The `Dandy Doctor'

The Shooman

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Dr. Andre Churchwell​


When l look at the doc in these pics l don't think his combinations are anything special. I think what really makes him look great are:

- the fits
- the ease at which he is comfortable in his clothes
- the seeming lack of effort he puts into his outfits despite it probably being the opposite. He has tailored clothing, so he obviously puts in the effort and loves clothes. He could well be obsessed, but he doesn't look obsessed, quite the opposite in fact.
- the attitude, acting so normal that he is approachable.
- not being effected by his clothes

I think it is the type of thing that requires a man to be all in...to live the clothing lifestyle to be able to pull it off like he does. He does the boater hats and all of it, and it works. Men can dress better than he does, but they don't pull the look off as well, so the clothes don't work for them.

I think a big part of it is the jobs people are in. People can't dress like that in real life for a variety of reasons, so when they do play dress-ups on occasion they can't pull it off. Dressing well like the doc must be done everyday if one is to pull off looks like that.

The doc has the magic, so lets talk about it, ie, lets talk about what makes the magic and what kills the magic. Lets also post pics of people who don't have the magic and discuss why they lack it, and post pics of winners with the magic and why they have it.

Without further ado, here is the doc!
Dr Andre Churchill 1.jpg Dr Andre Churchill 2.jpg Dr Andre Churchill 3.jpeg Dr Andre Churchill 4.jpg Dr Andre Churchill 6.jpg Dr Andre Churchill 7.jpg Dr Andre Churchill 8.JPG Dr Andre Churchill 9.jpg
 

Dr. Andre Churchwell​


When l look at the doc in these pics l don't think his combinations are anything special. I think what really makes him look great are:

- the fits
- the ease at which he is comfortable in his clothes
- the seeming lack of effort he puts into his outfits despite it probably being the opposite. He has tailored clothing, so he obviously puts in the effort and loves clothes. He could well be obsessed, but he doesn't look obsessed, quite the opposite in fact.
- the attitude, acting so normal that he is approachable.
- not being effected by his clothes

I think it is the type of thing that requires a man to be all in...to live the clothing lifestyle to be able to pull it off like he does. He does the boater hats and all of it, and it works. Men can dress better than he does, but they don't pull the look off as well, so the clothes don't work for them.

I think a big part of it is the jobs people are in. People can't dress like that in real life for a variety of reasons, so when they do play dress-ups on occasion they can't pull it off. Dressing well like the doc must be done everyday if one is to pull off looks like that.

The doc has the magic, so lets talk about it, ie, lets talk about what makes the magic and what kills the magic. Lets also post pics of people who don't have the magic and discuss why they lack it, and post pics of winners with the magic and why they have it.

Without further ado, here is the doc!
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Yes. He is a genuine dandy. Nothing comic or insincere about him or his clothes.
 
Not keen on some of those looks tbh.

Looks better in this magazine (P18-23).
 
The doc has the magic, so lets talk about it, ie, lets talk about what makes the magic and what kills the magic. Lets also post pics of people who don't have the magic and discuss why they lack it, and post pics of winners with the magic and why they have it.

Interesting post, Shooey.

As you say, I think that part of the appeal with Dr Churchwell is that he looks natural and at ease. He also looks genial, or happy, in most of the photos, which adds to the appeal.

I also think that it helps that he is older. It's difficult to explain why, but I think that if he was younger those outfits would look more forced, more "costumey", and less natural. However, because he is older and has an element of insouciance, the outfits seem to suit him.
 
Interesting post, Shooey.

As you say, I think that part of the appeal with Dr Churchwell is that he looks natural and at ease. He also looks genial, or happy, in most of the photos, which adds to the appeal.

I also think that it helps that he is older. It's difficult to explain why, but I think that if he was younger those outfits would look more forced, more "costumey", and less natural. However, because he is older and has an element of insouciance, the outfits seem to suit him.
And location. Some of those looks wouldn't carry well outside of the south of the USA. Its all about context.
 
