century the most coveted opera coats were those of the French designer Paul Poiret, which represent a moment of break with the dictates of the couture of the previous century and with structured volumes developed in soft drapes, in fluid cuts that linearly accompany the body and movements , also drawing inspiration from silhouettes from the Orient – ​​such as the geometric cut of kimonos. Sophisticated and elegant, the opera coat defines the most important moments of the leisurely class and, with various tricks, adapts to all occasions that required a dress code formal, from weddings to gala dinners. However, not even such a formal garment escapes the innovative wave that overwhelmed fashion in the Sixties and Seventies: the colors become more lively, the materials lighter, graphic prints appear, in general the concept becomes more modern and continues to develop in the time, from couture volumes to more fluid lines.

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Forever associated with a majestic and solemn image, the opera coat in recent years has been reinterpreted several times by the stars to make their red carpet looks unforgettable: the regal cloak in preciously embroidered golden silk, trimmed in fur and with a very long train sported by Rihanna at the Met Gala 2015 or the modern reinterpretation of the opera coat, oversized and quilted, signed Versace that wraps around a latex Gigi Hadid dressed at the Met Gala 2022, remain indelible moments in the history of the event – and of fashion. Oscar night 2023 also saw the opera coat take center stage again, with more modern combinations, such as the candy pink one by Florence Pugh – designed by Valentino – worn over a black bralette and high-waisted trousers, at ensembles more theatrical as in the case of actress Fan Bingbing, who chose a voluminous emerald coat by Tony Ward Couture worn over a silver dress covered in sequins.

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Not just red carpets: the latest fashion shows suggest that the opera coat will be a trend to experiment with in the coming months. Couture-inspired volumes and theatrical references, reflecting a desire for escape, dominated the scene on the catwalk. The dramatic opera coats imbued with decadent charm presented by Dolce & Gabbana for Spring Summer 2023, to the decorated capes by Etro, to the maxi coats veined with irony and theatricality by Moschino and Thom Browne, to the voluminous and colorful designs by Christian Cowan among feathers and faux fur, the post-punk variations of Marc Jacobs or the exquisite shocking pink frivolities of Valentino Haute Couture. Among different styles, materials and combinations, the ways of the opera coat are endless. The only watchwords: always exaggerate.