Hi, reenactor and larper here:

Butted chainmail (that is to say, rings where the open are just touching, not welded or riveted) is an amazing way to rip trap and rip out your hair. Aluminum especially has a tendency to gap on larger sheets, bending open the links and letting it get tangled on itself. You'd need much thicker wire, or smaller rings to compensate.

Cool idea, but poor execution. Instead, you should probaly use galvanized steel, though that has a bit of a smell on it.

The better alternative is stainless steel, which is heavier, but won't bend as easily. It doesn't smell and won't stain. The downside being, of course, that it won't bend as easily during the fabrication either.