The 2025 Met Gala theme, “Tailored for You,” inspired by the Met exhibit “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” is bringing Black dandyism to the spotlight.
The style was originally coined in the 1920s during the peak of the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was a time where Black people began to contribute more and more of their artistic and literary talents to society, bringing to light their political and philosophical views on the lack of intersectionality throughout the world.
This year’s Met Gala will showcase how Black dandyism has evolved since the 18th century and how it’s represented in today’s contemporary fashion.
The theme, Black dandyism, was inspired by Monica Miller, a professor at Barnard and guest curator of the Gala. She is also the author of “Slave to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity.”
It’s based on the first introduction of dandyism in Black culture during slavery and how its roots serve as inspiration for modern-day designers.
According to a promotional YouTube video on the event, Miller gives us a brief history lesson on its origin.
“Historically, the term ‘dandy’ was used to describe someone—often a man—who is extremely devoted to aesthetics and approached it as a lifestyle,” she said. “It was imposed on Black men in Europe during the 1700s as the Atlantic slave trade created a trend in fashionably dressed or dandified servants.”
Back then, Black people were forced to wear fancy and potentially uncomfortable clothing as a symbol of their owners’ wealth. The first time slaves were exposed to anything of value was when they were treated as a luxury item to stroke the egos of their masters. Ironic.
But Black people, with their tenacity and ability to create space for themselves even when there is none, were able to catch on to the power of clothing and reclaim their autonomy.
“Black men read the room, recognizing the power dynamics clothing signaled, and began making involuntary uniforms their own,” USA Today wrote.
Dandyism wasn’t just a style; it was a cultural movement that grew its legs after the Great Migration. When freed slaves fled the South to cities like Chicago and New York, opportunities to make a name for themselves were easier to obtain and they started with how they dressed.
“It was this birthplace of this visual identity that spoke to what we call now Black excellence,” Brandice Daniel, founder of Harlem’s Fashion Row, said.
Modern-day examples like Dapper Dan, Tyler the Creator and co-chairs of the Gala, Pharrell Williams and Colman Domingo, are notable male figures who lean into this aesthetic.
Artists like Janelle Monáe and Solange transcend gender roles as examples of women practicing the art of dandyism with their fashion ensembles.
With vintage fashion making a powerful comeback among the current generation, this concept for the Met Gala was perfect and will make an impression on Gen Z when they see some of their favorite celebrities in their renditions of dandy.
“I think Black dandyism serves as a way to disrupt the status quo,” Juan Ramirez, a senior at Baruch College, said when asked his opinion on the style.
As VOGUE put it, “it’s a cultural statement, an act of protest, and, above all, an enduring celebration of individuality.”
Black dandyism was breaking the barriers between race, class and gender back then. Now, both the style and meaning behind it will receive the spotlight and flowers it very well deserves.
