This year, Vogue is making sure there are no excuses when it comes to executing the 2025 Met Gala Theme and Dress Code. In just a few weeks, stars will gather at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute for the Blackest Met Gala we’ve ever seen. Inspired by Monica L. Miller’s “Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity,” this year, the Met Gala’s theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” and dress code, “Tailored for You,” will spotlight the intersection of fashion and Black identity.
Leading up to what many know to be “the biggest night in fashion,” terms like “dandyism” and “dandy” have gained new popularity. But what is a dandy? And more importantly, what is a Black dandy?
According to Merriam Webster, dandy reflects “a man who gives exaggerated attention to personal appearance” or “something excellent in its class.” Miller echoed this definition in a recent video with Vogue.
“The dictionary definition of dandyism is somebody who studies above all else, to dress elegantly and fashionably,” the scholar and exhibit guest curator shared. “When the dandy is Black, we get to see the dandy as a figure that really encapsulates a kind of matrix of identity, race, gender, class, sexuality, and sometimes nation.”
Dandyism: where history, culture, and self-expression collide
Like many things in Black fashion, dandyism reflects history and culture. The Black dandy reflects an individual who distinguishes themselves through their clothing. Fashion historian Shelby Ivey Christie notes that Black dandyism could be traced all the way back to slavery, and figures like William Lee, George Washington’s valet. Despite being restricted to the confines of his uniform, Lee found subtle ways to showcase his personal style through his clothing, which Christie explains transformed “a symbol for his oppression into a canvas of his self-expression.”
“Black dandyism evolves throughout history as a form of visual resistance,” she continued.
This sartorial resistance and expression carries into the Harlem Renaissance through figures like Cab Calloway, James Baldwin, Langston Hughes, Gladys Bentley, Ma Rainey, and many more. Another place where dandyism thrived was the Black church. The notion of putting on your Sunday’s best is one of the first places people interact with dandyism. From the boldly colored and sometimes printed suits to the aunties with their extravagantly polished church hats, that personalized take on high fashion birthed visions of Black dandies across generations and social classes.
As time has evolved modern dandyism was reflected through figures like Dapper Dan, André 3000, Janelle Monae, André Leon Talley, Teyana Taylor, Doechii, Jidenna, Tyler, the Creator, etc. and of course the 2025 Met Gala’s historic all Black male co-chairs Pharrell Williams, A$AP Rocky, Lewis Hamilton, and Colman Domingo.
Dandyism is more than just suits and tailored looks
While fine-tailored suits are a key part of dandyism, they are not the only factor in this aesthetic. As Law Roach explained, being a dandy is “telling your story through your clothes” and not being afraid to stand out. But standing out and boldly going against the status quo is an act of resistance, especially for Black people, whether done consciously or subconsciously.
“Black style is really related to thinking about how fashion and power connect. The way that people are styled, or fashion themselves, in response to the degree of agency that they feel,” Miller explained. “[Think] about clothing, dress, and fashion as a tool, as a critique, and also as a creative mode of thinking about liberation.”
“You see a lot of creativity in the history of Black style because it’s our armor. It’s a tool in our toolbox to get through life, to make it easier to get into certain rooms,” added Jerry Lorenzo, creative director of the brand, Fear of God.
Individuality, excellence, freedom, wit, elegance, tailoring, confidence, Black expression, Black excellence are just some of the many terms stars in the 2025 Vogue Met Issue used to describe dandyism.
Now, while we may not grace the Met Gala steps (unless Vogue decides to invite this writer, in which case I’m taking all of you with me), it’s important that we understand the impact of dandyism on not only fashion but also Black communities and culture. These suits, these top hats, canes, accessories, and silhouettes are tailored to tell a story, and hopefully, the designs we see on this year’s Met Gala steps honor that.
Plus, it doesn’t hurt that understanding the theme will make playing fashion police on May 5 even more interesting.
