#11 - Dandyism
Metrosexuality is an increasingly popular phenomenon in the modern society. Men with an apparent narcissistic edge can be found preening themselves meticulously and taking great pains to look well-groomed. Oscar Wilde, the author of The Importance of Being Earnest and one of my all-time favourite writers, was a metrosexual (he was a homosexual as well, but I digress). In fact, he was more than just a metrosexual - he was a full-fledged dandy.
According to Merriam-Webster online, Dandyism is a literary and artistic style of the latter part of the 19th century, marked by artificiality and excessive refinement. The dandy, a man under the influence of Dandyism, is simply a pioneering metrosexual from the yore. The word dandy is of unknown origin, only recognized to be a vogue word during the Napoleonic Wars. George Bryan "Beau" Brummell (1778-1840), an associate of the Prince Regent was the earliest dandy. He always appeared immaculately bathed and shaved, dressed in a plain dark blue coat that was perfectly brushed and of perfect fit. An early celebrity from the mid-1790s, he was widely known for his laconic wit.
The poet Charles Baudelaire wrote that an aspiring dandy must have "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." A dandy gives exaggerated attention to personal appearance, and delights in elegance and accessories such as white gloves, etc. Many of the dandies in the 19th century even wore girdles to achieve slim waists akin to that of the Victorian women.
In addition to physical appearance, a dandy takes to the refinement of his language and cultivation of leisurely hobbies. Their lifestyles were imitations of the noble blood of the royals, although they themselves usually had little or no connection to the aristocracy. Dandies developed refined speech and haughty manners to reinforce their outward aristocratic appearance; they picked up leisure activities like playing billiards, writing poetry, fine wining and dining, etc.
Dandyism plagues men who have inherited enormous wealth, therefore enabling a lifestyle of lavish refinement yet facing unemployment at the same time. Very often, their decadent ways eventually ended up in bankruptcy as they squander their initial wealth away through sky-high expenditures on clothes and fine dining while having zilch income. Many renowned dandies were reduced to running away from creditors or in asylums as they could not tear themselves apart from the artificial world they had been living in.
Oscar Wilde is always remembered as the satirist playwright with long hair, who carries a lily around town, and is always immaculately dressed. He was a successful dandy who failed to escape the fate of poverty too. Nevertheless, he proved dandies (and homosexuals) to be of intellectual substance and although dandyism has passed out of vogue, the legacy ensues in metrosexuality today.
Oscar Wilde would be glad to hear that.
According to Merriam-Webster online, Dandyism is a literary and artistic style of the latter part of the 19th century, marked by artificiality and excessive refinement. The dandy, a man under the influence of Dandyism, is simply a pioneering metrosexual from the yore. The word dandy is of unknown origin, only recognized to be a vogue word during the Napoleonic Wars. George Bryan "Beau" Brummell (1778-1840), an associate of the Prince Regent was the earliest dandy. He always appeared immaculately bathed and shaved, dressed in a plain dark blue coat that was perfectly brushed and of perfect fit. An early celebrity from the mid-1790s, he was widely known for his laconic wit.
The poet Charles Baudelaire wrote that an aspiring dandy must have "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." A dandy gives exaggerated attention to personal appearance, and delights in elegance and accessories such as white gloves, etc. Many of the dandies in the 19th century even wore girdles to achieve slim waists akin to that of the Victorian women.
In addition to physical appearance, a dandy takes to the refinement of his language and cultivation of leisurely hobbies. Their lifestyles were imitations of the noble blood of the royals, although they themselves usually had little or no connection to the aristocracy. Dandies developed refined speech and haughty manners to reinforce their outward aristocratic appearance; they picked up leisure activities like playing billiards, writing poetry, fine wining and dining, etc.
Dandyism plagues men who have inherited enormous wealth, therefore enabling a lifestyle of lavish refinement yet facing unemployment at the same time. Very often, their decadent ways eventually ended up in bankruptcy as they squander their initial wealth away through sky-high expenditures on clothes and fine dining while having zilch income. Many renowned dandies were reduced to running away from creditors or in asylums as they could not tear themselves apart from the artificial world they had been living in.
Oscar Wilde is always remembered as the satirist playwright with long hair, who carries a lily around town, and is always immaculately dressed. He was a successful dandy who failed to escape the fate of poverty too. Nevertheless, he proved dandies (and homosexuals) to be of intellectual substance and although dandyism has passed out of vogue, the legacy ensues in metrosexuality today.
Oscar Wilde would be glad to hear that.
posted by Lady Lazarus at 1:41 AM
1 Comments:
bravo!
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