While I hesitate to put the Old Knock in a box, let’s face it, he (or she) does need to be clothed. And, in this case, the more the better. Because the typical Old Knock is not focused on exercise for its own sake, he prefers to keep as much of his body covered as possible. This is why one tends to find Old Knocks in the more temperate regions. Clothing is often layered to keep out the cold while living in those drafty attic apartments or poor old rectories.
Apart from the amount of clothing worn, the second most important feature is the age of the clothing itself. Most Old Knocks have better things to spend their money on (even if it is a substantial amount) than merely keeping themselves clothed. So they are likely to get their money’s worth out of their clothes. With any luck, they are able to get by on hand-me-downs from older relatives, or they manage to get by on rummage sales.
Fit is not particularly important—but comfort is. So is practicality. The Old Knock spends a lot of time pondering, and it’s a bit hard to ponder when one is uncomfortable. Softer materials are preferred. Don’t misunderstand—we are not talking about warm-up suits and trainers here. But aged clothing that has been worn so long as to, in some cases, actually become a part of the wearer.
The final characteristic of the Old Knock’s wardrobe is the Reminiscent element. Don’t forget, Old Knocks are very Romantic about the past—that’s why they spend so much of their time studying the Classics. The Old Knock derives quite a bit of pleasure from these old clothes. They are comforting, as well as comfortable.
