FDR´s cape at Yalta

[Noble Savage]

There are cloak chains available from the Richard James Weldon catalogue of haberdashery trimmings, as well as olivette buttons and cord for making up the rest it. The chains are specifically heraldic, so you might want to have your jeweler make something up instead.

Edit: Out of date image link removed.

[hectorm]

Beautiful. But I think that for a cape to be worn with evening dress, braided silk or velvet would be more appropriate than a metal chain.

[castiglione]

There are cloak chains available from the Richard James Weldon catalogue of haberdashery trimmings, as well as olivette buttons and cord for making up the rest it. The chains are specifically heraldic, so you might want to have your jeweler make something up instead.

Oh, noble, thank you very much indeed. I will explore RJW.

[castiglione]

Beautiful. But I think that for a cape to be worn with evening dress, braided silk or velvet would be more appropriate than a metal chain.

Some would agree with you, very likely in the Far East where metal hints of war. I think the West is a bit more open. Braided silk seems very proper yet for a bit of small talk-a welcome alternative to weather- iron might prove allright. I think I will try both with a little help of velcro tape. If I find the cape, that is. Movings are murderous events.

[castiglione]

The fastening is similar to those on certain hussar uniforms.

The U.S. Navy version has some sort of complex nautical (?) knot.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_decorative_knots
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_knot
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ashley_Book_of_Knots

A somewhat overlooked uniform. Imperial Russia´s hussar.

Hussar.JPG

And in close up...lots of buttons