Although the majority of men represented at Battle Road will not be 'gentlemen' by the18th century definition, we will include material useful to playing that role. The term gentleman is described by Henry Cooke, "as someone who, by virtue of their social and economic status, was entitled to this term of deference. In colonial New England, men of learning, merchants, and large land owners seem to be referred to in this way."
When dressing the part of a gentleman, accessories and deportment are key to a well presented persona. 'The look of status always outweighed the desire for physical comfort' was an attitude that represented the upper class, originating in seventeenth-century France during the reign of Louis XIV. These rules were relaxed and refined somewhat during the eighteenth-century but continued to be regarded as the epitome of courteous behavior and elegant movement as discussed in the book An Elegant Art: Fashion & Fantasy in the Eighteenth Century by the Los Angles County Museum of Art. The book defines the art of movement in four categories: Carriage or Body Posture: standing in repose; Motions: changing from one position to another, that is walking, sitting, dancing, etc.; Manners: performing social ritual; Address: bearing of the body during conversation. I highly recommend this book not only for its beautiful photographs but for its first chapter entitled: The Elegant Art of Movement by Alicia M. Annas. It will give you a better idea of the eighteenth-century no matter that role you play, in understanding what is proper and therefore knowing how not to be, should that be the case.