Why just wear clothes, when you can wear clothes you feel great in?
I've often been described as an "old soul", or someone "a little obsessed with history". This certainly doesn't seem adequate. However, there is something to this concept. I have had the pleasure of getting to know several folks who have begun to incorporate historical clothing and methods into their daily life. I must admit that some of their influence is rubbing off on me and as I continue my journey, I suspect that early 20th century clothing will become much more the norm in my daily attire.
We're not talking about wearing a costume every day. It's more like finding clothing that fits your level of comfort. Most people who wear historical or vintage clothing every day say they feel more comfortable in that as opposed to modern fashion. (Photo: Alva Vanderbilt in "fancy dress". 1883)
This is not something that two or three odd folks are doing. It is a growing trend to wear historical attire in one's daily life. There are thousands of eras and time-periods to choose from, and varying interests and locales affect that to a degree. For example, Zach Pinset of England chooses to dress in the Regency fashion. Sarah and Gabriel Chrisman are deeply involved in not only dressing in a Victorian fashion every day, but actually living daily life in historical fashion to the point of shunning virtually everything modern. Colleen Darnell is an Egyptologist who wears fashion of the 1920's, even when at work excavating a site. Frankie Sin has embraced clothing of the mid-20th century for her daily wardrobe. Fortunately for all of these people, they have careers that allow them to be "eccentric dressers" and there is no effect on their ability to incorporate their attire into their daily life. Not everyone has this option, however, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't try! Often it's a matter of simply asking, or -if you're brave enough- ask forgiveness later. My good friend, Jake Book is a musician and living historian and has begun to wear clothing of the late 19th and early 20th centuries as his daily attire. He does, however, work a normal, modern, 9-5 job at a local farm store. He recently got a promotion that resulted in a location transfer. He says, "Apparently they were forewarned about me. They said, 'He's a sort of old-fashioned dresser.' No one seems to mind at work."
Musician, shipping manager, and family man, Jake Book working his garden in 19-teens attire.
Another good friend, Brian Cushing, who dresses in a style of the mid-Victorian period 24/7, says that "dressing in the late 19th or early 20th century is just familiar enough to most people that they just accept you as a snappy dresser even if it's a little off to them. All the elements of modern dress are there, they're just a little different, but still recognizable." I would say Brian's statement is doubly so for the first half of the 20th century, as very little has changed in men's clothing through the 20's to modern day, if you were to exclude jeans and t-shirts.
Historian and museum program director, Brian Cushing, prepares a meal in his Victorian clothing. The modern and the historical just happily mesh together in his daily world, as seen here.
For myself, I like the classiness of historical clothing, particularly from the 19-teens and 20's. Also, much of this clothing is wildly practical if you're using specialized garments as they were intended. (For example, breeches or "jodhpurs" are excellent rugged outdoor wear for riding, hiking, or driving.) Also, for myself, cotton becomes quite common by this period and even short-sleeved shirts are fashionable. This is helpful for me, as I don't do too well in extreme heat, yet I work outside a lot, so keeping cool with linen and cotton is a must. It is, however, hard for me to give up a pair of blue jeans that I know I will destroy with heavy and dirty work in a matter of weeks in trade for historical trousers that require expensive materials and a lot of time. Hopefully I can reconcile that conflict down the road. I am experimenting with hemp fabric for its breath-ability and rugged durability. Overalls are on the horizon of my future, of sure!
I think overalls are underrated.
So, what about going BEYOND historical attire? There are varying degrees of interest and desire, but often "dressing vintage" is a portal to "living vintage". For myself, I don't intend to become lost in my favorite time period, at least not until my children are grown. I feel I have a duty to them to not be too strange when their friends come over. I wouldn't want my desires to affect how another parent feels about letting their child play over at our house. That said, I do encourage my children to dress any way that they wish. My eldest son often wears tuxedos to school and the other children have grown quite accustomed to it.
My son's school picture. This was not a "dress up for picture day" outfit. He wears stuff like this quite frequently. (He also wears shorts and t-shirts just as often.) The other kids don't even make fun of him. They're just used to it. If an 8-year-old can do it, you can too!
Adding simple things, like music, is easy to do. I use a music app on my phone to stream 1920's music via Bluetooth into my vintage-style stereo. It's a marvel of modern tech that makes it possible for me to enjoy historical music in historical fashion while I do the dishes. Historical recipes are also a great way to enjoy your favorite era without being "weird". I have found many excellent recipes, and it has really added to the variety of our meal choices. Sometimes there's a catastrophe and we decide to burn that recipe and never speak of it again. More often than not, it turns out great!
Canned Salmon Curry. I think not...
(BUT you should TOTALLY check out the page where I found this image: 20th Century Recipes)
(BUT you should TOTALLY check out the page where I found this image: 20th Century Recipes)
A little harder, is venturing into the world. I have played around with the idea of using historic vehicles as daily drivers. I have yet to find a practical automobile that I can afford, that will cope with the busy highway that we live on. That said, moving to the country is on the radar, and perhaps the Model T will be a little more useful then. My replica car does well, and I use it for errands in town when the weather is conducive, but it's a really impractical vehicle for daily driving.
Both of these cars are totally impractical for daily driving, but for completely different reasons. Details about those reasons can be read in last month's article HERE.
Going out in public in historical attire can be tricky. Expect lots of questions, stares, raised eyebrows, and occasionally scorn. Some people feel offended by how I dress, and I simply shrug it off, because their happiness is none of my concern. Only mine is. Selfish? Maybe. But wearing different clothing, no longer in fashion, doesn't hurt ANYONE. AT ALL... Fortunately, the majority of folks are very kind, often curious, and interested in what I'm doing. I recently had a store clerk ask me about what I was wearing. I explained that I do it mainly as a hobby. He replied, "That's a little weird. I just play D&D." I asked him, "Do people think that's weird?" He said, "Yeah, sometimes... Ok! Cool!" Often, it's just a matter of getting people to understand that this is simply who you are. ...WHICH, by the way, is something that ONLY occurs in the 21st century! In previous eras, it was not considered "chic" to accept and tolerate everyone. Now it's the thing to do. So, were we REALLY born in the wrong era? If I had actually been born 100 years earlier, would have had as much of a fulfilled life as I do now? Would I be able to enjoy wearing something that makes me happy, or spend hours doing research, or get as much enjoyment out of driving a Model T, if that was the "modern norm"? Or would I just be another grunt in a factory, or a greasy mechanic waiting for supper and bedtime? That said, I don't think I was born in the "wrong time", as living in the 21st century allows me to enjoy any period prior, with more-or-less acceptance of this as my chosen lifestyle.
Our family beach attire recently during a family outing in Virginia. We happened to be attending a living history event there (not 20th Century, but early 18th Century) and it was just easier to take the kids to the beach in what they were already wearing. No one cared a bit.
Father's Day outing with Jake Book and family. Jake wore 19th century clothing, I wore 20th. We drove cars from the 1920's, and our wives and children wore whatever was comfortable. We had a really great time!
