Keeping Up to Date

For my first post I wanted to bring my readers up to speed on where I am at with this grand experiment. Over the past two years the experiment has progressed greatly. In the beginning I was working with modified 21^st century clothing that I made to look 19^th century. Over time I purchased or had my wife (who is a seamstress/tailor) make period correct clothing. There are still a few items that I need to completely flesh out my appearance.

RP Black, spring 2014

My current clothing list consists of the following:

9 Shirts
8 Trousers
6 Vests
2 Sack Coats
2 Frock Coats
3pr. Shoes/boots
4 Bracers
4 Hats
3 Ties
Wool Great Coat
1860s Duster
Blanket Coat
Black Gloves
Pocket Watch
1860s Wallet
Coin Purse
Carpet Bag
1860 Spectacles


There are still a few things I need that are not as vital as the list above such as draws (underwear), socks, gloves, and a walking cane.

The idea that in the 19^th century people only had one set of clothing that they wore all the time is a myth that many people still believe today. In fact even in early centuries men and women of any sort of middling class had various clothing items that they could mix and match to make complete outfits. As for my collection of clothing some are everyday ware for work, fancy dress, or in a few cases “farm” work.

My outward appearance is but only one portion of the whole package I am attempting to become. As of today I have been dressing in period correct fashion for the Victorian era for close to two years, and I never deviate.

The most difficult part of all of this is vocabulary and manners. I have begun by changing my greetings to people such as instead of saying hi or hello I say good morning, afternoon, or evening. There are a few other saying, words, and phrases that I have adopted, however some Victorian era words are not seen as politically correct in the 21^st century. These could prove most embarrassing to use in social or business situations.

Over the next few months I plan to work on improving my mannerisms and vocabulary. The hardest place to do this will be at work because I work with a bunch of guys and it is like junior high school. Of course this could make for a great proving ground for this experiment.

R.P. Black