The Italian Dandy

[BellisVintage]

There is something about the Italian male that is worth exploring, their distinctive flair and love of expression. It is not just the flamboyant clothes but their way of carrying it off with Bella figura and sprezzatura - being the best you can in all you say and do and having a certain nonchalance in doing so.

The idea of Dandyism has been lost since the days of Beau Brummell and has morphed into something to be ashamed of, to hide away. Dandyism was more than just fashion and attire, Baudelaire commented that dandys had:

"no profession other than elegance...no other status but that of cultivating the idea of beauty in their own persons....The dandy must aspire to be sublime without interruption; he must live and sleep before a mirror."

Being a Dandy was to reject conformity and live within your own ideals, follow the beat of your own drum and express this by all means at your disposal. This I see as alive and thriving throughout Italy where the culture and mentality of Italians is geared towards this.

I hope you enjoy this video and comment on how you feel Dandyism is or is not expressed where you are.

 

[TianSoFine]

Let's not forget that Beau Brummell was also extremely excessive and self-absorbed. The historically, the dandy culture was not only about the clothes they wore but also the fact that they carried a careless and self-absorbed personality. Dandies went away, and with good reason. I think the charm and individuality of Italian males is something else.