The Dandy: A People’s History of Sartorial Splendor

Part of our Truths in Our Time Series

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” -Mark Twain

This new book by historian Peter K. Andersson upends everything you thought you knew about style. Far from an elite pastime, dandyism has long flourished “from below,” in the hands of clerks, shop assistants, domestic servants and laborers who wielded fashion as their own form of rebellion. Tracing two centuries of flamboyant flair—from Beau Brummell’s Regency affectations and Baudelaire’s Paris “gandins,” to Teddy Boys, Zoot Suiters, Mods, New Romantics and even Berlin’s early transgender dandies—Andersson shows how taste-makers emerged from every stratum of society.

Expect richly illustrated historical snapshots, vivid storytelling and spirited discussion of how men have used clothing, manners and attitude to forge identity, community and sometimes controversy. Stick around for a Q&A and a pop-up gallery of period-inspired accessories that prove: real power isn’t just handed down from on high—it’s stitched together on cobbled streets, shop floors and dance halls everywhere.

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