Today, more men are discovering dandyism and giving it their own contemporary look. Even today, men who devote themselves to the finer things in life, especially when it comes to fashion, mostly arouse suspicion. Vanity is frowned upon and lavish grooming is generally deemed superficial or unmanly. Fortunately, a small but tenacious movement has been defying these social dictates for more than 200 years. Its adherents indulge in their love of quality clothing and accessories not only privately, but also very publicly. Photographer Rose Callahan and writer Nathaniel Adams have spent years exploring the fascinating phenomenon of dandyism. They visit contemporary dandies in their homes to document their impeccably designed lives in both words and images. Well-kempt to the tips of their beards and wearing three-piece suits with flawlessly folded pocket handkerchiefs and supple kid gloves, their protagonists revive the charm of the past and reveal that cultivated idleness can be incredibly hard work. These gallant beaus first came on the scene in 18th-century London and Paris, where they supported the livelihoods of many a local tailor. today's dandies continue to propagate a look characterized by trimmed beards, pomade, velvet slippers, and even a touch of make-up as a shield to mask the darker sides of life. Yet in their carefully composed portraits, Callahan and Adams reveal the cracks in this façade. They describe the sacrifices that many fulltime dandies need to make while pursuing their personal aesthetic ideals. A refuge for eccentrics, dandyism has seen a revival in the Anglo-American realm over the last several years.
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