National Geographic History - 05.2019 - 06.2019

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC HISTORY 7

his intimates admired and were captivat-
ed by Brummell’s aesthetic, quick wit, and
charm. Buoyed by this patronage, Brum-
mell became their role model, the arbiter
of elegance in London society during the
first decade of the 19th century.

Sharp Dressed Man
Brummell’s fashion mantra urged “the
maximum of luxury in the service of min-
imal ostentation.” Or as people might say
today, “less is more.” Elegance was about
cut and quality rather than color and dec-
oration. He warned that “If people turn to

look at you in the street, you are not well

dressed, but either too stiff, too tight, or

too fashionable.”

A well-fitting coat in dark blue wool

with full-length buff trousers and linen

shirt, a stark white linen cravat, and dark

riding boots accomplished this new look

of understated, elegant simplicity. The

tailors of London’s Savile Row trans-

formed their shops into a sartorial mecca

to meet Brummell’s exacting standards,

and even gave him samples so that he

could serve as a walking advertisement

for their wares.

Brummell also advocated innovations

in personal hygiene. Just as clothes should

look polished and clean-cut, so too

should one’s person. He replaced a reli-

ance on perfume and hair powder with

the concept of a daily bath. For his con-

temporaries, bathing often meant wash-

ing only face, hands, and arms in cool

water; sweating was believed to rid the

body of toxins. Brummell’s suggestion of

a daily soak in hot water was nothing

short of revolutionary.

His grooming practices, some eccen-

tric, became well-known. He shined his

BRUMMELL was decidedly anti-

intellectual, adopting a studied

pose of indifference. But the dandy

as an artist, one who expressed in-

dividuality and modernity of ideas,

became an aesthetic philosophy

and part of the cultural landscape.

Dandyism inspired writers and

artists such as Oscar Wilde, Hon-

oré de Balzac, and Albert Camus,

and has been used to describe the

works of modern writers and art-

ists, including Tom Wolfe, Andy

Warhol, and Madonna.

DARING TO BE

DIFFERENT

PORTRAIT OF BRUMMELL DURING HIS LONDON

HEYDAY. COLOR ETCHING BASED ON A MINIATURE

GRANGER/AURIMAGES