Black dandies have shown sharp tailoring, resistance and attitude for over a century.

Black dandies have shown sharp tailoring, resistance and attitude for over a century. Black dandies have shown sharp tailoring, resistance and attitude for over a century.

Since the Harlem Renaissance in the early 20th century, dandyism has been integral to the fabric of Black life. And as styles have evolved over the decades, so too has the culture, setting fashion trends that span the world.

At the Met Gala on Monday, the styles that have influenced culture at large, and Black culture specifically, will be celebrated on fashion’s biggest night.

The following is a collection of some of the ways Black men have used tweed, suiting, tailoring and fine details to present themselves to the world.

A young man wearing a formal suit and top hat circa 1890.Hulton Archive / Getty Images
Bill Robinson, the American tap dancer and entertainer renowned for his stairway dance, sharing a joke with a friend at the Trocadero Café in Paris circa 1927.General Photographic Agency / Getty Images
Tenor Roland Hayes, from Boston, arriving in New York City in 1937 aboard the S.S. Normandie.Bettmann / Bettmann Archive
An man adjusting his friend’s tie in Kansas City circa 1940.Three Lions / Getty Images