Hello, I have a fabric question. I am making a Victorian military tunic, inspired by the Zulu war for my John Watson cosplay. Ive seen that historically, the tunic is made of scarlet red melton wool. However, this fabric is very hard for me to acquire, expensive, and I live in very very hot Arizona, where wearing wool in the summer can become dangerous. I was wondering what your thoughts were as to a different fabric to use. I want it to look formed, sleek, and overall, military-like. Thank you!
Sorry this took so long to get it. It got buried in my inbox.
I can totally see why you wouldn’t want to wear wool in Arizona in the summer. That would be a problem. Unfortunately, there aren’t many fabrics that look like felted wool that aren’t felted wool or that would be lighter and less hot (something like an acrylic substitute would probably be worse for your heat situation). No matter what, you’ll have to change the look at least somewhat.
You may need to use an interlining or a fusible interfacing on many of these fabrics to get the right body and stiffness. A silk organza interlining (flat lined to your fabric) would be most lightweight and breathable, but also more costly than something like a fusible interfacing.
If you don’t mind a bit of a flatter look, a cotton twill or poplin would work, or if you can find a cotton/rayon or silk blend, that would be even better heat-wise.
If you want the depth of the wool material but don’t mind a lighter fabric, a very low pile cotton velveteen might work. It’ll be a bit richer looking than the wool because of the pile, which tends to trap light. When I did Lady Oscar (pretty much my only military cosplay), I used a pinwale corduroy. From a distance, you mostly just see that’s a nice, rich fabric, since the wale (the lines of the corduroy) is so small. It’s not as hot as I expected, as the fabric is cotton, it’s unlined, and the breeches are off-white rayon crepe.
If you don’t mind something a little more lightweight, some suitings might work, if you can find one that’s dyeable (since scarlet red suits aren’t exactly common).
Regardless of fabric choice, practice safe wearing. Remove the jacket when going outside. Try to not wear too many layers. Drink plenty of water. If you start to feel overheated, take a break. If you don’t have a specific shirt or something to wear under it and the jacket will be closed, wear a wicking tank top meant for athletes underneath to help absorb sweat and keep you cooler. Try to get the most breathable pant material you can.
I hope that helps! If you find a particular fabric that you are considering, feel free to send me a link to it or some pictures and I can help you decide. Also, note that I know very little about historical costuming, so if you are looking for something more historically accurate, that would require a bit of extra research, but since you’re asking for alternatives to the historically accurate fabric, I assume that isn’t an issue here. :]