WHERE DID ALL THE DANDIES GO?

Dandies are a rare breed in our times. In these days of personal expression as quick as a tweet, expressive and eccentric men's fashions are nowhere to be seen. Perhaps personal expression is too easily available to us. Perhaps we no longer have the need to distinguish ourselves in our dress. With men especially, our public looks have dwindled to a few stereotypes. On weekends, I could count on one hand the men that aren't in jeans or shorts (viewing from the West Coast). And except in winter, there are fewer still in anything but a t-shirt. My blog post on the film Barry Lyndon and its strong visual depiction of 18th century male peacocks has led me away from the movies, and on to the subject of what has been called dandies.

Christian Esquevin circa 1970

Christian Esquevin circa 1970

A Dandy is defined as "A man who affects extreme elegance in clothes or manners." This definition seems to sneer at the very concept. Perhaps the definition itself defines why dandies should exist - to be someone who does not dress the same as everyone else, or someone who pushes beyond the generally acceptable idea of the appropriate male fashion of the day. And with fashion itself, as Rene Konig pointed out, the leading edge of it is to be conspicuous and to distinguish its wearer from others. Given that male attire has been very conservative for centuries would seem to leave much room for choice. This general lack of adornment in male clothing should be a surprise given the thousands of years of its opposite in history, and given mankind's instinctual inheritance of many traits from the animal kingdom. Male sublimation began with the favored black and austere clothing of the court of King Charles V of Spain. From there the style found favor in the Calvinist and Puritan countries of the north. King Louis XIV of France, one of the first dandies, launched influential fashion trends that countered this bleak style.

King Louis XIV, circa 1670

As the middle class grew in Europe, the modes of dress of the aristocracy served as models. But the very nature of the bourgeois male reigned in the finery, expressiveness, and panache of the aristocrats. Only after the start of the French Revolution did an explosion of male dandyism begin within the middle classes. This period and the Romantic era of 1800-1830 was the heyday for male dandyism.

The "Incroyables" (the Incredibles) was the term given to fops during the French Revolutionary period.

It was during the same period that military uniforms reached the pinnacle of the peacock look. Various regiments had distinctive colors and uniforms - with a variety of feathered or furred hats and helmets. The styling of the military uniform also consciously emphasized or accentuated masculine features through its V-line silhouette; broad shoulders, thin waists,
tight breeches, and added height through tall headgear. And the various belts, sashes, pouches, and sabretaches served nicely as accessories.

Napoleon's Marshal Joachim Murat, a dandy with the panache to lead cavalry charges holding only his baton

It was in England that Beau Brummel (1778-1840) set the style and panache for the tradition of dandyism that followed. He was the first to match the dark color and fabric of his trousers to his jacket - thus creating the suit. 

English gentleman circa 1810.

Count Robert de Montesquiou by Giovanni Boldoni, 1897

The Belle Epoque - lasting from the late 1870s through 1910, roughly the late Victorian and Edwardian period in England - witnessed a spurt of dandy dressing,as well as refinements, aestheticism, and fine living due to the growth of the middle class and the haute bourgeoisie. Haute couture itself developed during this period, and many people were now able to buy pre-made clothing for the first time. Edward Prince of Wales set the styles during the1930s in England and abroad, with his great taste and his willingness to break with aristocratic and upper class dressing conventions. He wore his country suits in the city, wore brown suede shoes with dark blue suits, and started wearing spread collars with ties made with his own knot. In the U.S., Fred Astaire used some of the same flair for his on and off-screen dressing.

Pete Townshend of The Who.

The truly revolutionary thing that happened in fashion was that, starting in the mid 1950s, teenagers and the young started dressing differently than adults. While male movie stars like Marlon Brando and  James Dean influenced male fashion, it was the rock stars that now began setting fashion trends. Starting among urban youth, teens started wearing youth-oriented styles like those of the Rockers, Teddies, and Mods. After the "British Invasion" of rock bands, the styles of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Animals, the Kinks, and The Who held sway in fashionable America.

Brian Jones and Jimi Hendrix, two Rock dandies, both dead at age 27.

Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix were the true dandies among the rock stars. Once Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger, and Jimi Hendrix started wearing vintage sartorial military jackets and coats, the style spread  in England, where such jackets could still be found in antique and resale shops.  Jimi's style of dress was truly individualistic, like his music. He made popular a psychedelic meets gypsy look that few men could carry off. Brian Jones was another icon.

Brian Jones was a founder of the Rolling Stones as well a a dandy.

After the Mod years and the British Invasion ran their course, men's fashion devolved into music influenced disco, grunge, and hip-hop styles. While flash may have existed, dandyism was lost in this mix. In more modern times a dandy or two could be spotted - Tom Wolfe before, Hamish Boles now. But of all places, the legacy of Dandyism has found root and has thrived in the Congo. Brazzaville and Kinshasa are the home of La SAPE movement, short for the Societe des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Elegantes. They call themselves Sapeurs. Rather than being composed of the rich and famous from the countries of The Republic of the Congo or the Democratic Republic of the Congo, they are taxi drivers or carpenters - working men all. 

Christian Malala in Bakongo. Photo by Jackie Nickerson.

Brazzaville Sapeurs. Photo from Guy Alain Bombelly.

The Sapeurs like to gather and compare their outfits. Quality matters, as it would for any Dandy. And although it looks like colors run wild, Sapeurs have a simple rule. Don't wear more than three colors - a good rule for anyone to follow.

Sapeur of Bakongo. Photo by Daniele Tamagni.

Maybe another rule should be to bring Dandysm back to style.