Style icons - George ‘Beau’ Brummell - the inventor of modern menswear

Brummell’s family had quickly moved up in society. His grandfather had been a simple shopkeeper in St James, London, while his father, William Brummell, became the private secretary to the Prime Minister, Lord North. But this was just the start as William was determined that his son, George, would be raised as a gentleman. He was educated at England’s top private school, Eton college, followed by a stint at Oxford University. Already taking care of his appearance and honing his charisma he was a popular, if not academically brilliant, scholar. On his return to London George was offered a commission by the Prince of Wales to serve in his glamorous regiment, the Tenth Royal Hussars. They had been introduced while Brummell had been at Eton and through a combination of wit, charm, and sartorial prowess they became friends. Much like Becky Sharp from Thackeray’s Vanity Fair, Brummell wasn’t just a mere social climber, he was a mountaineer!

After coming into a substantial inheritance from his father George resigned from the army and set up home in London’s fashionable Mayfair and the performance really took off!

Brummell’s long held distain for the extravagant, brocaded outfits, wigs and make-up typical of the era, originating from the French court and still dominant across Europe, led to a fashion revolution; he essentially invented the modern men’s suit. Dressed in pantaloons (long trousers), a blue dress coat, starched cravat, polished hessian boots and without a trace of makeup, he perfected the English country style, elevating it from casual chic to the epitome of gentlemanly city attire. Imagine a Regency-era fashion show where everyone is strutting in over-the-top frocks, and then Brummell walks in wearing a perfectly tailored, understated suit—suddenly, everyone's taking notes.

Among his many fashion innovations, Brummell is said to have been the first wear starched cravats, achieving a crisp, flawless knot that became a hallmark of his look. He also introduced the instep strap on pantaloons, which kept the trousers neatly in place. But beyond the technicalities of fabric and fit, Brummell approached fashion as a subtle art form. His guiding philosophy was that "to be truly elegant, one should not be noticed." It’s as if he invented the Regency version of “quiet luxury” centuries before it became a TikTok trend.

Brummell’s hallmark was the well-fitting, paired back, riding coat, typically in dark blue wool, cut to perfection by skilled tailors after numerous fittings. Of course all his clothes were bespoke, there was no alternative at this time, but he is famous for pushing his tailors to the limit, insisting on the perfect shoulder line, effortless drape of the sleeves and elegant roll of the lapel. This equestrian-inspired coat is a direct ancestor of the modern Savile Row dress coat still worn for white-tie events. While Brummell is often credited with inventing the modern suit, his trousers didn’t match his coat; it was a mix-and-match style, with complementary but not identical fabrics. Typically he preferred buff coloured trousers for daywear with blue or black for the evening. The fully matching suit would come later in the 19th century, but Brummell's influence on men’s fashion was already firmly established. His focus on clean lines, high-quality materials, and understated elegance laid the groundwork for the enduring concept of the "gentleman’s uniform."

His style was a very British reaction to the flamboyant continental fashions that dominated early Georgian London, where the young and affluent paraded around in "Macaroni" get-ups inspired by their Grand Tours of Italy and France. Think high, powdered wigs, makeup, perfume, luxurious fabrics, and silk stockings—essentially, 18th-century peacocks. While these fops were all about flashy display, the dandys (Brummell included) favored a more restrained elegance. He, and the group around him, were also making a political statement as at this time the Napoleonic Wars were raging and breaking with french style was seen as patriotic. He was creating a home grown fashion, bringing  together, and refining, British styles into a look that still resonates today. The preference for woolen fabrics, long trousers and his love of boots still play an important role in modern British menswear.

An important facet of his understated philosophy was attention to detail. As mentioned earlier he elevated the tying of the perfect cravat knot into an art in itself, and Brummell would famously discard cravats that were too perfect or not perfect enough. He even allowed spectators to watch him perform his morning "toilette," which could take up to five hours. Because, of course, why not make a spectacle of getting dressed if you can set trends while doing it? In an era where the tie of your cravat could make or break your social standing, Brummell's influence was no small feat. As one contemporary manual put it, 'When a man of rank makes his entrée (...) whether his coat be of the reigning fashion or not will be unnoticed by the assembly; all eyes will be occupied in examining the fold of his fatal cravat.’

Without the fast exposure made possible by today’s social media platforms Brummell had to use the traditional networks to increase and expand his influence. His close friendship with the Prince Regent opened numerous doors into high society also allowing access to exclusive world of the gentleman’s clubs. In Regency London one of the defining aspects of a gentleman's life was the club—a male-only retreat for the upper class to socialize, dine, drink, and gamble, free from the influence of wives and family. He was a member of the prestigious White's club and also Brooks's and was a founding member of Waiter's; all located in St.James. His social mobility was greeted with dismay of by a number of aristocrats, including Lord Grey, who continued to ignore him. The social importance of the clubs remains strong even today. The Prince of Wales is traditionally a member of White’s, a custom that lives on, the current Prince of Wales, William is a member as well as his father, King Charles.

It was around 1810 when the term "dandy" came into common usage, referring to any man who was meticulous about his appearance. While we still have them today the Regency era the golden age of dandies, and until 1816, Beau Brummell was their undisputed leader. In an era when personal hygiene was not considered important he decreed that a well-dressed man must bathe and shave daily, display clean linen, exquisite tailoring, a precisely tied neckcloth, a dark, well-cut coat, and all with an air of effortless understatement. It wasn’t just about clothes; it was about cultivating a whole persona. Brummell used his social position to dictate tastes and fashion, ridiculing those he considered unstylish.

Brummell’s aesthetic while appearing effortless actually required immense effort, his emphasis on restraint and simple elegance continues to influence men's fashion today. He rejected the flashy frills and vivid hues of the more ostentatious dandies that followed him, preferring a dandyism of austere refinement where the man was meant to shine through the clothes. His bravado and forceful character was very persuasive and anyone who was anyone, including the Prince Regent, followed his style. But this austerity did not come cheap as, even though his clothes were less extravagant, they would still cost as much as his more colourful compatriots. This remains the essence of timeless British style and a defining trait of the modern elegant gentleman across Europe and America. Spend a lot of money, but discreetly.

Eventually his caustic wit and extravagant lifestyle caught up with him. Many of his friendships broke down, including that with the Prince Regent in 1812. His fall from grace, and ever growing debts, forced him to flee  to France where he lived out his years in semi poverty never able to regain his lost status. His ignominious end, however, did not lessen his legacy to British men’s style and rightly there is a statue of him in Jermyn Street looking straight up Piccadilly Arcade. Just as he would in his heyday, he continues to judge the sartorial standards of Mayfair, and he would still recognize some of the historic shops. Over his left shoulder is Floris, where he purchased his scents and of course Fortnum and Mason that has, since its founding in 1707, become the palatial emporium we see today.

Still, the battle between the flamboyant and the classic endures—a sartorial tug-of-war that traces its roots back to Brummell’s era. The contest between showy fashion and timeless style is alive and well, reminding us that sometimes, less really is more.