Allergy Challenges

[Elaine Kessinger]

I have a friend for whom I would like to make attire who has a severe wool allergy (he starts getting hives and stops being able to breathe if he so much as looks at wool cross-eyed ). Were they to be used in summer, fabric options could include linen and cotton bottomweights; but for cooler and cold weather those fabrics seem too thin and "breathe-able". I know I am not the first to come across this challenge, so any advice would be appreciated. I apologise if this thread has already being discussed.

[Elizabeth]

Health should always be a top priority.

For summer, stick with cottons and linen.  For winter, he's going to be limited.  Finer (upper working class and middle class) menswear is going to be predominantly wool in winter.  He might be able to do laborer impression clothing with heavy cottons, but again, there are health risks with wearing cotton in the winter, particularly in the damp. 

My best suggestion off the top of my head would be for him to concentrate his living history activities to warm weather, or controlled indoor laborer impressions for winter, where he can wear heavy cotton trousers, layered cotton shirts, etc.

[hanktrent]

For true cold weather, there's always a fur coat, unless fur causes the same problems that wool does.

Silk has some of the qualities of wool, and could be used for drawers, scarf, linings, etc.

A coat with a quilted silk and down lining, with a heavy cotton outside, would probably equal wool in warmth. However, I have no idea if down was used that way in the period--never thought about it before.

I'm guessing if he's allergic to wool he's also allergic to all animal fibers, mohair, cashmere, even alpaca (which I believe is not in the sheep/goat family), but knowing nothing about how wool allergies work, just thought I'd toss that idea in there.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[Elaine Kessinger]

While at Needle & Thread I found a cotton suiting flannel in charcoal, would work well for one "suit" piece, and a silk brocade for a waistcoat, but a "matching" frockcoat and trousers were still the exception, right?
Thank you for your suggestions, I will suggest them to him at next opportunity, but would like to still "sound-board" a bit in the case he is resolute about his personna, or for the folks who come later for whom a change of personna is not an option.

[Ms. Jean]

Good afternoon!

Disclaimer:  I am not one of the Experts around here.  However, I am good at remembering details.
 
Try searching for 'ditto' as a suit made all of the same fabric was called dittoes or dittos or some other way to form a plural in English!  Matching coat & trowsers is certainly an option.

Jean