Christian Chensvold at the Campbell Apartment, NYC, Jan 2011 |
Although it is hard to define what is a dandy, Chensvold would probably agree he has always been very much on the "trad" end of it. Because of his work with dandyism.net I think he is an important part of the story of dandyism as it has been expressed over the last decade.
He's a witty man and a dandiphile - someone who studies dandyism. He is not however a dandy - he doesn't have the sartorial flair. A dandies clothes would not make you yawn.
ReplyDelete"If John Bull turns around to look at you, you are not well dressed; but either too stiff, too tight, or too fashionable" -- George Bryan Brummell
ReplyDeleteIf that overly-cited epigram were true, we would have never heard of Brummell: no one would've noticed him. But they did. His elegance was conspicuous.
ReplyDeleteA dandy is not a gentleman: he is a sly parody of one.
Ah, Mr. Crawford! A truer word was seldom spoken... I am sick with ennui of these pseudo-dandy stoics who, deep down, just want to wear a suit like daddy did but nevah, nevah anything actually inventive...
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