There have always been and always will be dandies – men who follow fashion and take an active interest in how they present themselves to the world. However, the Regency produced one of the most influential and famous dandies of all time, George Bryan “Beau” Brummell. 19th century portrait miniature of Beau Brummell. I'll bet this was painted near the height of his fame; he looks awfully pleased with himself! (Wikimedia Commons) Though he was accepted and imitated at the highest levels of London society, Brummell was no aristocrat; he was the son of a government clerk. But he had exquisite taste in clothing, as well as the sense to make friends with the Prince Regent after obtaining a commission in the Prince’s regiment, the Tenth Light Dragoons. Brummell's influence on men’s fashion, both during the Regency and afterwards, was immense. His ideas were novel for the time in which he lived. He insisted on wearing clothes that were well tailored but otherwise
. . . where the past is mirrored in the present