Did Somebody Say Dandy?

A mixture of styles & lifestyles that are behind a concept!  Know all at my new Fashion View rubric!

Welcome to the rubric Fashion View by #DOliveiraFashionBlog! Hot topic!! Let’s read?!!!!

Super-stylish & utterly fearless were the words that crossed my mind as soon as my eyes glanced at the Portuguese Dandys at Concept Fashion Design event. After that, behind the appearance, many other words of George Bryan Brummel, I would tirelessly say! Then, nothing better that a rubric of human exploration about this infinity topic where body image & refinement peacefully collide.

♠ ♣ ♦ 

Spot the link between the following: the aesthetic equation is a key on their vision; behind the culturalism for the body, there is charm & an elegant attitude that makes up the masculine essentials; 1778-1840 is the period of life correspondent to the one of most important people in this “culture”; their extravagances are few – a beard, a classic, creative & extralight shoes, the right ring, a pocket square & a refined neckcloth. Oh, and what about the stylish trendy suit that is a must for this season?? – Which they claim – “For us it doesn’t matter the price of the suit that we wear, but the value of man who wears it”, right Marco da Cunha?!

As you might guess, the “link” is a new force of style & lifestyle that now entered in Portugal. That force is personified by 13 fashionable gentlemen, who are member of the Portuguese Dandys Movement! 

“Did Somebody Say Dandy” it is much more than a title for this post. It is what I thought when Susana Gonçalves, the bright wife of Paulo Battista tailor –  one of the Dandys -, said between other things my name – Luís -, the word “meet” & the golden word “Dandys”. Like that, I met the Portuguese Dandys & missed a show on stage of the Concept Fashion Design! However, it was rewarding, not just by meeting the Portuguese Dandys, but because I could appreciate Samissones’ fashion show on the backstage & take many fabulous pictures! Then, thanks Susana 🙂

At home & thinking on my next Fashion View rubric, a quite critical subject emerged on my mind – Body Image! On that matter, where the dandyism stands? If in the past, the dandys had their own “rivals” – the Romantics – who were known by their exotic, eccentric & sensual lifestyle, where the pose is a key term & the collars were opened and unbuttoned to show their pale chests, can we say that nowadays the Dandys are in a world much more complex – full of individualities & personalities – where the notion between our ‘outside‘ & ‘inside‘ views of human physical appearance gives space for new classifications as metrosexuality, spornosexuality or even lumbersexual?! In the end, what is all of that, are we labelling?!

If we talk about metrosexuality, we must talk about David Beckham, who is considered the biggest metrosexual in Britain by Mark Simpson – the one who in 1994 invented that classification & saying at the time that “I have seen the future of masculinity & he use hydrating”.

Well, Mark Simpson certainly were right!!! Man – inclusively myself – are taking care of their skin as it should be, not just regarding beauty matters, but also because the skin is our biggest organ – did you know?! – & it protect us from many aggressions (my pharmacy professional side talking now ♣)!! Also, this characteristic of metrosexuals – a cosmopolitan man meticulous about his grooming and appearance – is also implied on other social styles shuch spornosexuality, lumbersexuality – retro fashion style – or dandyism, who in the case of the last two are ultra-careful with they beard – a particularité in common between them!!!

Also, spornosexual people are highly focused on his appearance (as the others types), however, with its centre on the body – where a tan skin, super toned & strategic tattoos to  enhance the right muscles, wearing T-shirts with a V neckline or simple nothing to cover is a must, specially if they have a selfie right way to take!!!

As we can see, all of these types of style or even lifestyle have an ‘explicit‘ or ‘implicit‘ relations to one another & specially with the figure of the XIX Century Figure of Dandy. So, I might say that through the years has emerged people with a strong character that are willing to have that glamorous, chic, caring & healthy lifestyle that were seen of the British Dandys of the older years!

And so, perhaps ‘categorise’ is even the wrong word for such a notorious slippery concept ♠

Categories imply boundaries, distinctions & exclusivity, and as its shown these lifestyles/styles share many pleasures in life! Even if you look closer to our fantastic Portuguese Dandys, you can see one who is more concerned about his styling/clothes, another to his skin, other feeling more loosely, and even the tattoos plays a role on this Portuguese Movement. As they say to the TV interview on SIC channel, “Dandy is a person, who has a worship to the image, that likes to be eye-catching, but behind anything a person that know how behave, always in the search for that gentleman of the older times, who has been lost maybe because of the difficulties of life…”.

In the end my fabulous people, society is evolving & so is the role of men. With it, a changing in style & lifestyle is a natural process & we man are opening new doors that until now were not in our possession!

Then,  you just have to follow your-true-self & it will talk for itself!

It was the secret of Christian Louboutin & even of the character of Carrie Bradshaw ❤

If she was on screens nowadays, Carrie would be ‘watching’ those man styles, ‘trying’ them or just taking a selfie & publishing it on Facebook xD

As always my fab followers, do not forget #BeYOUtiful any time & always, #NotRegular

❤