"Black Elegance Spotlighted": Dandyism Thrives at the 2025 Met Gala

Rewritten May 5, 2025 at 1:21 PM CDT

The Red Carpet glow of this year's Met Gala promises to illuminate stunning ensembles honoring the historical, defiant, and culturally influential aspects of Black style.

Now in 2025, the Gala's theme "Suited Up for You" acknowledges and delves into the fashion narrative and history of the Black dandy. The event's dress code, inspired by the 18th-century dandy, emphasizes menswear and tailored suiting. Stepping into the spotlight, the theme of Black Dandyism – an aesthetic rooted in rebellion, elegance, and self-definition – positions this year's gala as more than a fundraiser; it's a declaration of identity reclamation for many. The title for this year's Costume Institute Spring Exhibit is "Superfine Tailoring for Black Style."

During an interview with Morning Edition, acclaimed costume designer Ruth E. Carter, the first Black woman to win an Oscar for costume design in 2018, spoke about the powerful significance of the theme. Carter's work in blockbuster hits, such as Black Panther, Malcolm X, and Amistad, has often presented alluring renditions of Black dandy style.

"Black Dandyism is an expression of ourselves," Carter expressed to NPR's Michel Martin. "It's a way to define ourselves. It transcends gender."

From Colonization to Couture

The dandy character might initially bring to mind images of European aristocrats like Beau Brummell or F. Scott Fitzgerald's Gatsby character. Black Dandyism, on the other hand, is a tool for Black Americans to express and assert themselves, allowing them to take back control of their narrative and agency.

For Black communities, the act of dressing fine has long functioned as a form of resistance – sartorial activism that weaves self-worth, rebellion, and creativity into every stitch.

"Fashion is revolution," Carter said. "It's garments of protest. It's the garments of freedom."

The history of Black communities and their appropriation of European fashion aesthetics serves as a profound example of this cultural reclamation. Monica L. Miller, a professor at Barnard College and guest curator for the Met exhibition, highlights how the Black community has utilized fashion as a vehicle for self-expression in her book Slavery to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity. In her research, she traces the origins of this tradition, showing how enslaved Africans often donned luxurious clothes forced upon them by their enslavers as a means of advertising their wealth. However, through an act of transformative appropriation, Black communities later embraced and redefined that very aesthetic, using style as a declaration of power and identity.

Carter regards this moment at the Met as the culmination of those acts of cultural reclamation. "It's about celebration as much as rebellion," she said. "It's a full-circle moment."

Tailoring as Testimony

From Ma Rainey's feathered hats to the structured suits of Duke Ellington and Malcolm X, Carter notes that the Black dandy can be found across generations and genders. "Style reflects identity," she said.

"Even when they couldn't afford it, Black people have always styled their lives."

The concept that style is tied to power and identity can be seen throughout Carter's career, particularly in her latest film Sinners, featuring sharp suits that signify upward mobility, diasporic identity, and a sense of having overcome adversity.

"They were gangsters," Carter explained. "But their style told the story of their ambition."

A Night of Black Fashion History

For Carter, the Gala symbolizes the centuries of influence Black communities have had on fashion, despite often having limited resources but unlimited imagination.

"It's about how we style trends from Harlem to Chicago to Texas," Carter said. "It's about how we made a way out of no way."

As Black fashion takes center stage at the world's most respected fashion event, Carter views this night as a powerful intersection between costume design, storytelling, and celebrating the history of Black fashion.

"This Met Gala will be unlike any other," she says. "It's our complexity on display."

This story was produced and edited by Destinee Adams and Mohamad ElBardicy. The digital version was edited by Treye Green.

The Met Gala's focus on Black Dandyism in 2025 serves as a declaration of identity reclamation, transforming the event from a typical fundraiser into a testament of cultural pride.
Black Dandyism, rooted in self-expression and rebellion, is a resonant example of black communities' appropriation of European fashion aesthetics during the past centuries, as shown by Monica L. Miller in her book "Slavery to Fashion."
The Gala's theme "Suited Up for You" acknowledges the significance of Black style in shaping fashion narratives, linking it to the 18th-century dandy and celebrating home-and-garden, fashion-and-beauty, and lifestyle aspects of the Black community.
Ruth E. Carter, an acclaimed costumer designer who's work includes blockbuster hits like Black Panther and Malcolm X, views the Met Gala as a culmination of the Black communities' acts of cultural reclamation, emphasizing the revolutionary potential of fashion.