HISTORY OF THE DANDY: FLAMBOYANT FLANEUR MALE FASHION, FROM ROCOCO WIGS TO NEW ROMANTIC, STEAMPUNK & NEO-VICTORIANA.
Male flamboyance: a centuries-old tradition that has evolved but never gone out of fashion. Today’s ruffled riff-raff — think Japan’s Goth Aristocrats and New York’s Dances of Vice (above) — are but the modern incarnation of the European dandy. So let’s raise our bowler hats to our foppish forefathers who paved the road to Visual Kei and Harajuku boys.
The male peacock bared his tail-feathers in 18th and 19th century Europe. “Laconically witty clothes-horse” Beau Brummell and “Dandy King” Joachim Murat set the stage for the slightly eccentric but always stylish gentleman. Let’s not forget the infamous Oscar Wilde and Lord Byron. (Come on, fellow contemporary writers — live up to the decadence of your predecessors!)
In mid-18th century Britain and America, the ornate man “stuck a feather in his hat and called it maccaroni.” These caricatures capture the maccaroni’s outlandish tailed jackets and towering powdered wigs.
After suffering through the French Revolution and Reign of Terror, the bourgeoisie just wanted to have fun. The Incroyables and their female counterparts, the Merveilleuses, ornamented themselves in floppy collars and bows. Long hair on men has always been a mark of bad boy hedonism, hasn’t it?
Frilly shirts and powdered visages came back to life in the 1980s New Romantics. The Blitz Kids’ club fashion influenced some of my favorite 80s synth-poppers: Visage, Adam and the Ants, Ultravox, Duran Duran, Human League, Spandau Ballet.
Today, the male dandy lives on in Japanese Gothic Aristocrats, Visual Kei J-rockers, Steampunks and other Neo-Victorian/Goth sartorialists. As for their female counterparts: no matter what era you’re living in, there’s a place for long gloves and ostrich feathers. And ding-a-linging your young boytoy… well, that never gets old!
PS: DJ SiSEN in Malaysia? Nope, it’s a Harajuku Look-Alike contest!
You may also enjoy Funny money in Asia: my new gallery on CNNGo. Which one is the most Monopoly-like?
Song of the Day #279: 12012 – Heart (J-rock dandies carry the flame forward.)
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LA CARMINA
100 Comments
Nicely researched Carmen! I love dandies :) Leanne
Don’t we all… ;)
Don’t we all… ;)
Nicely researched Carmen! I love dandies :) Leanne
cool post. I love Adam and the Ants.
cool post. I love Adam and the Ants.
best topic ever.
Damn some of these pics look like something I’d see in my Art History class xD
But regardless, kodona makes me feel…. androgynous lol
Androgynous is always a good thing! ;)
Androgynous is always a good thing! ;)
So desu ka? Check out my Young Marquis photos circa 1980’s. Mitte kudasai =)
So desu ka? Check out my Young Marquis photos circa 1980’s. Mitte kudasai =)
So desu ka? Check out my Young Marquis photos circa 1980’s. Mitte kudasai =)
So desu ka? Check out my Young Marquis photos circa 1980’s. Mitte kudasai =)
:3 <3
:3 <3
Wonderful!
Glad you like!
Glad you like!
Wonderful!
And I was just ranting today about how powdered wigs and rococo style dandyism needs to make a larger comeback <3 <3 Wonderful article indeed ^__-
hahah it should come back with a vengeance!
hahah it should come back with a vengeance!
And I was just ranting today about how powdered wigs and rococo style dandyism needs to make a larger comeback <3 <3 Wonderful article indeed ^__-
Nice article :) Viva flamboyance!
Hear hear! You’re leading the pack! :)
Hear hear! You’re leading the pack! :)
Nice article :) Viva flamboyance!
Nicely researched Carmen! I love dandies :) Leanne
cool post. I love Adam and the Ants.
best topic ever.
Damn some of these pics look like something I'd see in my Art History class xD
But regardless, kodona makes me feel…. androgynous lol
So desu ka? Check out my Young Marquis photos circa 1980's. Mitte kudasai =)
So desu ka? Check out my Young Marquis photos circa 1980's. Mitte kudasai =)
:3 <3
Androgynous is always a good thing! ;)
Don't we all… ;)
Wonderful!
