Origins of Black Dandyism
Black dandyism is more than just fashion, it’s resistance stitched in satin and rebellion wrapped in velvet. From the colonial caricatures of “Mungo Macaroni” to the radical elegance of modern-day style icons, Black dandies have long used dress as a tool of survival, critique, and cultural pride. This section traces the historical roots and aesthetic brilliance of Black dandyism as a form of power, performance, and protest.
Title: A Mungo Macaroni
Artist: Unknown
Publisher: Matthew and Mary Darly
Date: September 10, 1772
Medium: Etching on paper
Dimensions: Height: 176 mm; Width: 125 mm
Collection: The British Museum, Prints and Drawings
Accession Number: 1915,0313.174
Location: London, United Kingdom
Public Domain: Yes
Image Source: British Museum
Visual Description:
This 18th-century print features Julius Soubise, a formerly enslaved Afro-Caribbean man who rose to prominence in British high society. Dressed in lavish, tailored garments typical of a “macaroni” (a term for fashion-forward men), he’s shown mid-stride with a cane and sword, exuding style and swagger.
Contextual Significance:
The label “Mungo” was often used as a racialized caricature of Black men in servant roles. This satirical title A Mungo Macaroni throws shade at Soubise’s unapologetic luxury and elegance. But despite the mockery, this moment captured something rare for the time: a free Black man living visibly, fashionably, and loudly in 1770s England.
Cultural Impact:
Soubise became one of the earliest known Black British dandies, and this image reveals just how threatened society was by that. It’s a testament to how fashion has always been used by Black folks not just to look fly but to declare presence, power, and pride in a world that tried to erase them.
Title: Portrait of Christiaan van Molhoop
Artist: Ozias Humphry (1742–1810)
Date: circa 1795
Medium: Pastel on paper
Dimensions: Approx. 23 x 18 inches (58.4 x 45.7 cm)
Collection: Private collection (formerly attributed to Yale Center for British Art)
Image Source: Public domain, available via Wikimedia Commons and various historical art databases
Visual Description:
Christiaan van Molhoop is depicted in lavish military-style dress, with a red, white, and blue turban adorned with plumes, a powdered ruffle at the neck, and an intense, confident gaze. His uniform-style jacket, sharp posture, and dramatic sky setting all contribute to a sense of power and presence.
Contextual Significance:
Though little is known about Christiaan van Molhoop’s personal history, portraits like this challenge dominant historical narratives that exclude Black presence from European high society and portraiture. The opulence of his dress, paired with the assertiveness of his stance, signals a life lived on one’s own terms, even in a world structured by colonial hierarchy.
Cultural Impact:
This portrait is a rare and radical example of Black European visibility in the late 18th century. The styling and gaze speak to early Black dandyism and visual resistance, using fashion to assert worth, intellect, and individuality in a time that systematically denied it.
Title: Dandy Jim, From Caroline (Sheet Music Cover)
Performer: Virginia Minstrels
Arranged by: J.T. Norton, R.A.M.
Date: 1844
Medium: Lithograph on paper
Dimensions: Standard sheet music size (approx. 10.5 x 13.5 in)
Publisher: Philadelphia: Geo. Willig
Collection: Public domain, U.S. Library of Congress and other historical archives
Visual Description:
This lithograph features a caricature of a Black man in exaggerated dandy attire, top hat, checkered trousers, waistcoat, and gloves, posed with a theatrical lean and an exaggerated expression. In the background, white figures waltz or play instruments, reinforcing minstrel tropes of the era.
Contextual Significance:
“Dandy Jim” was a popular minstrel character that emerged during the 19th century through blackface performance. The figure of the Black dandy, distorted here for ridicule, was a racialized archetype intended to mock Black aspiration, style, and intellect. It borrowed from real-life Black fashion and elegance while weaponizing it against Black humanity.
Cultural Impact:
This image captures how the Black dandy was co-opted, distorted, and mocked within white supremacist entertainment. At the same time, its very existence testifies to the presence of actual Black dandy figures who were so fly they had to be mocked to be contained. The print invites a critique of representation, resistance, and the ongoing battle over who gets to be seen as refined, aspirational, or worthy.
Title: Frederick Douglass Portrait
Photographer: Unknown
Date: c. 1870s–1890s
Source: Public domain image courtesy of the U.S. National Archives
Description: Frederick Douglass, one of the most photographed men of the 19th century, was a master of image-making. Through carefully curated portraits in sharp suits and formal attire, Douglass challenged racist caricatures of Black people and asserted dignity, intellect, and self-possession. His sartorial choices were a calculated form of political resistance, underscoring how clothing could be used to confront oppression and demand recognition of full humanity.
Title: Gladys Bentley Performing at a Harlem Nightclub
Subject: Gladys Bentley
Date: Circa 1930s
Photographer: Unknown
Description: This powerful black-and-white image captures Gladys Bentley, a trailblazing Harlem Renaissance performer, in a signature tuxedo and top hat. Bentley, a gender-nonconforming lesbian blues singer and pianist, was known for her deep voice, commanding presence, and unapologetic queerness. Her style and defiance of gender norms positioned her as a foundational figure in Black dandyism and queer performance culture.
Source: Public domain / Historical archive (often credited through Jet, The New York Public Library, or Schomburg Center)
Title: James Baldwin in San Francisco
Photographer: Stephen Shames
Date: 1969
Medium: Black and white photograph
Dimensions: Varies by edition
Location: San Francisco, California
Collection: Stephen Shames / Polaris
Image Source: Licensed via Polaris or available in select public archives under fair use for educational purposes
Public Domain: No – Copyright retained by photographer; educational fair use applies with credit
Visual Description:
James Baldwin stands in a textured plaid blazer, bold patterned tie, velvet trousers, and oversized sunglasses. A cigarette dangles from his fingers as he gazes into the distance, sharp and steady. His posture and styling are quiet declarations of poise, queerness, and refusal.
Contextual Significance:
Photographed during a pivotal time of political unrest and cultural transformation, Baldwin’s outfit is more than fashion—it’s armor. In 1969 San Francisco, where Black Power and queer liberation movements were rising, Baldwin’s presence was a living manifesto. His suit speaks intellect. His shades speak privacy. His tie? Pure drama and intention.
Cultural Impact:
Baldwin dressed like he wrote: with clarity, contradiction, and flair. His aesthetic of sharp tailoring and expressive accessories challenged norms of Black masculinity, embracing a dandyism that was intellectual, queer, and radical. This image isn't just style—it's a syllabus.