The ‘Dandys’ of Abidjan

If I could turn back time, I would probably step into the era of 18th-century dandyism.

Fashion goes beyond trends. It influences and brings communities together. It crystalises the styles of ages past in a timeless continuum - to be reinterpreted by those in the present.

In Abidjan, I witnessed this phenomenon - animated characters dawning styles that were all the rage two centuries before.

This story is not unique to Abidjan. In fact, from Brazzaville to Abidjan, people are woven together by African dandyism.

Dandyism finds its roots in the European colonial culture and leapt across time and international waters to become a feature of the modern-day Pan-African fashion scene. For the Congolese, dandyism became a code of conduct. In Côte d’Ivoire, dandyism, as a lifestyle, takes shape in 'Le Petit Paris' (which refers to the city of Abidjan).

The dandies of Abidjan have a lot in common with the ones from Brazzaville: the colourful patterns, the architectural shoes, the well-defined silhouettes and the enhanced necklines are hallmarks of the dandy style.

While everything is rooted in swag, it is essential to understand that dandyism connects people. Male, female and non-binary people run the show in a cross-generational movement ruled by codes of elegance.

Dandyism, a microcosm, ruled by codes of conduct that put any member who did not comply with the ancestral codes of 'Sape' in obsolescence.

In francophone Africa, 'La Sape' which is an abbreviation based on the phrase Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes (literally "Society of Ambiance-Makers and Elegant People") is a movement influenced by West African workers during the roaring 20s. Commonly called 'the Bapopo men' (coastmen), their Western-inspired attire became THE trend in Congo.

Inspired by their West African counterparts, who themselves had drawn from their French colonial masters, inhabitants of Brazzaville began buying second-hand clothes from Belgians. This reappropriation and reimagination became known as 'sapologie' - the fine art of dressing was born.

Since the supply of second-hand clothing was unpredictable, eclecticism became a central feature of sapologie - colour matching didn't exist and extravagance reigned. In the midst of colonialism, the men of Brazzaville used colour-blocking as a response to the inferiority placed on them by Belgians; it raised their self-esteem. The eclecticism of sapologie later elevated them in society by making them more recognizable among their peers. Sapologie is not limited to clothing it is also a way of walking, talking and behaving.

During the Congo Wars of the 90s sapologie all but disappeared. It found its way back to the front-row seats in Congolese society through Parisian style influences. The Francophone African diaspora saved this subculture from extinction, and today the codes of sape are still alive!

The socio-economic dynamic of dandyism in Europe is replicated across Africa. Dandyism is a sign of the culturally refined.

When oppression gives rise to creative expression, fashion is no longer solely based on aesthetics. It becomes a mode of self-regulation and self-appreciation, moving from 'the passively compliant self' to the self outside and in opposition to any oppressive influences. Punk, for example, was London's reaction to a social system of oppression. Sapologie is to African cultures what punk is to European youth: a brave act of rebellion expressed through cultural reappropriation.

A major question remains unanswered: why did elegance have to be expressed with western attires and non-native ones? Was it an attempt to 'play the role of master' or an attempt at bringing an exotic satirical touch?

While the African dandy style is inspired by the 18th century, it still finds its way into contemporaneity thanks to a set of rules which characterise the Pan African subculture: Canes, hats, bows, ties, pipes and jewellery are one of the Must-Have found in the African dandies wardrobe.

From Abidjan to Brazzaville sapologie forms a non-unified block that connects the history of oppression with a migratory heritage. The African Dandy is a global fashion story.

After all, fashion as a D.E.C.A.D.E.N.T movement is an emotional reaction.