What is your fantasy outfit?

When answering this question, I decided to not go with easy answers like pants that always refill your wallet, a cloak of invisibility, or Mary Poppins’ bottomless purse.

I thought about something a few of the students have asked about, which is the lack of, what was last year, a sleeping cot. (For a while, there was actually a bed, that was set up for someone’s project. We napped a lot.) So, I thought about how nice it would be to have the ability to comfortably take a nap anywhere. I called this “invention” a Pillow Suit.

Basically, you would wear a full-body outfit, and the arms and legs were completely stuffed with pillows. Ideally down pillows. I made a prototype, which was kind of fun, since I wasn’t too familiar with how to use a sewing machine. I just used some scrap material we had lying around near the woodshop. I thought about what type of material I would really use if I were going to make a human-sized Pillow Suit.

Starting the Pillow Suit

Thinking of what some of the newest sleeping bags are made of, which are typically a manmade material for both the shell and lining.
Finished suit

Comfort in a sleeping bags is mostly dependent on the insulation. For down filled bags, that means more down equals more warmth.

I also just thought of the type of comforter you might buy at a home goods store. Last year I bought one that had a really soft shell, if you want to even call it a shell. I immediately put a duvet cover on it because I was worried about stains; it’s light cream. The fabric for my comforter is made from “modal”, which is very soft and made of natural fibers – something I, personally, look for in my everyday wardrobe.

I’d think that the manmade/nylon fabrics would be good if you wanted to wear your Pillow Suit to school, or if they ever became so common, to work. For home, I’d prefer the modal, but I might still want a fabric using manmade material, because they often have “moisture-wicking” properties.

Beyond the person needing a spontaneous nap, I also thought about the many homeless people I see sleeping on the stoops of storefronts, on my walk back home. For them, I’d think this might be something they might be interested in, but the material would need to be much more rugged, easily cleaned, and if possible antimicrobial. Maybe a ripstop nylon. It would be noisy, but it would last. I also thought that for them, perhaps the filling compartment(s) could be made from pockets so that they could use the material they find to provide insulation and padding. Plus nylon is cheap.