What Can the Black Dandy Do for Us in 2025?

As the Met Gala presents its first retrospective on Black style, we’re invited to look back to the future.

Man on the Street, May 1973. (Chester Higgins Jr./National Archives at College Park)

If, on this first Monday in May, the vision of multimillionaires and billionaires in their finest thematic cosplay posing on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum doesn’t instantly inspire, it’s understandable. For unwilling participants in the daily onslaught of Trump 2.0, there is rightful rage at the exploits of the ridiculously rich. The price of eggs aside, given our current state of affairs, the annual spectacle of the Met Gala, an invite-only fundraiser that can cost attendees upwards of $75,000 to attend before attiring themselves, might not be a welcome sight — at least, not on its face.

Having addressed the oligarchs in the room, what is equally true is that the 2025 Met Gala is already on track to be the most impactful in the event’s 77-year history. Amid a concurrent and coordinated effort to erase Black history, artistry and influence, this year’s theme, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," is a timely reminder of the influence of Black creativity and defiance worldwide — and, significantly, as an essential component of the formation of Black American culture.

What does the theme mean?

Inspired by scholar Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity and only the second time the gala has focused specifically on masculine style, this year’s theme and accompanying exhibition at the Met’s Costume Institute are slated to be a celebration of Black ingenuity. For those unfamiliar with the term, Merriam-Webster defines a “dandy” as “​​a man who gives exaggerated attention to personal appearance.” Coming to prominence in England’s Enlightenment Era, the image of the dandy was initially popularized by figures like self-styled society figure Beau Brummell. However, the Black dandy’s journey evolved in tandem with the forced migration of enslaved Africans, ultimately making it a story as much about survival as style.