Is this garb-ly suicide?

[Anthemis]

Also titled, is there irony in a plague doctor surrounded by EMTs?

I've been wanting to make a plague doctor costume for quite some time, and am starting to hit a couple road blocks on keeping cool. I understand that wearing an all-black costume in the height of summer is risky at best, but am taking as many precautions as possible to keep safe. I figure I'd run this past more experienced Rennies before I purchase all my materials and start the actual construction.

Precautions I've taken/will definitely take:
-All of my fabrics are either cotton or a linen/rayon blend. Breathable, and in a pinch I can pour a bottle of water on myself without ruining it.
-I'm keeping a hole in the chin of the mask, and will carry a straw so I can keep drinking (and will be doing so constantly, as well as carrying isotonic powders) even with it on.
-Wearing Under-Armor type garments beneath it.
-Planning to take breaks on the hour to sit with the mask off and get a bite to eat.
-Carrying instant cold packs, if worst comes to worst.

Ones I'm considering, or figuring out how to implement:
-Making some panels of the mask out of fabric, or venting it strategically, letting air circulate. This will happen, but I'm trying to find a way to make it unobtrusive.
-Evaporative cooling. I don't know how well a mere neck wrap will work under a hood, so I've been looking at cooling vests. Has anyone used these, and can vouch for the 5-10 hours of use?
-Alternatively, quilting gel crystals like what's used in the above vests into my bodice, building cooling into the costume. Elaborate but doable.
-Ice packs would give a lot more benefit, but once they warm up are useless, and I don't know how I'd keep spares cold. Does anyone have solutions/alternatives to this?

And of course, if anyone has other ideas--or feels this is outright suicide to wear and I should go back to the drawing board--I'd love to hear I have time to redesign.

[gem]

We have a plague doctor at KCRF.

First: there's no reason you can't have more than one costume, and rotate them as appropriate for the weather. I certainly don't wear my velvet jacket when it's 90+ degrees out! That's the day I pull out the all-linen dress that's open at the neck, with a big flowy skirt that circulates the air.

Second... I would just go with 100% linen for everything. It's going to breathe better than cotton, and it will wick moisture away from you as well as the high-tech fabrics. You might even try a good lightweight tropical wool. Men walked around in very hot, sunny, humid Italy and Spain clad in all black--a black linen robe is not going to feel the same way in the hot sun as a black T-shirt or a black leather doublet. What will your mask be made of?

So, in short: No, I don't think it's suicide. I think with proper hydration and planning and the right fabrics, you'll be fine.  If you've never been in the sun with *every inch* of your skin covered, I think you might be surprised by how cool you feel--even in black.

Good luck!! Can't wait to see what you put together!

[isabelladangelo]

In period, the plague outfits weren't black.  They were brown. 


Although you could make a hood and put the sweet smelling herbs they used in the beak, making a mask is more practical in summer and allows you to eat.  It's also still period.   

make a simple brown linen robe, with a hood, and either buy or make the long beaked mask.  Put sweet smelling herbs (lavender is awesome) in the beak.   

The mask was traditionally leather but ceramic is fine.  I'd suggest looking for more extant masks and hoods as I know there are a couple from the 17th C around still.  Both of the ones I'm thinking of are out of brown leather. 

[Anthemis]

Gem-
Thanks for the vote of confidence! And for the suggestions; I had written pure linen off as too expensive, but I might be able to swing something if it's my best bet. Sport wool looks like it's firmly out of my price range, though. I'll be making the mask out of craft foam treated to resemble leather--the budget raises its head again, and I don't have enough experience handling leather.

isabelladangelo-
I admit I'm not going with historical accuracy so much on this one, and letting personal aesthetic take over. It's for MNRF, we have fairies and mermaids on staff I doubt anyone will mind a personal take on the matter. Thanks for the input, though, I'll bear it in mind when I start drafting the mask.

[gem]

I wonder if you could somehow also make the mask breathable, b/c I think that's where you're really going to feel the heat. Maybe by stretching linen over some kind of wire armature, kind of the way airplanes (or, you know, hats) are made? Obviously a breathable mask is going to rather defeat the purpose of protecting you from foul humors, but covering up your skin will keep the fleas off.

I think the linen/rayon (or a linen/cotton) blend will also serve your purposes OK; rayon is also a cellulose fiber and shares many of linen's heat-friendly and wicking properties. It will cause the linen to drape more softly and wrinkle less, although it can have a tendency to stretch/bag as you wear it (less of a concern for a flowy garment than, say, pants). My husband actually prefers a linen/cotton blend in the heat to 100% linen; I think he likes how substantial it feels as it wicks. Right now all black & white linens (including the blends) are on sale at Fabrics-store.com. Here's a black linen/cotton blend I've used before. I plan to make my FIL a shirt from it this season.

[isabelladangelo]

If four yards of linen is too expensive, how do you expect to pay your entrance fee and for gas to get to faire?  Joanns sends out 40% and 50% coupons every couple of weeks via the mail and every few days via email.  Sign up for either.  You want linen for summer.  This is a health thing not an accuracy thing.  I've gotten the blends (linen/cotton) for $5 a yard.  $20 isn't ridiculous for fabric is about the same as the entrance fee for most faires.  You can dye linen in the washing machine with the RIT dye for only a couple bucks extra.

