The Rise of Black Dandyism: How Tailoring Became a Cultural Movement
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8 minute read Photo credit: Juriskraulis - stock.adobe.com
House of Nyabinghi celebrates The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) Gala 2025's upcoming theme "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" by exploring the powerful history of Black Dandyism.
Introduction: The Power of Style
As The Met Gala 2025 approaches with its theme "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style", this moment of reflection and recognition has been much required on Black culture and fashion critique. For us, Black people use adorning the body in cloth not just to hide their nakedness, but as our personal billboard or canvas to paint out our rebellion, revolution, recognition, and reverence.
Black Dandyism, with its house codes of pristine tailoring, bold colour palettes, culturally expressive accessories, innovative fashion takes and a pocket full of witty clapbacks on any and every subject matter, is much more than just a fashion look and feel. It represents resistance, self-expression, and respect.
As Monica L. Miller writes in her groundbreaking book "Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity", "...Black dandyism in the Atlantic diaspora is the story of how and why Black people became arbiters of style and how they use clothing and dress to define their identity in different and changing political and cultural contexts..."
For April 2025, our latest blog focuses on how tailoring grew from a craft into a cultural movement that deeply shaped Black identity worldwide.
Historical Roots: Some of the First Black Dandies
For those of you who may not be familiar with some of the first Black dandies in the late 1700s and early 1800s, Julius Soubise, aka the “Black Prince”, was a formerly enslaved boy who was born into slavery in Saint Kitts, later brought to England and became famous for his flashy style in London high society. Across the English Channel in France, Jean-Baptiste Belley was also a formerly enslaved man who became part of the French government. Painted by Anne-Louis Girodet, one of the leading French painters of the day, Belley is seen wearing a perfect uniform with a crisp white cravat embodying the French Revolutionary ideals of equality that often did not extend to Black people at the time.
These early Black dandies understood that by mastering and then deliberately exaggerating European fashions, they could – and did – create identities that confused white society's expectations.
Across the Atlantic Ocean in America, free Black men in Northern cities like Philadelphia and New York created community groups in the early 1800s where formal dress became both a sign of respectability and a political statement. During Negro Election Day festivals in New England, Black communities elected their own "governors" and "kings" who paraded in beautiful custom-tailored clothes, creating their own systems of dignity when mainstream society offered none.
Dandyism as Resistance: Taking Back the Image
By the late 1800s and early 1900s, Black Dandyism had grown into a more deliberate form of resistance.
During this time, the rise of the tuxedo allowed Black dandies to redefine to a greater extent, what suave, sleek, and sophisticated could look like and be. W.E.B. Du Bois – the Civil Rights activist, historian and one of the Pan-Africanist figureheads alongside Marcus Garvey – emerged not just as an intellectual leader but as a style icon whose perfect three-piece suits and formal portraits offered an alternative yet still an equally powerful narrative to the insulting ‘minstrel’ caricatures of Black people that filled American popular culture.
The Harlem Renaissance era between the 1920s and 1930s further elevated Black Dandyism to an art form. Figures like Langston Hughes and James Weldon Johnson were not just literary giants but style pioneers who knew that their public image was part of their message. In Harlem's vibrant streets and nightclubs, young Black men and women created styles that mixed classic tailoring with innovative ideas that would eventually influence mainstream American fashion.
For example, between the 1920s and 1940s, the classic oversized zoot suit – whose origins begin within the African American community – was the loud, bombastic uniform style of choice amongst many a performer within the Chitlin’ Circuit of comedy shows and with many individuals such as Malcolm Little (pre-becoming Malcolm X) who were active fans of this dress subculture.
This period saw what Miller calls "... Harlemites eager to exhibit a new self..." reach sophisticated levels within Black communities, where they developed their own style and fashion ecosystem complete with tailors, hat shops, and clothing stores that served specifically Black customers. On par with the important marriage of adornment, refinement and reverence when it came to attending Black churches, these businesses were not just stores but cultural institutions that supported self-expression while keeping the money rotating within Black society.
Mid-Century Transformation: The Civil Rights Era and the Rise in Black Power Ideology
The Civil Rights era and rise in Black Power ideology brought new dimensions to Black Dandyism. Amongst the leading voices within the Civil Rights community, the perfectly pressed suits of Martin Luther King Jr, Bayard Rustin, Medgar Evers, and John Lewis, to name a few served many purposes: they demanded respect, challenged stereotypes, and made any violence against these well-dressed protesters look even more unjust in news coverage.
Meanwhile, the Black Power movement introduced a different but equally intentional style that combined African elements with modern tailoring. The Dashikis, leather jackets, berets, black roll-neck tops, culturally significant accessories, and carefully shaped Afros of groups like the Black Panthers represented what Miller describes as “... the uniform-like disciplined clothing....” In other words, this was an aesthetic of Black political presence that used unity – also as a form of dress code – performance and spectacle of resistance to white power as a primary weapon, rather than for witty repertoire and entertainment to assuage white America.
Writer and activist James Baldwin adapted – or should that be updated – his dress style to wearing Black dandy-esque flamboyant codes, such as colourful scarves, bold outerwear, and oversized glasses. Where Motown bands The Temptations and The Four Tops were always presented to the public draped in nothing but sartorial precision pieces; The Jackson Five gave us fun, flair and flamboyance through bold clashing prints and patterns, mixed textiles of crochet, suede and leather, accessorised with jewellery, hats and their signature Afros; Miles Davis, on the other hand, showed his evolution by changing from the sharp-suited jazz artist of the 1950s to the Afrocentric fashion innovator of the 1970s without ever giving up his commitment to looking excellent. The journey of all these Black boys/men mirrors that of Black Dandyism itself, always evolving while staying rooted in a tradition of intentional self-presentation and preservation.
