OK, so you’re not giving up your black gown and you’re hot as blazes in your un-air-conditioned church? Wear the gown open. Wear it over street clothes: no stole, no collar, no bands, no hood. That way, if you begin to swoon you can shuck it unobtrusively. (I have a couple a time.) And demand a raise so you can get one in silk next time.
Oh, and I got a sale flier from Cokesbury. They have vesture on sale through June 30, including a bunch of Marshmallow Ghost gowns and some nice albs cut for women. Some nice stoles, but alas, no bands.
Silk is great, but how about robes made of Supplex nylon? You’d be cool as a cucumber.
I had this idea years ago for a small business making robes and vestments from high-tech fabrics (Supplex nylon robes for hot summer, Polar-fleece liners for those Easter sunrise services, etc.). I’ll never do anything with this idea, so I’ll throw it out to the world, hoping someone will give it a try….