Not keen on some of those looks tbh.

Looks better in this magazine (P18-23).
Not many people could get away with dressing as he does. I couldn't, and nor would I want to. I am not a dandy. I just enjoy clothes to a certain extent, and I think I understand their societal importance as well as their value to me.

But dandies are different. They are positive outliers in the world of dress. We don't need to, and nor do most of us want to, emulate them, but we can recognise and enjoy their worth, in the same way as we can, for instance, a champion sportsperson or artist.

Many of those who aspire to be dandies, don't get it right and end up looking like clowns. He doesn't. He hits the nail of dandyism firmly on the head, and I think that's why Shooey gave him his own thread.
 
Interesting. I’d never heard of him until this post. He definitely straddles the line between dandy and pimp daddy.


I also think that it helps that he is older. It's difficult to explain why, but I think that if he was younger those outfits would look more forced, more "costumey", and less natural. However, because he is older and has an element of insouciance, the outfits seem to suit him.

Definitely this. I’m sure most people under 30 see him in 1920s garb and just assume that this is what he’s been wearing all his life. Most people have no strong sense of the history of clothing so wouldn’t see it as cosplay but just an old guy looking sharp in old fashioned clothing.
 
Would you say that to be a Dandy would depend on more than one context? Age, location ect.

I have a few friends in London that went from being mods to dressing in that "golden" period style in their late 20s. TBH I thought they looked shite.

I've been in Henley when the boat races are on and while I thought the dressing up was ok within that context (not that I dressed up for it), even enjoyable to see I doubt it would have had the same positive vibe from me seen outside of that context.

Maybe its just much down to personal taste to call.
 
Would you say that to be a Dandy would depend on more than one context? Age, location ect.

I have a few friends in London that went from being mods to dressing in that "golden" period style in their late 20s. TBH I thought they looked shite.

I've been in Henley when the boat races are on and while I thought the dressing up was ok within that context (not that I dressed up for it), even enjoyable to see I doubt it would have had the same positive vibe from me seen outside of that context.

Maybe its just much down to personal taste to call.
It depends on your definition of 'dandy'. Context (correctness) does play a part. People tend to confuse peacockery with dandyism but there is a certain austerity to dandyism, he stands out through meticulousness rather than showiness.
 
It depends on your definition of 'dandy'. Context (correctness) does play a part. People tend to confuse peacockery with dandyism but there is a certain austerity to dandyism, he stands out through meticulousness rather than showiness.
Definitely not peacockery.

But I"m not so sure that being meticulous is a defining characteristic of dandyism. I think that quality imposes too many limits.

Dandyism needs to go beyond the norm, as does the work of all great artists regardless of their medium.
 
But if you wore the green blazer look (love that blazer btw) to a tennis or cricket club that'd be meticulousness, round the Bullring on a Saturday, showiness. On a 25 year old round the pubs on a Saturday night it ain't gonna end well.

I think of Horsley as a dandy. And that was all showiness. Quite a brilliant dresser, yet I would not be seen dead in anything he wore.
 


Wish I had the balls to pull off the blue suit in this. Or do I?

I love that shirt . Sort of thing I'd get made and never had the balls to wear.
 
Would you say that to be a Dandy would depend on more than one context? Age, location ect.

I have a few friends in London that went from being mods to dressing in that "golden" period style in their late 20s. TBH I thought they looked shite.

I've been in Henley when the boat races are on and while I thought the dressing up was ok within that context (not that I dressed up for it), even enjoyable to see I doubt it would have had the same positive vibe from me seen outside of that context.

Maybe its just much down to personal taste to call.
Being a dandy goes beyond context and the physical space where the dandy displays his achievement, but that doesn't mean that the dandy can display in any situation.

