A cultural movement or philosophy emphasizing excessive attention to fashion, appearance, and affected elegance, particularly associated with 18th and 19th-century Britain.
From 'dandy' plus the noun-forming suffix '-ism' (from Greek), which creates abstract nouns for ideologies, movements, or conditions. Became prominent during the height of Dandyism in Regency England.
Dandyism wasn't just about looking good—it was a deliberate rebellion against bourgeois values; Oscar Wilde and Beau Brummell used fashion as a kind of artistic statement, arguing that self-creation through style was a legitimate art form.
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