A cloak suitable as a fencing shield is long and flexible. If you are wearing a set of fine clothing, you are considered to be wearing a fencing cloak. To be proficient with the cloak as a shield, you must have undergone fencing instruction.
To use the cloak as a shield, it is wrapped twice around your arm, which must be empty-handed. It can then be used to ward blows by deflecting them, or by parrying them with a downward beat. It only applies its AC bonus against melee weapon attacks.
+1 AC