WHY WEAR HISTORICAL CLOTHING (while walking a pilgrimage to Rome)?

« We wanted to lose weight (normal people go to the gym, we carry heavy historical gear and go climb up mountains…) »

« Everybody in Boston/Massachusetts/New England/USA dresses like this. » [And if the person hasn’t been, who’s to say otherwise?]

« We dressed like Savoyard peasants to not look like Americans (because we hate Trump). [Akin to liberal American backpackers putting Canadian flags on during the Bush years.]»

« We needed the extra challenge of history kit to function as couples therapy before we consider having a child (and/or a farm) together. »

« When we first met, we were sexy, but very stressed. Now we’re fat and happy. So this trip is a great way to get sexy AND happy. Besides, we are considering having a baby together, and these clothes are super hot.  Also, you have an excuse to swim naked and be accurate. And you have a metabolic excuse to eat all the pastries you want.

« We are primadonnas who love the constant attention? Or we could likely fund the whole trip by charging people for photos and selfies. »

« We miss our dog, and this clothing gives us an excuse to meet other people’s pets out in public! »

« Historical clothing avoids sun burn/skin cancer, insect and tick bites by wearing lots of layers. It also air conditions you when the breeze blows through your sweaty natural clothing. »

« To make people think they have time travelled; especially at night, in dark church corners, rural isolated settings, or when people are drinking. »

“This is all an elaborate excuse to go antiquing and researching in Europe and use the expenses as a tax write off for Adam’s business as a dealer and educator.”

« Our appearance makes people more curious/likely to help us when we are in need (of water, of rides, of medical help in an emergency).

« We are experimenting with historical outreach and branding over Instagram and social media. Maybe we’ll write a book of the trip…?»

« Even (or especially) when nobody’s watching, we experience the joy and passion of exploring clothing and inhabiting the history we have studied prior to the trip. »

« We wanted to literally and figuratively tailor outfits to the Francigena regions we were hiking. So we chose an 18th century group, the Savoyards, who seasonally emigrated across Europe for work, were Catholic, were present in each country we’d visit, and whose dress we could document enough to fully recreate. »

« We are counterculture hippies who dislike using disposable synthetic gear. Even when historical gear is bulky, you can nearly always fix it. Failing that, to recycle or even compost it. Modern gear is almost all plastic, synthetics reek when you can’t wash them, and all current outdoor gear that’s marketed is disposable. »

« We wanted to humble ourselves by using gear that intrinsically challenges and limits our modern and individualistic instincts. Instead of charging ahead and relying on modern kit to to push us through, we chose gear that makes us ask – is today’s weather worth it? Is there a local landmark we’d rather see in full? Do our bodies need us to take a bus or a break? Bagging miles and peaks risks missing the forest for the trees, since you focus on how, not why. »

« Strangers’ reaction to our dress shows us immediately who we’re dealing with (are they curious, judgmental, alienated or delighted?)

« We wanted to experience what it’s like to wear 1750s clothing we’ve researched and recreated over a sustained period, rather than just a weekend or for some fancy dress event. »

We meet other fellow pilgrims, and some amazing human beings!