Slaves to Fashion

Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity

By: Monica L. Miller

Narrated by: Janina Edwards

Slaves to Fashion is a cultural history of the black dandy, from his emergence in Enlightenment England to his contemporary incarnations in the cosmopolitan art world. Interpreting performances and representations of black dandyism in particular cultural settings and literary and visual texts, Monica L. Miller emphasizes the importance of sartorial style to black identity formation in the Atlantic diaspora.

Dandyism was initially imposed on black men in eighteenth-century England, as the Atlantic slave trade and an emerging culture of conspicuous consumption generated a vogue in dandified black servants. "Luxury slaves" tweaked and reworked their uniforms, and were soon known for their sartorial novelty and sometimes flamboyant personalities. Tracing the history of the black dandy to contemporary celebrity incarnations, Miller explains how black people became arbiters of style and how they have historically used the dandy's signature tools to break down limiting identity markers and propose new ways of fashioning political and social possibility. She considers the black dandy in relation to nineteenth-century American literature and drama, Du Bois's reflections on black masculinity and cultural nationalism, the modernist aesthetics of the Harlem Renaissance, and representations of black cosmopolitanism in contemporary art.

Contains mature themes.

©2009 Duke University Press (P)2009 Tantor Media

Fascinating and through

My only regret is my education of fashion history has not progressed before my sixty years of life.
This is a document showing a race of people able to make a stand with displays of ingenuity and beauty.
There is tragedy and suffering making it difficult to turn pages as well as later contemplation of human greed in this world.
I consider myself lucky learning about this book in multiple ways: 1) I was able to share this work with a close family member prior to her expected passing. She enjoyed it as much as I did.
2) I had a good reference of impetus when I saw the Superfine exhibit, curated by the amazing author.
I would encourage anyone who studies fashion, world history, cultures, art, pop-culture, or just wants a good non-fictional read to indulge themselves.