And I was just ranting today about how powdered wigs and rococo style dandyism needs to make a larger comeback <3 <3 Wonderful article indeed ^__-
Nice article :) Viva flamboyance!
Hear hear! You're leading the pack! :)
hahah it should come back with a vengeance!
Glad you like!
LOL Dj SiSeN in Malaysia xD
You almost scared me there!
I thought I missed the show when I was back there or something.
Curse you Carmen! xDDDD
Then, it was a Harajuku Lookalike contest xD
Nicely written! I love Steampunk and Kodona boys :)
Oh yes! Boytoys >:)
Abney Park is such an inspiration to my “after high-school wardrobe” ^^
Random question though: Does anyone in LA actually drive or own steam cars around?
LOL Dj SiSeN in Malaysia xD
You almost scared me there!
I thought I missed the show when I was back there or something.
Curse you Carmen! xDDDD
Then, it was a Harajuku Lookalike contest xD
Nicely written! I love Steampunk and Kodona boys :)
Oh yes! Boytoys >:)
Abney Park is such an inspiration to my “after high-school wardrobe” ^^
Random question though: Does anyone in LA actually drive or own steam cars around?
LOL Dj SiSeN in Malaysia xD
You almost scared me there!
I thought I missed the show when I was back there or something.
Curse you Carmen! xDDDD
Then, it was a Harajuku Lookalike contest xD
Nicely written! I love Steampunk and Kodona boys :)
Oh yes! Boytoys >:)
Abney Park is such an inspiration to my “after high-school wardrobe” ^^
Random question though: Does anyone in LA actually drive or own steam cars around?
Oh! Such fun we’ll have when you’re in thee El of A, la Carmina!
SOON… SOON.. SOON
Oh! Such fun we’ll have when you’re in thee El of A, la Carmina!
SOON… SOON.. SOON
I love the picture of the lady with the man-puppet! Where is it from?
I love the picture of the lady with the man-puppet! Where is it from?
I just had a seminar work about fashion in 1820-50 inclu. Dandys. I wish there were more running around today. But beside the fashion I’d appreciate ppl with their lifestyle! Let’s make a party with real dandy dress code!! ^^
I just had a seminar work about fashion in 1820-50 inclu. Dandys. I wish there were more running around today. But beside the fashion I’d appreciate ppl with their lifestyle! Let’s make a party with real dandy dress code!! ^^
I just wanted to say hello and let ya know I love your style!
I just wanted to say hello and let ya know I love your style!
Is J-rock a band or does it mean Japaneese rock
Japanese rock. :)
Japanese rock. :)
Japanese rock. :)
Japanese rock. :)
Is J-rock a band or does it mean Japaneese rock
Lovely article! I had just been revisiting the French Revolution and was surprised by the whole ‘sans-culottes’ movement of the lower class during the revolution, leading to the lasting trend that men wear long pants instead of culottes, or short pants (as it was more expensive to have short pants that were suppose to be worn with stockings, buckles etc., not to mention keeping white stockings clean is a pain for blue collar jobs).
An odd mixture of tv shows including The Mighty Boosh led me to listening to The Human League lately, and Venture Brothers character Triana Orpheus to listening to Adam and the Ants as my wiki & youtube obession leads searching out even the briefest references in tv, books or conversation.
How’s Klaus Nomi for 80’s New Romatnics? Not his rubber tuxedo look, but an outfit like
I think it might be more Neo-Jacobean but I’d still call it flamboyant ^^
Ooh, I am taking note of all of these! Thanks for the recommendations.
There were some strange movements and fashion during the French Revolution… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_of_the_Supreme_Being
and Nomi Nomi rocks! It’s neat to see is influences in Lady Gaga’s outfits.
Theres a lot of great fashions displayed by The Mighty Boosh’s character “Vince Noir” played by Noel Fielding (who is an amazingly well dressed man in real life too). As for the Venture Brothers, I can’t say you’d like the show, I’m picky about what Adult Swim shows I actually enjoy, but the character Triana Orpheus and her Necromancer father are great supporting characters that could honestly have their own show, or at least I wish they’d appear in more episodes.
