Thursday, July 31, 2008

Are you dandy? Do you believe that your man is a dandy? Do you even know what a dandy is?



Before one can known whether or not they are dandy or their man is dandy, dandy must be defined and looked at from a historical perspective. A dandy is considered a man who takes pride in their physical appearance. They take time to prefect everything about themselves. They are known for their refined language, leisurely hobbies and for looking to advance their social standings.

The first mentions of dandy is associated with George Bryan Brummell, but the word can be traced back as early as the 1770s with the song Yankee Doodle Dandy. The song was written to describe what the American troops looked during the French and Indian War. During the War, a Yankee Doodle Dandy was hodgepodge brigade. The troops were dressed in the clothes that they wore when the left their homes. There were no uniforms.

The word made its way to English history because of the separation of classes. The royal class appreciated the dandy because of the attention paid to appearance and to nothing else.

Anatomy of a dandy

If you added 2 cups of charm, a half a cup of smooth, and a quarter cup of suave, you would have yourself a dandy. Dandy is a term used by many to describe a man who oozes style, and grace. He has the “it” factor. You can’t describe what “it” is, but you know “it” when you see it. Dandies are tall, thin, handsome men who are so smooth they seem to glide when they walk. They never have a hair out of place, their faces are cleanly shaven, the placket of ruffles on their shirts cascade down to finely starched linen pants, which leads your eye to a pair of silk stockings, which are guarded by freshly polished shoes, accompanied by nothing other than large gold buckles. They are financially independent, in the sense that they feel they do not have to work. Not only are they handsome, but they have the wit and the brains to match. Their charm can’t be ignored, nor can their cynical and nonchalant attitudes. They are the men that we hate to love, and the ones men unlike their kind love to hate.

Historical Dandies

The very model of the dandy in British society was George Bryan "Beau" Brummell. Even though born to middle-class, he was attracted to the lifestyle of the upper class. While in school, he became friends with the Prince of Wales, the future George IV. Because of this relationship and his dress, he began to regard in the circles around the Prince as a virtual oracle on matters related to dress and etiquette virtually a court fashion arbiter

Dandies were no prissy class of gentlemen, or mincing walkers as their elegant forebears, the Macaroni's, had been. They were the well dressed, witty and elegant men of a new generation. Brummell abandoned a wig and cut his hair in a Roman fashion. Brummell also led the move from breeches to snugly-tailored dark "pantaloons," which led directly to the trousers that have been mainstay of men's wear in the Western world for two centuries. George "Beau" Brummell invented what was to become the modern necktie. The feminist Germaine Greer once declaimed that it was foolishness to allow men to rule the world when they begin the day by tying a rope around their necks. Ironically, today he would be called a "metrosexual".

Brummell took great strides to make sure that his clothing was cleaned. If clothes were clean, he reasoned, the body under them must also be. Unlike other males who drenched themselves in perfume to hide body odors, he washed his entire body with hot water every day. As with everything else he did, this too became a fad.


Another well-known dandy is Prince Albert. Albert Francis Charles Augustus Emmanuel of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was born on August 26, 1819 at Schloss Rosenau, in Bavaria, the younger son of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. When he was seven, his father divorced his mother on grounds of adultery, and she was sent to live in Switzerland and forbidden to see her children. Albert was educated at Bonn University. In 1840, he married his cousin, Queen Victoria. The marriage was unpopular in some quarters, and parliament resisted granting Albert what his wife regarded as a suitable allowance. Prince Albert was also known for designing his wife wedding dress, and now days designers still look up to Prince Albert and design their bridal wear of his creations.

Modern Dandies

Dandy is not a word that is commonly used in today fashion industry, but many designers and fashion leaders are influenced by the 19th century look. One such designer is Alexis Mabille. Mabille is a self-taught couturier. The Spring 2009 collection presented "an imaginary mixed school, a fun, unconventional gang of students, teacher and parents”. He takes influences from college, military uniforms and formal attire. The silhouette is narrow, tight with short and fitted jackets and coats worn with wide-leg pants or slim-fitting trousers.

This style of dress has already been adopted by celebrities, such as: Andre 3000.

To know for sure if you are dandy or your man is dandy, take the quiz. The quiz is called How Dandy are You? The quiz is comprised of 40 questions to determine your level of dandy. Or become a dandy by checking out Modern Dandies. It provides extensive information on everything a modern dandy needs from clothing tips to the books to read.

Influence Trends

Christy Cox, a 25-years-old Event Promoter, states, “I feel that I am a trendsetter because I do not look to magazine or fashion leaders for influence in my fashion decisions. I have been blessed with the ability to coordinate clothing, to look like a million dollar without spending much."

Ms. Cox is an entrepreneur with limited capital this decrease her available disposable income. So creativity plays a big role in her day-to-day wardrobe. She explained that she is always in the public’s eye, and must be glam everyday, which can be very costly. She states, "I like to shop at second store to find different vintage garments and make them come alive ".

Most people would assume that she spends a considerable amount of money on clothing, but that “most of her outfits are less than $30."


Check out her favorite stores:
Forever 21, Steve Madden and Bebe to pick up some hot items.






Thursday, July 24, 2008

Secondhand Retailer Sends Women Back To Work

Goodwill, a 100-year-old company, is not just providing affordable clothing, training and job placement programs for the community, but they are also dressing them. Goodwill has partnered with a group of volunteers that are willing to assist women with dressing appropriately to obtain employment. The volunteers will assist with wardrobe and image consultation. Volunteers will provide personal shopping for individuals that have completed the job training program and are seeking to enter the workplace. Goodwill agrees to donate $100.00 clothing allowance for each individual that have completed the program. Goodwill and local volunteers hope to help job seekers be more confident about enter the work place.


Look at what $100.00 gets you at Goodwill
1 suit, 3 pants, 12 tops, 1 dresses, 3 skirts, 1 blazer, a pair of shoes
a handbag. a fashion scarf, a pair of earrings

See you there!

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Intro

Hello. My name is Nkeru. I have a strong interest in the fashion industry. I believe that God gave me the styling skills to be able to empower young women into future leaders of the world.