Also, I would highly suggest just wearing loose fitting pants beneath the outfit and maybe a tank.  You don't want more than that in the high temps.   Don't use the cooling packs.  They are for your beer, not you.  I have seen people have to go to the Med Tent before due to being stupid and using the cooling packs. 

[Anthemis]

Yeah, the mask is going to be a bit rough to wear. I think I can make the lower portion of the beak out of fine fabric, if I get clever about how I handle the edges. And Fabrics-store.com looks like a great lead!

Also, minor confession: I actually work at a Joann's. I'd assumed like a lot of our fabric, our 100% linen isn't the greatest quality and prices would be higher than ours, never mind my aversion to online shopping. Looks like I was mistaken, and am weighing my options. As to price and budget, my pattern calls for five yards on the robe, and there's always a dozen other little things that make prices add up.

This is why I plan beforehand Thanks for the tips.

[GryffinSong]

Joann's has a linen/rayon blend that I simply adore. It washes up so very, very softly! I have not got the experience with it to tell you how it'll wear, but I'm madly in love with it and can't wait to use it. So far I've been afraid to cut into it until I have more garbing experience. I really don't want to waste it. I'm almost there ... hopefully will start something in the next few weeks.

[isabelladangelo]

Five yards sounds a bit overly generous for a basic robe.  All you really need to do is make an a-line tunic with a split in the front.  It shouldn't take more than three yards and the hood will be another yard.  Something like this:
http://simbelmyne.us/sca/court/norse-tunic-pattern.htm

[Elennare]

Joann's has a linen/rayon blend that I simply adore. It washes up so very, very softly! I have not got the experience with it to tell you how it'll wear, but I'm madly in love with it and can't wait to use it. So far I've been afraid to cut into it until I have more garbing experience. I really don't want to waste it. I'm almost there ... hopefully will start something in the next few weeks.

I suspect that fabric is likely what I used for the straps on my baby carrier (I thought it was pure linen when I bought it, but when I went back to get more for a different project, the tag said linen/rayon and they didn't have any pure linen that matched what I bought).  If it is the same stuff, it's fabulous!  And, so far anyway, it's holding up great for carrying my now-toddler around.

[GryffinSong]

Good to know, Elennare! I'm really looking forward to working with it.

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

The Minnesota Renaissance Fesitval opens on 17 August. It can be cool or warm. In September, the same tihng.

I will have to be on the lookout for the Plague Doctor, for the Earl and I will be there most every weekend now that we have Season Passes.

[genyferbelle]

If you're not going to use leather, and make decorative venting holes, I would get some stabilizer, or buckram (used for hats) to line the inside of a fabric beak. This will provide more structure, but will be far more breatheable than foam.

Here's Tom Banwells Mask
http://tombanwell.blogspot.com/2010/06/dr-beulenpest-making-pattern.html

And of course we expect pictures, what ever you decide

[Butch]

An idea for something to install in the mask.

Years ago, I worked at Showbiz Pizza.  One of the "characters" that we would wear was "Billy Bob"; a large friendly bear who wore striped overalls.  Anyway, the costume was quite hot, and the mask was a large helmet.  They installed a small battery operated FAN in the nose to blow right on the wearer's face!

You could install a fan in the beak and run the wires to a battery pack elsewhere on your body.  Probably don't wanna put it too close to your face.  Maybe put a grill up too.  Put a plug somewhere so you could take the mask off without having to fish out the battery pack.

That should do wonders for keeping you cool.

[Aderin]

Also titled, is there irony in a plague doctor surrounded by EMTs?

I've been wanting to make a plague doctor costume for quite some time, and am starting to hit a couple road blocks on keeping cool. I understand that wearing an all-black costume in the height of summer is risky at best, but am taking as many precautions as possible to keep safe. I figure I'd run this past more experienced Rennies before I purchase all my materials and start the actual construction.

Precautions I've taken/will definitely take:
-All of my fabrics are either cotton or a linen/rayon blend. Breathable, and in a pinch I can pour a bottle of water on myself without ruining it.
-I'm keeping a hole in the chin of the mask, and will carry a straw so I can keep drinking (and will be doing so constantly, as well as carrying isotonic powders) even with it on.
-Wearing Under-Armor type garments beneath it.
-Planning to take breaks on the hour to sit with the mask off and get a bite to eat.
-Carrying instant cold packs, if worst comes to worst.

Ones I'm considering, or figuring out how to implement:
-Making some panels of the mask out of fabric, or venting it strategically, letting air circulate. This will happen, but I'm trying to find a way to make it unobtrusive.
-Evaporative cooling. I don't know how well a mere neck wrap will work under a hood, so I've been looking at cooling vests. Has anyone used these, and can vouch for the 5-10 hours of use?
-Alternatively, quilting gel crystals like what's used in the above vests into my bodice, building cooling into the costume. Elaborate but doable.
-Ice packs would give a lot more benefit, but once they warm up are useless, and I don't know how I'd keep spares cold. Does anyone have solutions/alternatives to this?

And of course, if anyone has other ideas--or feels this is outright suicide to wear and I should go back to the drawing board--I'd love to hear I have time to redesign.

I hope you will post pictures! Sounds exciting!