Simply Saying: Dandyism Defined: Style as Resistance, Fashion as Identity

“Dandyism isn’t just about being well-dressed—it’s about being well-defined.”

—Dr. Sharon McDaniel

Greetings Savvy Stylers and Substack Family.

Did you know that at its core, Dandyism is the art of self-presentation as protest, style as a statement, and elegance as resistance. Emerging in 18th and 19th-century Europe, and later becoming a cultural movement for Blacks in America, Dandyism was never just about fashion—it was about reclaiming identity, dignity, and presence in a world that often sought to erase or stereotype.

For Black men in the U.S., especially during Reconstruction and the Harlem Renaissance, Dandyism was a radical act. To wear fine tailoring, bright colors, and polished shoes was to confront a system of oppression with grace and sharp lines. Dandies were not dressing up for approval—they were dressing up to define their own power.

As the Met Gala approaches, let us remember: style is strategy. Dandyism reminds us that fashion has always been political, expressive, and deeply personal.

Simply yours,

Sharon

Dr. Sharon McDaniel, PhD, EdD, MPA