dandyism
Obsessive sartorial elegance
Dandyism is devotion to elegant dress and refined manners, often elevated to a philosophy of life.
The dandy cultivates appearance and style as an art form, rejecting bourgeois practicality for aesthetic self-expression.
The term emerged in early 19th-century England and France, where figures like Beau Brummell embodied the pose: His dandyism extended to spending hours tying his cravat.
The word can be admiring or dismissive depending on context.
Neck scarf, tucked in
- waistcoatSleeveless torso garment
- tophatTall formal headpiece
- tailcoatCutaway evening jacket
- boutonniereLapel flower arrangement
monocle · spats · ascot · frockcoat · gloves · cane · snuffbox · pinstripe
Refined, graceful quality
- refinementElegance of manner
- styleDistinctive way of expression
- sophisticationCultured elegance and complexity
- tasteFlavor perception ability
beauty · artistry · flair · panache · grace · polish · cultivation · ornamentation
Excessive admiration of oneself
- self-admirationExcessive regard for oneself
- preeningGrooming with vanity
- conceitExaggerated self-admiration
- self-lovePrioritizing your own worth
egotism · self-absorption · affectation · posturing · self-regard · vainglory · mirror · pomposity
Rejection of prevailing norms
- individualismDoctrine of personal independence
- subversionUndermining established authority
- transgressionViolation of law or code
- unconventionalityDeparture from accepted standards
defiance · provocation · anti-bourgeois · countercultural · flamboyance · Baudelaire · outrageousness · eccentricity
Pursuit of gratification
- indulgenceYielding to desire
- excessSurplus beyond need
- luxuryExpensive nonessential comfort
- languorWeary, dreamy fatigue
ennui · dissipation · sensuality · profligacy · idleness · pleasure-seeking · libertine · aesthete
cravat
Neck scarf, tucked in
boutonniere · monocle · spats · ascot · frockcoat · gloves · cane · snuffbox · pinstripe · brocade
elegance
Refined, graceful quality
- refinementElegance of manner
- styleDistinctive way of expression
- sophisticationCultured elegance and complexity
taste · beauty · artistry · flair · panache · grace · polish · cultivation · ornamentation · exquisiteness
narcissism
Excessive admiration of oneself
- self-admirationExcessive regard for oneself
- preeningGrooming with vanity
- conceitExaggerated self-admiration
self-love · egotism · self-absorption · affectation · posturing · self-regard · vainglory · mirror · pomposity · airs
nonconformity
Rejection of prevailing norms
- individualismDoctrine of personal independence
- subversionUndermining established authority
- transgressionViolation of law or code
unconventionality · defiance · provocation · anti-bourgeois · countercultural · flamboyance · Baudelaire · outrageousness · eccentricity · audacity
hedonism
Pursuit of gratification
- indulgenceYielding to desire
- excessSurplus beyond need
- luxuryExpensive nonessential comfort
languor · ennui · dissipation · sensuality · profligacy · idleness · pleasure-seeking · libertine · aesthete · fin-de-siècle
- Victorianaseances, Dickens, spiritualism, Sherlock Holmes, phrenology
- elegantchic, stylish, refined, tasteful, elegant
- Belle EpoqueMoulin Rouge, cancan, can-can, absinthe, Art Nouveau
- decadencedecadence, decay, lavishness, aestheticism, self-indulgence
- Oscar WildeThe Importance of Being Earnest, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Salome, An Ideal Husband, The Happy Prince
- New RomanticsDuran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Culture Club, Boy George, synth-pop
dandyismslovenliness
Habitual untidiness or carelessness
sloppiness · scruffiness · unkemptness · grubbiness · dishevelment
dandyismplainness
Unadorned, straightforward quality
simplicity · austerity · dowdiness · minimalism · naturalism