Appropriateness need to be considered and abided by, as it does when any work of art gets viewed or read or played or tasted. For example , in the vast majority of instances Beethoven would not be appropriate in the context of a kid's party at KFC, but that would not mean it was not great art.
 
But if you wore the green blazer look (love that blazer btw) to a tennis or cricket club that'd be meticulousness, round the Bullring on a Saturday, showiness. On a 25 year old round the pubs on a Saturday night it ain't gonna end well.

I think of Horsley as a dandy. And that was all showiness. Quite a brilliant dresser, yet I would not be seen dead in anything he wore.
Well, it would certainly be correct/appropriate but just say it was cut like a sack and had stains on it ala Sir Les Patterson?

When I think 'dandy' in its classic interpretation I immediately think austere. Perhaps, the word refined is a better description, because refining something implies making it purer. Closer to a Platonic ideal?

I'm probably overthinking the subject matter as usual.

I like Horsley but I don't think he was a dandy in the Brummelian sense of the word, maybe the in Wildian sense he was.
 


Wish I had the balls to pull off the blue suit in this. Or do I?

I love that shirt . Sort of thing I'd get made and never had the balls to wear.


I admire that he knows what he likes, and he knows he can't get the look from rtw so he has everything made.

Another link of the Dandy Doctor.

You compare the doc to these lads below and the difference is like night and day. All are dressed up, but these lads below don't have a good vibe to them. They are obviously effected by their clothes and don't dress like that normally. The photo opportunity is evident too given the lemonade jug on the table. No naturalness about it. These type of photoshoots don't help improve the image of good clothing.
Dressed up guys.jpg
 
And location. Some of those looks wouldn't carry well outside of the south of the USA. Its all about context.
That's what I thought, straight out of Tennessee Williams.
I think of Horsley as a dandy. And that was all showiness. Quite a brilliant dresser, yet I would not be seen dead in anything he wore.
Horsley lived it on the edge, the thin line between being an eccentric decadent genius and absurd comical caricature. His article on using prostitutes was pure class.
I admire that he knows what he likes, and he knows he can't get the look from rtw so he has everything made.

Another link of the Dandy Doctor.

You compare the doc to these lads below and the difference is like night and day. All are dressed up, but these lads below don't have a good vibe to them. They are obviously effected by their clothes and don't dress like that normally. The photo opportunity is evident too given the lemonade jug on the table. No naturalness about it. These type of photoshoots don't help improve the image of good clothing.
View attachment 38657
That's the Brideshead Revisted look. Again, you can get away with it in England at garden parties in the summer. If the weather holds.
 
That's the Brideshead Revisted look. Again, you can get away with it in England at garden parties in the summer. If the weather holds.
But they are playing dress up. Dandy Doc isn't.

I have a pic of a female friend of mine at a 'Wild West ' themed party given by the oil company she works for. She is dressed as a saloon dancing girl and the guy she is with in the photo as a gun slinger. They both look great and clearly spent a lot of time and money on their costumes. But that's what it is: just dress up like the guys in the garden. This bears no comparison to dandyism.
 
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But they are playing dress up. Dandy Doc isn't.
The guy on the right would be acceptable without the hat as a summer look. I wouldn't class that as too much dress-up.

The Dandy Doc, is immaculately turned out, but some of the above particularly the silhouette of his pants is somewhat stylized and out of context won't go down well. But I'm pretty sure, he's not going to put himself in that position.
 
Recall this old post from Chenners when he tried to get a discussion going on by posting pics of Manton and Wardrobe Will and asked which was the better dandy. The replies were neither were dandies. So Chens having no idea what Dandy means despite his site name quickly changed it to "which is the better dressed?'

Let's be more advanced than chancer Chenners and get to the bottom of what makes a real Dandy.


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The guy on the right would be acceptable without the hat as a summer look. I wouldn't class that as too much dress-up.

The Dandy Doc, is immaculately turned out, but some of the above particularly the silhouette of his pants is somewhat stylized and out of context won't go down well. But I'm pretty sure, he's not going to put himself in that position.
Take away the hats and you take away any semblance of dandyism. Let's not waste any more time on those guys and try to get to the essence of dandyism as we dissect more l'ooks'.
 
I think that the use of the word has changed from its context in the 1800's. Its all encompassing. Crisp was a dandy, Horsley. I'm not sure you couldn't call those guys dandy if you can the "Doc". Its all pretty out there in terms of dressing. I think because when we look back at dress in the 1870s what would have made a dandy then looks so OTT compared to modern dress. Now, can I dig it? Yes within its context.

When I was in Cannes a couple of years back I went into a Kiton store, the sales assistant looked like he'd come stright from Pitti. All fantastic items but they were all fighting with each other for attention. It worked for him though. He most likely dressed that way outside of work if he was going out to dinner or drinks. I would have called him a dandy.

I'd call Agnelli a dandy but there is nothing OTT about his look but he put his own twist on clothes.

By the same token I'd say Jason Jules "looks" dandy in his photos for Drakes. Even though its a little Spezz. You could go anywhere dressed like it and not look out of place. For me thats a dandy look. Why I myself like to think I'm a £1 JJ every Saturday night. So I wouldn't nail it down as a single meaning in 2021.
Drakes-JasonJules-18.jpg
 
I think that the use of the word has changed from its context in the 1800's. Its all encompassing. Crisp was a dandy, Horsley. I'm not sure you couldn't call those guys dandy if you can the "Doc". Its all pretty out there in terms of dressing. I think because when we look back at dress in the 1870s what would have made a dandy then looks so OTT compared to modern dress. Now, can I dig it? Yes within its context.

When I was in Cannes a couple of years back I went into a Kiton store, the sales assistant looked like he'd come stright from Pitti. All fantastic items but they were all fighting with each other for attention. It worked for him though. He most likely dressed that way outside of work if he was going out to dinner or drinks. I would have called him a dandy.

I'd call Agnelli a dandy but there is nothing OTT about his look but he put his own twist on clothes.

By the same token I'd say Jason Jules "looks" dandy in his photos for Drakes. Even though its a little Spezz. You could go anywhere dressed like it and not look out of place. For me thats a dandy look. Why I myself like to think I'm a £1 JJ every Saturday night. So I wouldn't nail it down as a single meaning in 2021. View attachment 38662
Jason makes it as dandy without a doubt. Confident, artistic. A living portrait.
 
If you saw Beau Brummell walking out of the Dog & Gun tonight would you call him a Dandy? Thats want I'm getting at when I say context.
 
If you saw Beau Brummell walking out of the Dog & Gun tonight would you call him a Dandy? Thats want I'm getting at when I say context.
Yes. He'd be a dandy in any situation at any moment in history.

He would not be dressed appropriately and he wouldn"t have got the job if he'd been in the Dog for an interview. But even in 2021 he'd have that uniqueness and flair and class that would categorise him as dandy, and neither fool nor fop.
 
Phew, not sure about that Sammy. Dandy wouldn't be the first word that'd come to mind TBH.
 
It’s all rather affected. It’s just a question of whether you think it works or not.

Tibor at the ice cream parlour is the ultimate dandy, with the confidence to wear the kit even if people laugh at him.

Yellow braces, correspondent shoes and blazers with piping are all an attention-seeker’s delight.
 
I know the word’s meaning has migrated over time but isn’t the original definition someone who dresses well but without flambuoyance? Brummel with his navy jacket, white shirt and and beige britches would seem positively demure as opposed to the flamboyant cavaliers of the previous era in their cacaphony of colours, brocade jackets, hats, lace and ruffles, wigs, etc.
 
Remembers me to the naturalist Dr. Sebi. Assesinated a few years ago by farmafia.

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I think that the use of the word has changed from its context in the 1800's. Its all encompassing. Crisp was a dandy, Horsley. I'm not sure you couldn't call those guys dandy if you can the "Doc". Its all pretty out there in terms of dressing. I think because when we look back at dress in the 1870s what would have made a dandy then looks so OTT compared to modern dress. Now, can I dig it? Yes within its context.

When I was in Cannes a couple of years back I went into a Kiton store, the sales assistant looked like he'd come stright from Pitti. All fantastic items but they were all fighting with each other for attention. It worked for him though. He most likely dressed that way outside of work if he was going out to dinner or drinks. I would have called him a dandy.

I'd call Agnelli a dandy but there is nothing OTT about his look but he put his own twist on clothes.

By the same token I'd say Jason Jules "looks" dandy in his photos for Drakes. Even though its a little Spezz. You could go anywhere dressed like it and not look out of place. For me thats a dandy look. Why I myself like to think I'm a £1 JJ every Saturday night. So I wouldn't nail it down as a single meaning in 2021. View attachment 38662
JJ is always well presented in subdued coolness. It's also the realisation of the post-racial society. You know from his look, he's English. You know race doesn't matter to that look. It's there for everyone who wants it. No cultural appropriation, no BS. History, we've all got it, and we've arrived here. Great isn't it?

You would not mistake JJ for any other nationality than English.

As you say, you can wear that anywhere. That falls into what I call the aristo-casual look and that's what I've been chasing for the last 6 years. Not quite there yet. But I will be.

The spectators spoil it.
If you saw Beau Brummell walking out of the Dog & Gun tonight would you call him a Dandy? Thats want I'm getting at when I say context.
I'd likely give him a good kicking to get his pocket watch.
I know the word’s meaning has migrated over time but isn’t the original definition someone who dresses well but without flambuoyance? Brummel with his navy jacket, white shirt and and beige britches would seem positively demure as opposed to the flamboyant cavaliers of the previous era in their cacaphony of colours, brocade jackets, hats, lace and ruffles, wigs, etc.
Dandy now means peacock stuff. You can't get around that.
 
JJ is always well presented in subdued coolness.
Dandy now means peacock stuff. You can't get around that.
I’m just sick of the sight of him. Dude is everywhere.

Yeah you’re probably right. I seem to remember people trying (and failing) to come up with an alternative term that signified someone who cares about the details of dressing well but who isn’t a preening Pitti peacock.
 
Horsley lived it on the edge, the thin line between being an eccentric decadent genius and absurd comical caricature.
He was a dandy in the "wrong" way: eccentric and ridiculously caricatural. The real dandy is rather sober and doesn't try to impress with extravagance, but restrained elegance and quality. Better said, he doesn't try to impress at all: he lives his elegance and this is his major pleasure.
 
He was a dandy in the "wrong" way: eccentric and ridiculously caricatural. The real dandy is rather sober and doesn't try to impress with extravagance, but restrained elegance and quality. Better said, he doesn't try to impress at all: he lives his elegance and this is his major pleasure.
I think this sums it up very well if we add that 'he impresses without trying to impress.' At the end of the day It needs to be made clear that today"s dandy is very different from today 's fops who pose as dandies and get confused with them just as the fops did in Recency times.

But , to return to what I said in an earlier post, there is a world of difference between being well dressed and a Dandy. Were this forum to be named Dandy, I could not and would not be a poster.
 
By the same token I'd say Jason Jules "looks" dandy in his photos for Drakes. Even though its a little Spezz. You could go anywhere dressed like it and not look out of place. For me thats a dandy look.
Jason makes it as dandy without a doubt. Confident, artistic. A living portrait.
JJ is always well presented in subdued coolness.
Yes, Jason Jules looks good and dandyish in these fashion pictures:

Drakes-JasonJules-18.jpg
Drake-FW16-10.jpg


But I think he dresses more like this in his real life:

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Not bad, but certainly not the portrait of a dandy.
 

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