A Mantle is a piece of clothing, similar to a robe but open on the front side and often sleeveless. It is worn over the outer garments.

All other meanings of the word derive from this one.

Orthodox vestment

In Orthodox Church the mantle (Russian: мантия, "mantiya") is a distinctive vestment worn by bishop, hegumens, archimandrites and other church hierarchs in various church ceremonies and services, such as Vespers, but not during the liturgy.

Mantiya is a sleeveless cape that fastens at the neck and the feet and is worn by all Orthodox Christian monks of the lesser schema . The mantiya is black when worn by an unordained monk. There is also an episcopal mantiya which is not worn with the other episcopal vestments, but when the bishop formally enters the church before Divine Liturgy. Instead of black, bishops use other colors: red for bishops; purple for archbishops; blue for metropolitans; and green for patriarchs.