NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Henry Adams had reached a fashion crossroads by the early 1970s: As bell bottoms and afros became the trend and the look of film figures like John Shaft and “Super Fly” became style prototypes, the teenager felt unrepresented.
But a previous trip to the Museum of Modern Art, for its “Harlem On My Mind” exhibit, had already begun to lay down his fashion foundation.
“When I saw those photographs of elegant Harlemites promenading up and down Seventh Avenue and Lennox Avenue … the raccoon coats and fox coats, and spangled gowns, and bowler hats — all this satirical splendor … I thought, ‘Oh! There is another way for me to be authentically Black,’” recalled the New York-based cultural and architectural historian, now 69.
The style Adams would embrace had a name: dandyism. And dandyism was at the heart of Monday’s Met Gala, where many of the world’s most famous and influential tastemakers donned their luxury best to kick off the “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” exhibit. But Black dandyism isn’t limited to expensive couture — it’s displayed daily.
“It’s everywhere in the Black community, the notion of what a dandy is,” explained Adams, who was photographed for the “Superfine” catalog. “The ingeniousness and ingenuity and creativity of Black people, so far as fashion was concerned, it’s always been with us.”
As the menswear-focused exhibit — the Costume Institute’s first to exclusively display Black designers — opens to the public Saturday, here are tips from dandies on embracing the style in everyday life.
Tip 1: Start with confidence
Dandies say the key to a distinctive look first begins on the inside.
“Fashion’s a sense of personality. Two guys can go to the same store and get the same outfit and look totally different,” said Guy Wood, 62, the stylish co-owner of Harlem Haberdashery. Inspired by family members and dapper Harlem neighbors, he developed a knack for style early. “It’s confidence … you walk in the room, and all the heads turn.”
Michael Andrew, a 42-year-old Atlanta-based style consultant, first delved into dandyism after being inspired by Fonzworth Bentley, most recognized as Sean “Diddy” Combs’ often-photographed assistant and umbrella holder in the early 2000s. Bentley’s colorful outfits and tailored outfits separated himself from the hip-hop era’s prevalent baggy look.
“A lot of guys think that being a dandy is about being over the top,” said Andrew, who was photographed for Rose Callahan’s 2013 book “I Am Dandy: The Return of the Elegant Gentleman.” “For me, dandyism is the highest form of taste with self-expression.”
Tip 2: Opt for the statement pieces
The foundation of dandyism rests upon tenets such as bold colors and fine tailoring, but there’s no singular way to achieve the look. Each dandy creates their own unique style, often centered on specific elements. For Wood, who refers to crafting looks as making gumbo, it starts with suits.
“Wearing a suit, you just feel important,” said Wood, who often pairs them with brogue shoes of various bright colors. “We love well-tailored.”
James McFarland, an 80-year-old master tailor, says a dandy’s affinity for tailoring is easy to understand: “It’s very simple: we’re a visual world. When you wear something that’s fine tailored and it’s fitting you well, people look at that.”
Known as “Gentleman Jim,” McFarland was tutored by Orie Walls, the go-to Harlem-based tailor of the 1960s. McFarland says they crafted suits for nearly every famous Black male celebrity of the time, from Duke Ellington to Jackie Robinson to Muhammad Ali — as well as some of the era’s most infamous characters, like gangsters Frank Lucas and Bumpy Johnson. He says wearing a suit “makes you feel better. You ever heard the term styling and profiling?”
While Adams, the historian, is drawn to bow ties, buck shoes and straw hats, Andrew says the beauty of dandyism is making it your own.
“Texture is the must-have when you start talking about dandyism — textures and patterns. The great point here is that dandies always have their thing. And so, for me, hats are my thing,” Andrew said, adding that small accessories, like stylish wool or cashmere socks and pocket squares, can easily elevate a look. “Now, it’s starting to become glasses. … Every dandy has the opportunity to utilize something.”
Tip 3: Creativity is worth more than cash
Wood says creativity is essential to becoming a dandy — not a high income.
“That’s a cheat code,” said Wood. “It is being creative … most of us don’t have a lot of money. You might go in your mom’s closet and (think), ‘Oh, that scarf is fly.’ You tie it around your neck and lay it over your shoulder. You just can’t be scared.”
Adams says while style and inspiration can go hand-in-hand, individuality should always be paramount.
“People should find their truth and aspire to look like themselves,” he said, noting he shops at a variety of stores, from the high-end Brooks Brothers to off-price and discount stores like Marshalls and K&G Fashion. “Part of the thing that made me rebel against looking like ‘Super Fly’ or ‘Shaft’ is I didn’t want to look like everybody else.”
Jacques Agbobly, a designer whose clothes are featured in the Met exhibit, agrees.
“There are people who would really just think it’s about the suit that you’re wearing and the top hat … but for me, and I think that’s what this exhibition does really fondly, is really putting together a group of amazing clothing that really redefines what dandyism is,” he said. For the Togo-born designer, “taking up space is a sort of open-ended thing in a way,” whether it’s achieved through colors, silhouettes or fabric choices.
Tip 4: Avoid the crisis of casualness
A general consensus among dandies is that society has embraced casualness, shunning the well-dressed looks of the past.
McFarland, the tailor, says his profession isn’t as admired or used in U.S. as it was years ago. He teaches fine tailoring as he has for decades, and is planning to start a podcast to discuss the craft and his adventures styling celebrities of his era.
“When I grew up, I wanted to look like the people in the neighborhood,” he said, explaining his mother couldn’t afford the clothes he wanted, leading him to tailoring. “Everybody, male and female, was dressed up.”
Andrew hopes that same stylish spirit of yesteryear can make a resurgence, believing appearance and pride work together.
“I would challenge or would encourage all of us, especially as Black people, to remember our history, to remember that we used to throw on our Sunday’s best,” he said. “We wanted to show up as the best versions of ourselves.”
The “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” exhibit, which will run through October, is sure to introduce visitors to the most elevated forms of Black dandyism. But for Wood and fellow daily dandies, it’s just business as usual.
“The fact that the Met realizes that is a beautiful thing,” he said with a sly smile. “But we’ve been doing this forever and we really not paying attention to it. We just do it because we love it.”
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Follow Associated Press entertainment journalist Gary Gerard Hamilton at @GaryGHamilton on all his social media platforms.
