Dandy: Fashion, Literature, Lifestyle

The word "dandy" still retains an ineffable shade of mysterious charm, and dandy figures are seen as eccentric aesthetes, creators of brilliant quirks. But who can be called a modern dandy? How did the modern canon of male elegance arise? Why did dandies take turtles for walks? You will learn about these serious, and sometimes amusing, matters by reading Olga Weinstein's book "Dandy." Among the main characters of the book are the famous British dandy George Brummell, the French fops Count d'Orsay, Barbe d'Oreville, and Charles Baudelaire, as well as the decadents Oscar Wilde and Count Robert de Montesquieu. European dandyism appears for the first time as a distinct cultural tradition, implying not only fashionable attire but also a daily lifestyle, an exquisite manner of behavior, special body techniques, and a secret charisma. The book provides a detailed account of English clubs and gentlemanly pranks, urban flânerie and "optical duels," social receptions, and virtual aristocratism. A special section is dedicated to the history of Russian dandyism and domestic stylists.