In the 18th-century Atlantic world, a new culture of consumption, fueled by the slave trade, colonialism, and imperialism, enabled access to clothing and goods that indicated wealth, distinction, and taste. Black dandyism sprung from the intersection of African and European style traditions as an African American Fashion Revolution during the Gilded Age.  The suit was worn as a weapon.

After Emancipation, Black leaders like W.E.B. Du Bois, Fredrick Douglass and George T. Downing, wore sharp European clothing not to blend in but to stands out in a world that considered them inferior. Elegance became an act of Rebellion.

In 1917, ten thousand Black protectors marched down 5th avenue in silence, no signs, no chat, just immaculate suits protesting discrimination and the lynching of African Americans.

The Dandy Code was a survival mechanism. Those in power feared Black Elegance with a Purpose. During the Jim Crow Days, a well-dressed Black Man could inspire others and be targeted. Dandies didn’t just risk judgement, they risked their lives to look like kings because to be seen as regal was a threat to the racial system of white supremacy.

Read RISHM Executive Director Charles Roberts’s article “Black Dandyism: The American Cultural Revolution in Fashion” in the upcoming February 26th edition of Newport This Week. 

Join us on February 28th and see the Maquette
for one of America’s First Black Dandies.