The Dandy: Peacock or Enigma?

by Nigel Rodgers

A look at the phenomenon of the dandy from Regency England to the contemporary Congolese Sapeurs, with stops at Wodehouse, Wilde, Grant, and more  The dandy is not just an elaborately or even well-dressed man, nor is he an exclusively English phenomenon. He is something far more universal and intriguing, and this study explores his cultural significance. It starts with Beau Brummell, acknowledged as the very first dandy, a man whose ancestors had been servants, yet who invented a new paradigm of courtesy, wit, independence, and elegance to lord over the aristocrats of England. Brummell died in exile, forgotten and impoverished—the best dandies often die in debt. But his image lived on, to haunt and inspire generations around the world, from the boulevards of Paris and St. Petersburg in the 1830s to the studios of Hollywood a century later. Byron, Disraeli, Bulwer, Pushkin, Chopin, Delacroix, Balzac, Baudelaire, Wilde, Proust, Boni de Castellane, Hugo von Hofmannstahl, Beerbohm, Noël Coward, Cary Grant, Fred Astaire, Vladimir Nabokov, Ortega y Gassett, Mikhael Bulgakov, Evelyn Waugh, Scott Fitzgerald, Tom Wolfe, Nick Foulkes—all were bedazzled by the image of the dandy.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2012

About the author

Nigel Rodgers, who has a degree in history and history of art from Cambridge University, has written widely on history, philosophy and art. (Barnes and Noble)

Reviews

[Tony Rivers · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent overview of the subject, ranging from Beau Brummell in the Regency, through the famed figures of the 19th and 20th centuries to later avatars such as Sebastian Horsley, and the Sapeurs and the Chaps today. Amusingly illustrated and written, it also examines the philosophical appeal of dandyism. In doing so it casts a new light on dandyism, showing how the dandy was sometimes very fashionable but at other times a complete contrarian. There is plenty here about clothes - even an amusing glossary at the end of the book - but even more about the dandies' amazingly quixotic attitudes and often colourful lives.

[Nk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offers an informative and enjoyable stroll through the times and places in which dandyism arose and flourished, from Beau Brummel two hundred years ago to the present. Elegantly written and well illustrated, the book is just the right length, neither too long nor too short. It brings to life its relatively obscure subject, portraying dandyism as an idiosyncratic mark of civilisation, a product of a metropolitan world that was free from the oppressions of politics or religion. Recommended.

[Paul Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly informative with lots of interesting historical background and illuminating personal profiles

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rodgers' book gives a wide-spanning overview on the history of dandyism up to today which is a great recommendation for undiscerning readers. The book's weak point is the superficial treatment of the topic with some heavy name-dropping that at times lacks substantial background information. The dandyism of many alleged dandies is not satisfactory expounded. This makes for a rather frustrating read, especially when it comes to his gallery of modern and postmodern dandies.