1) Most wings are crafted from recipes that may either drop off enemies or be bought at the auction house. Category is Recipes -> Other. Other wing types are available from the 15 month Veteran award, or the Valkyrie pack available on the online store.
2) The low-level people with flowing scarves you mention are probably wearing Shoulder Capes, which are a veteran award for playing for 21 months. These may be applied to a character from as early as level 1, during character creation, no mission required. An armor-plated version comes with the Valkyrie pack available on the online store.
3) VEAT = Villain Epic ArcheType, Arachnos Soldiers and Arachnos Widows, which become playable upon getting a regular Villain Archetype to level 50, and come with an exclusive semi-customizable Arachnos uniform in their first costume slot.
Good to know, Cheers!
Slowly learning stuff here.
No problemo - feel free to send me an in-game tell if you have any more questions, my global is in my sig. 
Also with the new magic pack you get the "high collar cape" which can also be used from level one. Same with the mac pack.
Basically if you got the cape from some source other than the cape quest you can use it from level 1.
That's ok. I'm actually not really wanting cape for my main or alt at the moment, was just wanted to know how they and other items were accessed other than the mission at lvl 20.
I did get the Cyborg pack though, that's pretty neat!
Both Magic and Valkyrie (Mac) packs give capes at level 1.
�How do I like my MMOs? I like them the way Paragon Studios used to make them.� - a fitting tribute from kiasa.org
EU, Union mostly.
Ok, so I know you can run a mission at lvl 20 to get a cape for a character, but I see pictures of people with wings, I've seen (low level) people with flowing scarfs etc..
How do you get these other items? Are they merely choices you get when you complete the cape mission? Also search function being what it is brought me to a thread discussing a VEAT costume.. whats VEAT?
Geez I hate being a noob..