Theres a lot of great fashions displayed by The Mighty Boosh’s character “Vince Noir” played by Noel Fielding (who is an amazingly well dressed man in real life too). As for the Venture Brothers, I can’t say you’d like the show, I’m picky about what Adult Swim shows I actually enjoy, but the character Triana Orpheus and her Necromancer father are great supporting characters that could honestly have their own show, or at least I wish they’d appear in more episodes.
Ooh, I am taking note of all of these! Thanks for the recommendations.
There were some strange movements and fashion during the French Revolution… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_of_the_Supreme_Being
and Nomi Nomi rocks! It’s neat to see is influences in Lady Gaga’s outfits.
Ooh, I am taking note of all of these! Thanks for the recommendations.
There were some strange movements and fashion during the French Revolution… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_of_the_Supreme_Being
and Nomi Nomi rocks! It’s neat to see is influences in Lady Gaga’s outfits.
Ooh, I am taking note of all of these! Thanks for the recommendations.
There were some strange movements and fashion during the French Revolution… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_of_the_Supreme_Being
and Nomi Nomi rocks! It’s neat to see is influences in Lady Gaga’s outfits.
Lovely article! I had just been revisiting the French Revolution and was surprised by the whole ‘sans-culottes’ movement of the lower class during the revolution, leading to the lasting trend that men wear long pants instead of culottes, or short pants (as it was more expensive to have short pants that were suppose to be worn with stockings, buckles etc., not to mention keeping white stockings clean is a pain for blue collar jobs).
An odd mixture of tv shows including The Mighty Boosh led me to listening to The Human League lately, and Venture Brothers character Triana Orpheus to listening to Adam and the Ants as my wiki & youtube obession leads searching out even the briefest references in tv, books or conversation.
How’s Klaus Nomi for 80’s New Romatnics? Not his rubber tuxedo look, but an outfit like
I think it might be more Neo-Jacobean but I’d still call it flamboyant ^^
PS I know Jacobean predates Dandy style by 150+years, but if someone like Klaus wears Jacobean in the 80’s making it ‘neo-Jacobean’ could it then be… associated? for lack of better term with our modern dandies. Ahhh anachronistic theoretical fashion dilema’s at midnight make my brain hurt! lol
hahah I’d think so… I’m no scholar, I just thought it’d be fun to do a post about the dandy fashion that inspires me!
With social movements like this I think its fair game tos ay theres no set rules, no matter how hard some try to come up with a proper classification system. Its really no more than commonly accepted terms used in what is still a growing subculture. There are so many great and interesting styles from the Elizabethan to the Victorian (aprox 1550’s to 1900), although I’m no specialist in it (my focus being hundreds to thousands of years earlier).
It almost seems as if renaissance fashion and Victorian fashion inspired new movements and now we’re seeing more of of what happened in between those distant time periods being filled in, with some great an amazing costumes. And I’ll gladly be you’re scholar lol, all this teaching American History has distracted me from the places and things that got me to love history in the first place (because it certainly wasn’t Am. history that got me started down this path).
With social movements like this I think its fair game tos ay theres no set rules, no matter how hard some try to come up with a proper classification system. Its really no more than commonly accepted terms used in what is still a growing subculture. There are so many great and interesting styles from the Elizabethan to the Victorian (aprox 1550’s to 1900), although I’m no specialist in it (my focus being hundreds to thousands of years earlier).
It almost seems as if renaissance fashion and Victorian fashion inspired new movements and now we’re seeing more of of what happened in between those distant time periods being filled in, with some great an amazing costumes. And I’ll gladly be you’re scholar lol, all this teaching American History has distracted me from the places and things that got me to love history in the first place (because it certainly wasn’t Am. history that got me started down this path).
hahah I’d think so… I’m no scholar, I just thought it’d be fun to do a post about the dandy fashion that inspires me!
PS I know Jacobean predates Dandy style by 150+years, but if someone like Klaus wears Jacobean in the 80’s making it ‘neo-Jacobean’ could it then be… associated? for lack of better term with our modern dandies. Ahhh anachronistic theoretical fashion dilema’s at midnight make my brain hurt! lol
Oh! Such fun we'll have when you're in thee El of A, la Carmina!
SOON… SOON.. SOON
I love the picture of the lady with the man-puppet! Where is it from?
