History buff dresses the part
Xavier Layton enjoys donning period attire, such as apparel from the Romantic Period. Photos submitted
By Tom Victoria
Xavier Layton looks like a man from another time as if stepping out of a Charles Dickens novel.
The 21-year-old Texan is an aficionado of historical fashions, particularly of the early Victorian period. To that end, he dresses in the respective garb when not otherwise engaged.
“I see fashion as a form of self-expression where I can wear my interests on my sleeve literally,” Xavier said. “But I think another big aspect is because it gives me a real sense of being transported back in time. I always loved the past and being dressed in the clothes just makes it feel more real and like I'm living in it.”
He divvies up his social media content.
“My YouTube channel is meant to be educational and exploratory into a specific section of social history (1800-1910), so I use those years to give an idea as to what time period I'm researching and discussing,” Xavier said. “My Instagram includes all my interests, so I added up to 1960 because sometimes I enjoy dressing up in the styles of the 1940s or ‘50s or ‘60s, but I don't talk about those eras on my YouTube.”
His YouTube content includes such topics as Dressing as a Gentleman: 1840s Middle Class, Let’s Talk Cravats: History and Culture and What Did Poor People Wear? Not the Answer You’d Expect.
He acquires period clothing from a variety of sources, including online purchases for the 19th century or medieval apparel.
“However, for the mid-20th century it’s easier to find things in thrift stores or fake it with modern garments that look close enough,” Xavier said.
He can’t recall a time when he wasn’t interested in fashion.
“I've been a lover of period clothing as far back as my memory goes,” Xavier said. “I think, for me, even when I was 5 or 6, the clothing was what really distinguished history from the modern day. If you wear a T-shirt and jeans but live in an old house, you're just a modern person with old-fashioned taste. But if you wear old clothing and live in a modern house, people will associate you with that specific era you're dressed in despite your house being modern.”
He was inspired by various films.
“I grew up watching period movies, like "Pirates of the Caribbean" or "A Christmas Carol” (1984) or old John Wayne films, so it's really hard to say when I first saw period clothing in movies,” Xavier said. “I think it's safe to say that it also goes back as far as my memory does.”
Xavier dons a Moroccan fez to go with his smoking pipe.
He said fashion has lost some of its luster over time.
“I do appreciate the style and elegance of period clothing,” Xavier said. “Aesthetics are important to me and I think modern clothing has gotten lazy in that way. Historical clothing fits better and is meant to accentuate certain parts of one's body to look more appealing, whereas modern clothing is uncomfortable, never fits right and often doesn't look very nice as far as silhouette is concerned. I also think things like color and texture have been lost to time in a sense. I hold no resentment towards modern fashion or modern people, and I hope everyone feels like they can dress how they truly want to, whatever that may be. But I do think we've lost a lot to the past, even the distant past, which I hope can be recovered.”
He explained the importance of learning about the past.
“History can teach a great deal when it comes to our experiences as societies as well as human beings,” Xavier said. “We often think of the past as being a lesson about politics or economics, which is true, but it's also a lesson about people and life. When we look back in time, we can observe how regular people lived and how the normal life of an average person fit into the bigger picture, which is a side of history that's often overlooked.”
Although he enjoys period garb, he’s not ready to go time traveling.
“I'm perfectly happy living in the 21st century,” Xavier said. “Thanks to modern databases and social culture, I can live in any time period I want whenever I feel the urge. Living in the past would limit me to all the restrictions and customs of the age. So if I lived in the 1800s, I could never experience the joy of 1940s fashion or 13th-century fashion again. Moreover, I always say that while the Victorian era is my favorite to study and dress in, it's also the last era I'd want to live during. The social climate was as bad as it gets, poverty and disease were at an all-time high and the modern city, with all its miseries, had begun to form and solidify with no legal restrictions.”
Dressing like Dickens’ Nicholas Nickleby or Jane Austen’s Mr. Darcy does lead to inquiries from people.
“I appreciate answering questions about the history and clothes,” Xavier said. “But people also often ask questions like ‘Are you in a play?’ or ‘What are you dressed as?’ and it can be difficult and awkward to explain that I'm wearing period clothes that could have been worn by an upper-middle class gentleman in the early 1840s.”
While he favors period dress, modern pieces pique his musical interests. Xavier plays guitar.
“I like to play rock/metal of various types as well as different genres of jazz and Latin music, but I can play blues, funk, pop, even reggae to an extent,” he said. “I'd say possibly flamenco too, but that's more of a work in progress.”
Xavier produces content with specific intent.
“I would say my main objective is to both inform and inspire my followers as well as use it as a way to learn more and connect with like-minded people,” he said. “I firmly believe that social history — the study of everyday life and practices of the past — is just as important as political or economic history and that all three must be truly understood in order to really understand history as a whole. So my hope is to inspire people to see just how important, as well as fun, social history and historical costume are.”
Xavier’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@OldGuyVibes/featured
Xavier’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/old_guy_vibes/