Dandy Style: 250 Years of British Men's Fashion

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Cult de soi-même, Charles Baudelaire, "Le Dandy", noted in Susann Schmid, "Byron and Wilde: The Dandy in the Public Sphere" in Julie Hibbard et al. , eds. The Importance of Reinventing Oscar: Versions of Wilde During the Last 100 Years 2002

France is the fashion capital of the world and has a whole history when it comes to style and fashion. Dandyism entered the European state after the French Revolution. The style was initiated as a political statement of dressing in an aristocratic style to distinguish its members from the sans-culottes.Dandyism was then rooted in Great Britain by George Bryan “Beau” Brummell, a men’s fashion arbiter. Dandyism was then inherited by the Russians and with a blink of an eye, the ideology was spread all over the world. Historical Example of Dandies

At the fringe of its centenary year in 2023, Manchester Art Gallery, declining to trade on seasons past and with an a keen eye on the shape of things to come, is maintaining its position on the cutting edge by cutting the ribbon on a new fashion gallery. The dandy man also invests in quality grooming products such as signature cologne, a good quality cream to keep his hands in tip-top shape, and facial serums or eye creams to preserve a fresh, youthful complexion. For a dandy, there is no such thing as being too invested in personal hygiene. The dandy creates his own unity by aesthetic means. But it is an aesthetic of negation. To live and die before a mirror: that, according to Baudelaire, was the dandy's slogan. It is indeed a coherent slogan. The dandy is, by occupation, always in opposition [to society]. He can only exist by defiance . . . The dandy, therefore, is always compelled to astonish. Singularity is his vocation, excess his way to perfection. Perpetually incomplete, always on the fringe of things, he compels others to create him, while denying their values. He plays at life because he is unable to live [life]. [23] The decision was taken not to exhibit this item within the timeframe of the exhibition because of its physically vulnerable condition. There was neither time nor capacity to carry out the necessary conservation work to display it safely, and we did not want to risk causing further irreparable damage to it. Kani’s resulting artwork A Whisper Behind the Grand Tour 2022, powerfully expresses the wider impact of such decisions, and highlights the complex questions we need to consider in deciding how to prioritise limited resources.Danielle Sprecher, Menswear Archive Curator said: “We are delighted to be able to be a part of this exhibition and to feature garments from the University of Westminster’s important and unique collection of menswear alongside pieces from Manchester Art Gallery’s nationally significant collections, some of which have never been displayed before.” Rosie Gnatiuk, costume curator at Manchester Art Gallery, said: “The fashion gallery supports our ambitions to bring the costume and dress collection into the heart of the city.” Miles Lambert, co-editor of Dandy Style and costume curator at Manchester Art Gallery, explained: “It’s about looking at what people have worn and why they’ve worn it.