I just had a seminar work about fashion in 1820-50 inclu. Dandys. I wish there were more running around today. But beside the fashion I'd appreciate ppl with their lifestyle! Let's make a party with real dandy dress code!! ^^
I just wanted to say hello and let ya know I love your style!
Is J-rock a band or does it mean Japaneese rock
Lovely article! I had just been revisiting the French Revolution and was surprised by the whole 'sans-culottes' movement of the lower class during the revolution, leading to the lasting trend that men wear long pants instead of culottes, or short pants (as it was more expensive to have short pants that were suppose to be worn with stockings, buckles etc., not to mention keeping white stockings clean is a pain for blue collar jobs).
An odd mixture of tv shows including The Mighty Boosh led me to listening to The Human League lately, and Venture Brothers character Triana Orpheus to listening to Adam and the Ants as my wiki & youtube obession leads searching out even the briefest references in tv, books or conversation.
How's Klaus Nomi for 80's New Romatnics? Not his rubber tuxedo look, but an outfit like
I think it might be more Neo-Jacobean but I'd still call it flamboyant ^^
PS I know Jacobean predates Dandy style by 150+years, but if someone like Klaus wears Jacobean in the 80's making it 'neo-Jacobean' could it then be… associated? for lack of better term with our modern dandies. Ahhh anachronistic theoretical fashion dilema's at midnight make my brain hurt! lol
Japanese rock. :)
Japanese rock. :)
Ooh, I am taking note of all of these! Thanks for the recommendations.
There were some strange movements and fashion during the French Revolution… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_of_the_Suprem…
and Nomi Nomi rocks! It's neat to see is influences in Lady Gaga's outfits.
Ooh, I am taking note of all of these! Thanks for the recommendations.
There were some strange movements and fashion during the French Revolution… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_of_the_Suprem…
and Nomi Nomi rocks! It's neat to see is influences in Lady Gaga's outfits.
hahah I'd think so… I'm no scholar, I just thought it'd be fun to do a post about the dandy fashion that inspires me!
Dandy fashion! <3<3<3<3 Definitely one of my favorite styles. :)
Dandy fashion! <3<3<3<3 Definitely one of my favorite styles. :)
With social movements like this I think its fair game tos ay theres no set rules, no matter how hard some try to come up with a proper classification system. Its really no more than commonly accepted terms used in what is still a growing subculture. There are so many great and interesting styles from the Elizabethan to the Victorian (aprox 1550's to 1900), although I'm no specialist in it (my focus being hundreds to thousands of years earlier).
It almost seems as if renaissance fashion and Victorian fashion inspired new movements and now we're seeing more of of what happened in between those distant time periods being filled in, with some great an amazing costumes. And I'll gladly be you're scholar lol, all this teaching American History has distracted me from the places and things that got me to love history in the first place (because it certainly wasn't Am. history that got me started down this path).
Theres a lot of great fashions displayed by The Mighty Boosh's character “Vince Noir” played by Noel Fielding (who is an amazingly well dressed man in real life too). As for the Venture Brothers, I can't say you'd like the show, I'm picky about what Adult Swim shows I actually enjoy, but the character Triana Orpheus and her Necromancer father are great supporting characters that could honestly have their own show, or at least I wish they'd appear in more episodes.
Dandy fashion! <3<3<3<3 Definitely one of my favorite styles. :)
I never really appreciated male flamboyance. I did, however, greatly appreciate your article. Nice one!
haha once you get a taste of male flamboyance, it’s easy to get hooked!
I never really appreciated male flamboyance. I did, however, greatly appreciate your article. Nice one!
I never really appreciated male flamboyance. I did, however, greatly appreciate your article. Nice one!
haha once you get a taste of male flamboyance, it's easy to get hooked!
Wow, TWO pictures of James in this post! He must be tickled. ;)
Wow, TWO pictures of James in this post! He must be tickled. ;)
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Hi there! Great article!
just a note: the first one that bring back this “Dandy style” in music was Adam Ant in 1980, then all the other got inspired by him (Michael Jackson ask to him where to buy the famous black’n’gold military jacket he used in the 80’s).
Sorry, is just that i want to give a justice to this amazing and creative artist, Adma Ant! <3
Again, amazing article, i've learn a lot from it! :)