The Reading Buccaneers’ new uniforms from G2 Performance are made with no-odor fabric, keeping musicians comfortable and fresh.
The Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps will be hitting the competition circuit this year in a little more comfort. The world-renowned corps’ famously intricate uniforms will be made with a new technology that is cooling, comfortable and odor-free.
The uniforms, created by G2 Performance, a Delaware-based industry leader in band attire, will be lined with fabric made with Acteev, a no-odor technology that feels great on the skin while naturally combating the bacteria that gives sweat its unwanted smell.
“Marching performers are musicians first, but the agility and endurance required on the field is likened to that of an athlete. We call the performers we serve Marching Athletes™,” Vaughan Sawdon, G2’s owner, says. “And like all athletes, they sweat. Our mission is to make garments that are visually impressive and enhance the artists’ movements while staying comfortable.”
The Buccaneers are an all-ages Drum Corps, with members ranging in age from the teens into the 50s and beyond. They have won more championships than any other member of the Drum Corps Associates, the competition association they are charter members of. Their 17 minutes on the field involves virtually non-stop running, dancing and playing instruments, says Lois Tierno, the band’s volunteer and support staff coordinator. Known as the “group mom,” she began marching herself at age 13 as a color guard member and has been with the Bucs since 1985.
“The routines are so physically intense,” she says. “You’re playing an instrument while running full speed on turf with temperatures of nearly 100 degrees, all while wearing a heavy uniform.”
And those uniforms can give off more funk than the corps’ brass section.
Because the uniforms can’t be easily cleaned due to the elaborate adornments, they are typically turned inside out and hung to dry, Tierno says. The airing out helps, but it only goes so far at controlling the odor. “We have a lot of members whose uniforms are soaked in sweat after a performance. The smell can be overpowering,” she says with a laugh.
The new uniforms lined with Acteev, however, are the freshest they have been, she says. “We finally have a uniform that we hang overnight and wear the next day with minimal odor. And our members say it’s the most comfortable uniform they’ve ever worn.”
Acteev features the antimicrobial protection of zinc ions within superior nylon 6,6 fibers, creating textiles that naturally combat odor-causing bacteria. Unlike applications that are coated or sprayed on, Acteev doesn’t rely on any post-production chemical treatment, meaning its performance textiles require less water in the finishing process and remain as effective as day one.
Word about the new uniforms is spreading amongst the marching band community, G2’s Sawdon says. “We’re starting to receive calls from our industry asking about these new no-stink uniforms and how they work,” he says. “Acteev is such a natural fit for our products. It elevates the performer and their confidence on the field.”
