One couple’s unusual attire for daily walks is lifting spirits in their village

Dressed in period costumes, the British couple is entertaining locals in lockdown.

Costume shop owner Izabela Pitcher has seen her business, Prior Attire, close in her Buckinghamshire village due to the pandemic. With events such as reenactments and museum exhibitions cancelled at the moment, the clothes were getting a little musty. So the 45-year-old business woman found a fun way to give the costumes a little airing.

By going on a “costume constitutional” Pitcher began showing off some of the incredible designs to the locals, as well as giving villagers a fun history challenge.

Pitcher and her husband, Lucas, get dressed up in a different costume every day and set off on their daily walks. Some of the villagers wave to the couple as they stroll along. Pitcher then posts the photos on social media and asks the villagers their opinion on the costumes’ era and what sort of status the villagers imagine the people wearing the outfits might have belonged to. Pitcher shares the results the following day.

The fun idea has helped provide some much-needed entertainment in the village, even if it must take a lot of effort for the Pitchers to dress up in some of the very elaborate period costumes. But it’s also had a very positive effect on the couple: “We’ve met more villagers — at a safe social distance obviously — in the last week than we have in the last year of living here,” Pitcher shared with the BBC.

As with other stories of community spirit shared on social media at the moment, the Pitchers are another example of people using their creative sides to give a little boost to those in need.