We’re back with our first original episode of the season! Our guest, Joe Wilkes, culture and policy writer and editor and fashion stylist, takes the mic with us to talk Black Dandyism. Many of us didn’t know this term prior to this year’s MET exhibition and gala theme, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style Our guest gave us some important notes on the role fashion can play for men in resisting the expectations of MASKulinity..
- What is Black dandyism? Joe Wilkes gives us a definition and takes us through its origins.
- You may be surprised to find out where it started… But eventually people made it their own.
- Having a sense of style for Black men in the 19th and early 20th century was new and hard for some to accept.
- Extravagance or lack thereof causes people to classify men’s masculinity, especially, BIPOC men’s masculinity—why is that…? Joe’s answer evokes the racial hierarchy of masculinity.
- The universal suit men wear today wasn’t always the masculine standard... Samantha takes Remoy through where the “dandy” term comes from and the impact it had on menswear.
- In Europe, aristocratic styles thrived on excess and extravagance, but something we take for granted today was previously reserved for the aristocratic and royal classes.
- A middle-class man who had an in with the who’s who of Regency London altered the course of menswear for centuries to come.
- Dandyism becomes a dress code that equalizes classes.
- Men’s style evolved with the advent of a new age.
- Understated and tailored styles became the standard for fashion, at least for quite some time.
- Men of different races embraced dandyism differently. Why is that?
- How is fashion resistance exactly? Joe helps us understand why fashion was so important to Black men’s identity and dignity.
- At a certain point, the desire for authenticity and liberation starts to trump survival, a reflection of the times in the ‘60s and ‘70s.
- But then, to avoid being deemed feminine or being subject to homophobia, men toned their look down. Joe explains how a specific event brought that on.
- Joe shares a little of his own history, having to alter his look based on the community he was around.
- But perhaps there is a group of men who are allowed to wear whatever they want with way less criticism…
- Take a guess which group that is…
- If cishet men have unspoken requirements to meet what masculinity is supposed to look and dress like, does that mean queer men get more leeway? Joe shares some insights…
- Fashion is resistance but it’s not just that. Joe ends on a positive note we all need to keep in mind..
- Some questions we’re still wondering about:
- How has your own fashion sense evolved? Do you dress to be authentic or to blend in as best as possible?
- Can the way men dress dictate how masculine they are? Does the way certain men present themselves put manhood and/or masculinity at risk for some people?
- What do we say to the Brummel-thinking folks who think masculinity requires men to dress with “understated elegance”?
- Let us know in the comments below!
Referenced on this episode:
COMPANION PIECES:
