I think this could be because you seem familiar to the spirit. If you are dealing with a spirit from the 1700’s, they might not understand someone in surf shorts and a tank top.
Several of my experiences were at locations I had been to dozens of times in normal clothes (blue jeans and a t-shirt) and never experienced anything, but when I arrived in a period outfit, someone decided to make themselves known.
I have many friends who still do reenactments and many of them have experienced the same exact thing, so this seems very common.
~Jamie Pearce
Author/Founder of Historic Haunts Investigations