Name: George Bryan Brummell famously known as ‘Beau Brummell’,
Born: June 7, 1778, London
Died: March 30, 1840
Occupation: English gentleman. Deemed the leader of fashion at the beginning of the 19th
century.
Legacy: Brummell established a style of dressing for men who wished to move away from the overly
ornate fashions and let them adopt a more understated but perfectly fitted, bespoke clothing that
replaced the knee breaches and stockings with dark coats, full-length trousers, immaculate shirt
linen and an elaborately knotted cravat. He is known to be the pioneer of the modern men's suit,
worn with a tie.
He claimed that it took him 5 hours to dress and he recommended that one should polish ones
boots with champagne. His style of dressing is popularly called ‘Dandyism’.
Brummell was born in a middle class family but was educated in Eton where he first began his
new style by not only modernizing his white stock or cravat (a symbol of the Eton boys,) but
adding a gold buckle to it. He then proceeded to Oxford where he by example made stockings
and cravats, a thing of the past.
His style and personality earned him favor with the prince himself. Aware of his finances he
avoided certain extravagances of a gentleman. However he refused to economize on his dress.
When asked how much it would cost to keep a single man in clothes, he was supposed to have
replied: "Why, with tolerable economy, I think it might be done with £800. (The wages of
craftsmen in the 19th century was a pound a week).
Brummell put into practice, perhaps instinctively, the principles of harmony of shape and
contrast of colors, with such pleasing results that men of superior rank sought his professional
opinion on their dress.
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| Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2006 Beau Brummell Inspired Look |
Beau Brummell is an example of how a 19th century British man with no title, fortune or
illustrious family connections could climb up in society through education, wit, the right friends
and influential timeless style.
