I feel your pain, it is so hard to come up with any sort of fantasy costume and have it comfortable to wear in the summer and still look good/convincing! I put quite a lot of time into this problem a few years ago, because I didn't want middle earth reenacting to only be something I could do in the winter, that and all events/festivals/medieval fairs etc... are in the summer
some stuff to think about:
- make everything out of thin fabrics
- try to stick to linen (if you cant afford linen, "linen look" cottons are quite good nowadays, just avoid the plain color thin "shirt cotton" fabrics, they just look to smooth and refined to fit in in the fantasy setting
- loose clothing is cooler because it casts shade instead of the fabric being in direct contact with your skin while the sun beats down on it
- layers often make the look of a fantasy costume, but layers also add warmth so if you use trims and borders instead you create the same look without adding more fabric
- thin hoods and hats will keep the sun off well
- it can still look fancy but try to keep it simple
here's an example of one of my kits:
^if I had historic footwear I could easily skip the gaiters, those grey pants are nice thin linen so they are not bad to wear in real heat, but they would do much better if they were more baggy
full post here:
https://www.middleearthrangers.org/foru ... php?t=4062
If your climate allows, layering with a surcoat made from a thin linen or cotton will really help achieve the ranger look:
^this was made for a summer medieval fair
full post here:
https://www.middleearthrangers.org/foru ... php?t=4790
Hope this helps
Gimli: It's true you don't see many Dwarf-women. And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance, that they are often mistaken for Dwarf-men.
Aragorn: It's the beards.