Jermyn’s street dandy
Ah, Jermyn Street, just behind Fortnum and Mason. I often take visiting friends there – it seems to belong to another time with old stules window shops, wooden counters… This is where gentlemen came to buy their shirts or have their suits made, choose a cane, shoes, perfume, shirt collar stiffeners, any accessory. I remain fascinated by the shelves covered with shaving brushes…
Had you ever notices this statue? Meet George Bryan Brummel, renamed Beau Brummel. Initiator of dandyism under the Regency. At 16, he inherits a fortune from his father, he completes his studies at our famous Eton… with the Prince of Wales, with whom he becomes friend.
Un style discret, sobre – il affectionne les couleurs sombres – mais minutieux et elabore. Il est toujours impeccablement rase, parfume, ses vetements fraichement amidonnes… C’est le premier dandy.
At the time, male fashion is… very bright, heavily loaded with lace, accessories. Until now, France had led the dance for clothes, style, even fabric. Since the French Revolution than Napoleonic wars, it would be badly judged to support a country that jests with their leaders…
Enters Beau. He first decides to give up the wig and the excess of powder. In high circles, he is quickly noticed for his wit… and his extreme elegance. Each detail has been though of, calculated. He claims to need 5 hours to get dressed, advices champagne to polish boots… He will completely modify the British fashion: giving up knee breeches for pantaloons, using a jacket with no waist line, bringing attention to neckwear, and shows affection for dark colours… The first step to our modern suit!
His style is a sober yet elaborate and minutely prepared. He always is perfectly shaved, perfumed, his linen freshly starched… The very first dandy…
Sadly, his game debts increase teribly and he will need to exile to France to escape prison. He sure should have negotiated dividends from Jermyn Street taylors which he helped making a fortune!
Jermyn Street
London SW1Y
8 Responses to “Jermyn’s street dandy ”
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Quelle classe!
CA donne envie de relire Proust: ” Il semblait que la qualité si particulière de ses cheveux, de ses yeux, de sa peau, de sa tournure, qui l’eussent distingué au milieu d’une foule comme un filon précieux d’opale azurée et lumineuse, engainé dans une matière grossière, devait correspondre à une vie différente de celle des autres hommes. [...] A cause de son “chic”, de son impertinence de jeune “lion”, à cause de son extraordinaire beauté surtout, certains lui trouvaient même un air efféminé, mais sans le lui reprocher, car on savait combien il était viril et qu’il aimait passionnément les femmes.” Le marquis de Saint-Loup-en-Bray adorerait savoir qu’on parle de lui sur un blog! -
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Chocoralie says:
Barbara: magnifique. Dis-moi que tu t’es refere a un ouvrage, tout de meme et que tu ne connais pas cette citation par coeur?
Nath: il semble que beaucoup d’Anglais utilisent encore un blaireau, mes collegues compris…
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Non, je ne conais pas Proust par coeur comme ça, mais je peux te dire qu’en lisant “A l’ombre des jeunes filles en fleurs” (tome IV, de La Recherche du Temps perdu,tu retrouveras cette citation.
Je trouve que ca fait toujours un bien extrême de lire une page de Proust.
Brighton a quelque chose de proustienne… -
Du coup, mon prochain achat lors d’un passage a Paris…
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