6 MAY/JUNE 2019PROFILES
Beau Brummell,
First Male Fashion Icon
Once the toast of London’s early 19th-century social scene, Beau Brummell
died in poverty. But his notions on men’s dress still inform modern styles.GEORGE, PRINCE OF WALES. CAMEO BY JAMES TASSIE, CIRCA 1790Brummell urged “the maximum
of luxury in the service of
minimal ostentation.”G
eorge Bryan “Beau” Brum-
mell, described as the most
famous and influential man
in early 19th-century Lon-
don, was the center of a rev-
olution. He sparked change not with
rhetoric or military might, but with in-
novations in masculine sartorial style and
manner. Men copied what he wore, his
mannerisms, and even his daily grooming
routine.
Today he is remembered as the world’s
first dandy, but although his name became
synonymous with the label, he didn’t in-
spire its creation. The Oxford English Dic-
tionary, defining the term as one “who
studies above everything to dress elegant-
ly and fashionably,” traces its origins to
1780, just two years after Brummell’s
birth. Nevertheless, Brummell became a
symbol of a new masculine style, one that
still dictates the way people dress today.The Making of a Tastemaker
Born in London in 1778, Brummell grew
up during a revolutionary age in Europe
and North America. The French and
American Revolutions (1789-1799; 1775-
1783) marked the decline of the aristoc-
racy and the rise of the individual.
Men’s clothing began to con-
vey these political andeconomic changes. The 18th-century
male style, heavily influenced by French
royalty, was elaborate and flamboyant: a
rainbow of hues in billowy silk, satin, and
velvet fabrics; lace cravats and cuffs; knee-
length breeches with stockings; high,
powdered white wigs; and makeup.
The growth of a new British style, one
that embraced simplicity, structure, and
understatement with monochrome and
military fabrics, abandoned such
prerevolutionary fashions. Psychologist
John Carl Flügel later dubbed this gradu-
al process of simplification in men’s dress
the “great masculine renunciation,”
whereby men’s fashion became inspired
by social equality. It turned its back on
extravagance, and excessive grooming be-
came regarded as a feminine trait.
Brummell, a keen observer of society,
recognized the social mobility that the
modern era promised, one where style and
personality rather than birth and wealth
could herald status and strength. In 1790
he began his studies at Eton College—
where he precociously reformed the dis-
tinctive Eton necktie—followed by one
term at Oxford University. In 1794 Brum-
mell moved to London and joined the elite
Tenth Royal Hussars regiment, com-
manded by the Prince of Wales, later to
become King George IV. The prince andInnovater,
Influencer,
Debtor
1840
After a mental
breakdown,
Brummell dies in an
asylum in Caen.1816
After descending into
debt, Brummell flees
to France to escape his
creditors and prison.1799
Brummell inherits money
following the death of his
father in 1794 and becomes
a trendsetter in London.1778
George Bryan Brummell is
born in London to a middle-
class family. His father is
secretary to Lord North.BRIDGEMAN/ACI1830
Brummell becomes British
consul in Caen after years
in exile spent running up
more debts in Calais.1835
Having helped abolish his
consular post a few years
previously, Brummell
is jailed for debt.