Abstract:

Dandyism is a notion related to fashion, aesthetics and philosophy. This phenomenon, that has its roots at the beginning of the 18th century, has undergone strong changes over the years, losing its unique reasoning. Dandyism in the new millennium has been reduced to a relatively small, yet thriving market niche, that adapts a form of an online consumer community. Contemporary dandies fit into a broad image of the metrosexualism, fusing the trends of postmodern hyper-personalization, prosumerism and deconsumption, but also far-reaching hedonism and narcissism. This article is based on the analysis of a secondary data, including the historical roots of dandyism, as well as on observations made among online dandies’ communities. The results can be used by clothing companies, especially those offering sartorial menswear, in order to better understand the very essence and fundamental concepts behind dandyism. By showing the heterogeneity of styles and aspirations of its representatives, the article also indicates the direction of a further research on the characteristics of the modern‑day dandies, which perhaps should no longer be referred to as with this name.