Contemporary Expressions: Afrofuturism and Global Black Style
Today's Black Dandyism has grown into a global conversation about identity, gender, and possibility. Modern figures like Grace Jones, Janelle Monáe, with her signature black and white tailoring; André 3000 and Jidenna; and the late — but always resplendent — fashion editor, author and creative director, André Leon Talley, clearly connect their style choices to both historical Black Dandyism and Afrofuturist visions of the future. Designers like Ozwald Boateng; the late great Joe Casely-Hayford (who also partnered with his son Charlie to bring us the label ‘Casely-Hayford’); Dapper Dan, Grace Wales Bonner, Adrien Sauvage, Frank Aghuno for Fruché Nigeria, Maximilian Davis for Salvatore Ferragamo, Olivier Rousteing for Balmain, image architect Law Roach and the multi-faceted creative that is June Ambrose to name a few, have brought Black perspectives to the highest levels of the fashion industry, redefining what luxury tailoring can be.
In cities across the African diaspora — from Johannesburg's style subcultures to London's Black British fashion scene, from Dakar's tailors to Brooklyn's hat shops, and from the Congo’s sapeur/sapeuse subculture movement to the Original Clark’s footwear movement in Jamaica — Black designers and consumers are creating styles that honour tradition while pushing through contemporary boundaries.
Social media has also amplified these innovations, creating communities of Black style enthusiasts and tastemakers who share their inspirations across national and international borders. While some copycats watch on silently or bewilderingly, most are inspired and share their awe and admiration enthusiastically. However, for the envious few who wonder, “How do they do that?” I put it down to ‘rizz’ [chaRISma]…a form of spiritual reparations, if you will, from Mother Nature that Black people individually and collectively have in their energy field and, most importantly, on lock. Sorry, not sorry!
The Artistry of Tailoring: Craft as Cultural Expression
At the heart of Black Dandyism is the craft of tailoring itself — the careful measuring, cutting, and stitching — that turns fabric into a distinctively sharp identity. Historically, tailoring was one of the trades more open to Black people, even during slavery times and segregation. This created a legacy of Black master tailors whose skills were sought after by clients of all races, even as they faced discrimination. For historical context — and your understanding — slave owners would deliberately remove the original names of the enslaved Black person and give them the same surname as themselves, adding the word ‘son’, e.g., ‘John ‘son’, or the slave owner would name the enslaved Black person after the trade that the enslaved person did; hence, all the plantation tailors became Tailor or Taylor once freed.
Many of these tailors passed their knowledge through generations, creating family businesses that became institutions in Black communities. They understood the transformative power of a perfectly fitted garment for clients who lived in a society that often denied them respect. A custom-made suit was not just clothing but armour for Black people; something tangible that could command respect in hostile environments.
Tailoring techniques mixed with African artistic sensibilities created blended styles that expressed dual heritage. Small details like colourful linings, unexpected colour combinations, or distinctive buttonholes became signatures that knowledgeable observers could recognise as markers of Black tailoring traditions.
Bespoke Philosophy: Dressing with Purpose
Beyond the technical craft, Black Dandyism embodies a philosophy of intentional self-presentation. It rejects both the forced uniformity of oppression and the thoughtless consumption of today’s fast fashion.
This philosophy extends beyond clothing to include accessories, grooming, and even how one carries themselves. The complete presentation matters, from the perfect placement of a handkerchief to the shine of a shoe. Nothing is by accident; everything chosen by the wearer must communicate a story.
The contemporary Black dandy style requires both knowledge and patience, an understanding of history, recognising quality, and being willing to invest time in creating or selecting clothes. The movement values lasting quality over trends, seeing well-made clothing as something to be invested in, maintained and even passed down through generations rather than thrown away when styles change.
The Met Gala 2025: A Major Moment
The Met’s choice of "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" as the theme for its 2025 Costume Institute exhibition and Gala marks an important cultural milestone. One of the world's leading cultural institutions is acknowledging at last what Black society the world over has always known: that Black fashion traditions represent a major artistic and cultural contribution worthy of serious study, celebration, and remembrance.
For House of Nyabinghi and other champions of Black style, this moment offers both validation and opportunity, a chance to deepen public understanding of the traditions we've long celebrated and to introduce new audiences to the beauty and importance of Black Dandyism.
Conclusion: How to Continue the Legacy
As we look toward The Met Gala 2025 and beyond, in a world that still too often undervalues Black lives and contributions, the deliberate elegance of Black Dandyism reminds us that beauty can be a form of resistance and that style, at its best, is not frivolous but fundamental to human dignity. It shows us that the act of dressing can be an act of both personal and collective freedom.
When you dress with such an important level of intention and historical awareness in reverence of Black Dandyism, you join a tradition of affirmation through adornment that spans centuries and continents. Your personal garment and accessory choices become part of a collective statement about the worth and beauty of Black life in the main.
House of Nyabinghi invites you to join us in celebrating this rich tradition by bringing greater intention to your own wardrobe choices. Together, we continue a legacy of using style not just to adorn the body but to affirm the soul.
House of Nyabinghi is committed to honouring and advancing the traditions of Black style and craftsmanship. Visit our online store to explore our curated collections of contemporary fashion, culture, and Diaspora lifestyle pieces.
For more information about The Met Gala 2025 "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" exhibition, visit The Met's official website.