'Red Riding Hood' Amanda Seyfried Talks Crimson Cloaks

From 'Red Riding Hood' Amanda Seyfried Talks Crimson Cloaks by Katie Hintz-Zambrano:

Like the name of the film suggests, the key sartorial piece was the storied red cloak that the lead character Valerie, played by Amanda Seyfried, dons when hiking through the snow to her grandmother's house and coming face-to-face with the werewolf that's been terrorizing the town.

To achieve the perfect rendition of the garment, Hardwicke worked with illustrator Kit Stolen on a series of illustrations before adding Evans (with whom Hardwicke worked on "The Lords of Dogtown" and "Thirteen") into the mix.

"Cindy began working on the cloak design, researching styles and fabrics from around the world," says Hardwicke. "We did a broad fabric search and even contemplated weaving our own cloth until I happened upon a heavy-woven, two-tone silk matka -- better known as raw silk -- which was perfect. I had a whimsical swirling pattern silk-screened about ten inches around the border and then had the pattern hand-embroidered over it using six different tones of red. It all turned out quite lovely."

In the end, the team decided on two cloaks: a shorter version worn in several scenes, and a longer and much more dramatic 20-foot cloak made entirely of velvet, which is beautifully displayed in a dream-like overhead shot showing Seyfried's character walking across the snow-covered mountains with the billowing cloak trailing behind her and whipping around in the wind.

Personally, Seyfried couldn't get enough of the crimson garment.

"It was beautiful," she says. "Wearing it did make me feel like a fair maiden in a storybook."

So how many of you have wanted a red cape or hood to wear at some time in your life? How many of you have worn one? I have a black velvet one similar to these designs purchased for my January winter wedding years ago. But when the temp hit the 70s the week of my wedding, the cloak was never worn and I haven't had a reason to wear it since.