I’ve been dressing alternatively since I was 14 because modern fashion has never appealed to me. I wanted to look back to a time when things were of a higher quality and wear clothes that would make me stand out. I began wearing late-Victorian and Edwardian stuff bought in vintage shops in Brighton and it made me genuinely happy. I got into the Regency look because I was invited to a Regency ball in London and had nothing to wear. I tried to make something myself, but realised it was terrible since I couldn’t find the right fabrics, so I decided to research the history and develop my own skills.

The Regency period was the last hurrah of men’s fun with fashion, when people could be loud with colour and exuberant. The jackets, cravats, trousers – all of it is just wonderful to wear. It’s comfortable, too, and since I make it all myself, it makes me proud to have it on. It’s also a great ice-breaker.

My clothes take time and it’s all about learning to be slow, rather than buying into fast fashion, which is unethical and so removed from the production process. You are who you are and you have to get on with it; I feel very much at home in what I wear and how I wear it.