We can thank the original dandy, Mr. Beau Brummell,
for introducing the modern Western man to the importance of well-fitted
and understated formal wear. Mr. Brummell’s contemporaries, the English
aristocrats of the early 19th century, seemed to be fitted towards
mobility, and thus their attire needed to be more practical. A
trailblazing pioneer, Mr. Brummell experimented with his own style and
started deviating from the norm in a big way. Dropping the
pomp and frills of his peers, he valued fit above all else, considering
how it would frame his body and how it would better represent the image
that he wanted to project. His fashion and style ushered
in a revolution in menswear that is still present today. It shook its
way through British royalty and decades of tradition and now a sharply
tailored and well-fitted suit stands as one of the most distinguished
staple garments in formal menswear.
It would be silly to suggest that all this was
ushered in by one man; surely it took the courage of many a Beau
Brummell, an entire movement like many acts of revolution. Regardless of
the history, we are sure about one thing. We’re grateful it happened.
And we’re grateful there are men who continue to push style forward.
On this, the eve of Oscar weekend and the
decrescendo of awards season (the season of bravura) we tip our hats to
the men who dared to deviate from the norm to give us the modern tuxedo.
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