Met Gala 2025’s “Superfine Black Dandyism” and Who Wore It Best

As the Met Gala makes its long-awaited return to New York City, this year’s theme has generated major social media buzz around its specific focus. It complements the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition, aptly titled “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” and comes with a personalized dress code: “Tailored for You.” While Met Galas of the past have celebrated individual style through a historical lens, this year stands out as something powerful. 

It’s a vivid, thorough display of Black creativity and social dynamics in motion. Amidst a world that often strips Black voices of their visibility and dignity, this year’s Met Gala sought to return that space to Black identity, innovation, and art. The theme honors Black ideas, movements, and styles so timeless and culturally defining that they transcend fashion. They push the boundaries of expression and stand as declarations of existence within a society that seeks to erase. At its core, 2025’s Met Gala places “Black dandyism” at the forefront, transforming the runway into a celebration of Black resistance, pride, and artistic brilliance.

What Is Black Dandyism?

“Dandyism” is a term that shaped the luxury of eras past. Historical figures such as Beau Brummell, a Regency era fashion leader who heavily influenced British fashion during that time, defined this style. He favored tailored suits, a well-groomed body, and understated accessories to emulate a polished yet simplistic image. His aesthetic lacked the flair of a typical elite, and in this way, dandyism was a form of resistance against the normalized excess of the wealthy.

“Black dandyism,” on the other hand, finds its roots in the oppressive power structures of the eighteenth century. According to CNN style, English slave owners during the trans-Atlantic slave trade would adorn their Black slaves with “gold, brass, or silver collars with padlocks and fine livery…that signaled their owners’ wealth.” This performative dehumanization further pushed enslaved people into their status as property. Slaves became trophies for slave owners to boast about at the expense of Black agency. 

Slaves had even less once they were taken to America. However, Black communities still found subtle ways to form their cultural identities. CNN style adds that “enslaved people often added the little flair they had to their tailored Sunday best looks for church or on holidays.” It’s small yet enduring acts like this that built toward a Black cultural boom. Following the end of slavery, Black Americans sought to reclaim their spaces. According to Vogue, the Harlem Renaissance marked a turning point. This period became ground zero for an explosion of Black creativity, culture, and identity, especially in fashion; “the epicenter of Black intellectual and artistic thought.” Black communities in search of identity found it within themselves. CNN style further notes, “women donned furs and beaded dresses while men experimented with tailored fabrics, pristine fedora hats, two-toned oxfords, and billowing silhouettes.”

Why Is It Important?

It’s in this legacy of forced silence and identity stripping that Black dandyism became about more than the aesthetics. Black dandyism was now about Black liberation from societal restrictions. They turned the styles that marked them as property into tools for rewriting the narrative. Black communities co-opted the polished suits, sharp looks, and standout accessories of white dandyism and used them as symbols of resistance. The dehumanization of slavery or Jim Crow has no power over a community unwilling to recognize its forced reality. The style is a vow that Black ownership and identity will outlive the limitations that history has put on them. Bold, unapologetic fashion within Black communities represented the freedom of refusal.

Traces of Black dandyism can still be found today, constantly influencing popular styles and trends. Artists and figures such as Doechii, Ayo Edebiri, and Tyler, the Creator all embody black dandyism and its core qualities, crafting a definable style for themselves. The evolution of the style is a stark reflection of Black resilience. 

Who Wore It Best?

According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s official description, “Superfine is organized into 12 sections, each representing a characteristic that defines the style, such as Champion, Respectability, Heritage, Beauty, and Cosmopolitanism.” These qualities served as the foundation for a proper celebration of Black culture. Here are some of the standout looks from the Met Gala 2025 that the N Crew felt captured the legacy of Black dandyism!

Colman Domingo

Actor Colman Domingo, currently one of the acting co-chairs for this year’s Met Gala, stuns with a two-part ensemble. Donning a royal-blue cape decorated with a shining collar, he later unveils a plaid suit jacket with polka-dot accessories. This outfit is a dual statement; it pays homage to the elegance of dandyism past and the zoot suit tailoring of the Harlem Renaissance.

André 3000

Iconic rapper and songwriter André 3000 makes quite the entrance on the blue carpet! He sports a dark blue jumpsuit, a bright red hat, and a grand piano attached to his back. His ensemble is unashamed of how loud it is, and the piano is symbolic of both his journey with music and how Black creativity shaped music throughout history. In an interview with GQ, André notes, “My understanding of dandyism is your own personal outburst in fashion, or your own exclamation point on fashion.” An outburst indeed!

Jeremy O. Harris

American playwright and actor Jeremy O. Harris takes a traditional approach. His dark blue coat, cream pants, ring, and bow tie directly reference Brummell and his Regency-era attire. An homage to the man who defined dandyism for years to come.

Teyana Taylor

Songwriter and actress Teyana Taylor easily wins the award for “most intricate”! She dons a tailored three-piece suit, complemented by a large red cape, feathered fedora, and bold accessories such as silver chains, red gloves, and roses. The words “Harlem rose” are stitched into the cape, a reference to the diverse, intricate culture that the Harlem Renaissance birthed. It could also be a clear reference to her track “Rose in Harlem” from her sophomore album K.T.S.E. In both her outfit and the symbolism, there are layers to it.

Zendaya

A fashion icon who needs little introduction! Zendaya sports a cream-colored, flared suit with diamond-studded jewelry and a sunhat to match. Her outfit is the definition of understated while also capturing the sharp, tailored qualities of black dandyism. Another simple yet bold statement representing black creativity and identity.

Janelle Monáe

Rapper and songwriter Janelle Monáe has no fear getting abstract and artsy with her piece. She graced the blue carpet wearing a red-and-black outer layer designed to resemble the tailored suits of the Harlem Renaissance. To complement, she accessorized with a bowler hat and monocle. She later removed the layer to reveal a tailored dress, keeping that “playing cards” color palette. Another unique statement to match the era!