Its two sections – Tailored Dandy and Decorated Dandy – open with imposing imaginary portraits, Tailor and Dandy, by Turner Prize winning international artist, Lubaina Himid. D'Aurevilly, Barbey. "Du dandisme et de George Brummell" (1845) in Oeuvres complètes (1925) pp. 87–92. And now, for all this perennial Martyrdom, and Poesy, and even Prophecy, what is it that the Dandy asks in return? Solely, we may say, that you would recognise his existence; would admit him to be a living object; or even failing this, a visual object, or thing that will reflect rays of light. [18]

a b Brooks, Ann (15 July 2014). Popular Culture: Global Intercultural Perspectives. Macmillan International Higher Education. ISBN 9781137426727. Through annual exhibitions, the new Fashion Gallery explores and highlights the breadth of the costume and dress collection. Manchester Art Gallery has one of the largest British collections of fashion and clothing, dating from the early 17 th century to the present day. Particular strengths comprise 18th century women’s clothing and children’s costume, 19th century middle-class and ordinary dress, sportswear and occupational clothes. The collection has recently concentrated on acquiring Manchester-labelled clothing, recent top-end couture and menswear. Charles Pierre Baudelaire – A French Poet was deeply interested in Dandyism and various times he wrote about it. According to him, “no profession other than elegance… no other status, but that of cultivating the idea of beauty in their own persons… The dandy must aspire to be sublime without interruption; he must live and sleep before a mirror.” To some extent, modern menswear directly embraces dandyism, from suit construction to the growing importance of grooming. Yet, whether you’re thinking traditionally or specifically in the present, not everything menswear falls within this scope. Instead, to become a modern dandy: This dynamic exhibition and flexible engagement space supports our ambition to reimagine the costume and dress collection. Bringing this important resource into the heart of the city means that we can show it in the context of the wider collection and as an integral part of the story of art and culture.Across the divided spaces, the steps of high fashion’s dance are implied, a sort of tango between conformity and individuality, formality and self-expression. It certainly makes for an enthralling spectacle, a static carnival. At one time, dandyism was comprised heavily of excessive styles: lots of velvet, lace, jewelry, and even wigs, as seen on the fashionable young Parisians and Londoners who helped launch dandy fashion. Over the years, however, dandy fashion has come to be associated less with over-the-top dressing, and is now typically used to mean any man who appreciates fashion and enjoys expressing himself through his sartorial choices. Some dandies dress to stand out from the crowd, while others opt for a more understated sort of elegance with muted colors and minimal ornamentation.

The majority of the exhibits are from the gallery’s collection, with the addition of some loans from private lenders and art institutions. Showcasing around 75 outfits, there will be no shortage of dramatic looks but there are also some very special highlights.Camus, Albert (2012). "II Metaphysical Rebellion". The Rebel: An Essay on Man in Revolt. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. p.51. ISBN 9780307827838 . Retrieved 11 October 2014. Regardless, the Dandy Style Exhibition gives a glimpse of what societies in different time periods looked like. It’s not too late to give the Dandy Style Exhibition a look for yourself and delve into the wonders of men’s fashion. Photo: Amelia Cole @ The Mancunion

Some dandy gentlemen are heavily influences by historical dandy fashion, as seen in novels like The Picture of Dorian Grey or The Great Gatsby. However, some dapper gentlemen embrace a modern spin on the style, and you may spy a dandy dresser sporting an impressive (but well-groomed) beard, gauged earrings, or a tasteful and meaningful tattoo. This fusion of rebellion into classic style is yet another way the modern man may choose to stand out from the crowd, style-wise. Details, details, details. That’s what Dandy style is all about. Your accessories will not only vamp up your foundation (the suit), but will make a statement about you and your personality. Again, less is more here. A Dandy never over-accessorizes – he always has it just right. Barbey d'Aurevilly, Jules. Of Dandyism and of George Brummell. Translated by Douglas Ainslie. New York: PAJ Publications, 1988.

From Oscar Wilde’s penchant for extravagance, to the musicians of today seen through the lens of the best photographers, this show has something for everyone, whatever your style. Himid’s portraits were certainly highlights of the exhibition. The ‘Dandy’ and the ‘Tailor’ were selected from a collection of five life-sized portraits originally commissioned by the Gallery of Costume at Platt Hall. Photo: Michael Pollard @ Manchester Art Gallery Photo: Michael Pollard @ Manchester Art Gallery When it comes to fit, a true Dandy’s clothes fit perfectly. Sleeves are never too long or too short, and clothes are never baggy or loose-fitting. Our slim-fit, 100% cotton Extreme Cutaway White Premium Weave Shirt works perfectly for the Dandy in quality and fit. Paying attention to fabric and tailoring is a must for dandy style, otherwise you’re doing it wrong. Skimping on quality is something a gentleman never does. The exhibition will feature a wide selection from Manchester Art Gallery’s outstanding menswear and portraiture collections, and, unusually, will present fashion and fine art as equal participants. Dandy Style will showcase approximately 75 outfits and a similar number of portraits and photographs that show immaculate tailoring, sumptuous fabrics, ornate decoration and subcultural styles in rarely seen menswear.

It’s possible to see each room as representing separate volumes of a novel, both of them book-ended by six-foot tall plates, imaginary portraits by the Turner Prize-winning Lubaina Himid, upcycled from their original commission for what was then the Platt Hall Gallery of Costume and is now another work-in-progress. The ambitious scope of the story they aim to tell between them is that of a particular strand of men’s fashion over the past two-and-a-half centuries. Strictly fine, top-quality fabrics for the dandy. Inferior, tasteless fabrics are a big no-no. Instead, keep your eyes on cashmere, tweed, linen, corduroy, silk or satin, for example. Walden, George. Who's a Dandy? — Dandyism and Beau Brummell, Gibson Square, London, 2002. ISBN 1903933188. Reviewed in Uncommon People, The Guardian, 12 October 2006. The dandy is alive and well, and on city streets around the world. But what does it mean to be a dandy these days? Jones’ work speaks not only to the endurance of the 60s influence but also to the relevance of this exhibition at a time of innovation and redefinition in the world of men’s fashion.It may no longer be the preserve of eccentrics, but dandyism will never follow a well-trodden path either. Former member of Andy Warhol’s Factory, Glenn O’Brien, argues in I Am Dandy: “A man who steps out of uniform is a hero, in his own way. You can only be a hero in your own way.” Regarding the social function of the dandy in a stratified society, like the British writer Carlyle, in Sartor Resartus, the French poet Baudelaire said that dandies have "no profession other than elegance . . . no other [social] status, but that of cultivating the idea of beauty in their own persons. . . . The dandy must aspire to be sublime without interruption; he must live and sleep before a mirror." Likewise, French intellectuals investigated the sociology of the dandies ( flâneurs) who strolled Parisian boulevards; in the essay " On Dandyism and George Brummell" (1845) Jules Amédée Barbey d'Aurevilly analysed the personal and social career of Beau Brummell as a man-about-town who arbitrated what was fashionable and what was unfashionable in polite society. [21]