So What is a Capelet?

originally published in October 2003, by Dame Elisabeth Grey (reprinted from the Adrian Empire e-list)

Historically (real history, the thing our Articles of Incorporation state emphatically that we are studying) there's no such thing as a "capelet". There are "mantles" and "robes" associated with station or orders, mainly delineated historically via color or trim. If you try to associate color to subdivision at some point someone's going to be stuck with pink & black, like the Panzier divisions were ( story has it was the only color combination left unspoken for - I think they just liked pink ;-) The way to properly delineate one's association with a subdivision is through proper use of heraldry, which I will leave the heralds to address... perhaps someone could write an excellant article for the Adrian Herald on the proper use of banners, badges & such for that purpose. Remember, as a Knight you are a member of THE Chivalry. That Chivalry is a larger entity than any single subdivision. A subdivision is where you reside. Historically the revered approach for even a Crown or Emperor was for them to consider themselves a member of the Chivalry first and foremost, and that the Crown was an office they held (temporal). The Chivalric role is the more enduring and personal of the two.