Dressing Lavishly in Poverty - The Dandies of Congo

Being a Sapeur is not only about putting together an outfit, but modeling it, too and they have turned their streets into runways, much like walking pieces of art. Often referred to as dandies of the Congo, the sapeurs or members of the Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes or, in English, the Society of Ambiance makers and Elegant People take pride in buying expensive clothes and their sharp and stylish way of dressing caught the world's attention.

They take inspiration from 1920s dandy styles of former French colonists – but impose their own twist and attitude to express their creativity. This is how Congolese Dandies became world-famous.

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[BaybieK]

Can spend 1 - $5k on a suit but haven't got a pot to piss in.
Therein lies the problem with Africa, we focus on flashy things that aren't pertinent but lose sight of the more important aspects of our personal and communal development.
What value do these clothes add to the economy especially when they are mostly imports?

[jugeerivera]

Dr Thomas Sowell speaks on this....
I grew up in the hood and never understood why people who couldn't afford to eat at McDonald's always wore nice clothes..
As I grew older I realized it was psychological and stemmed from this need to either show off or overcome some sense of inferiority or shortcoming.

[spiritualinsiderr]

I couldn’t imagine my village is in poverty & I’m worried about European clothes lol.

[mrcead]

I totally get it but support local designers, tailors and seamstresses instead and elevate your town and create an industry that clearly has the ability to unite people across, class, tribes, cultures and languages. This video nonetheless put a smile on my face

[curlywurly]

There is a documentary on YouTube where one of the sapeurs talks about the crushing debt he has amassed to maintain the lifestyle. Another sapeur talks about how he stole money from his siblings through the family business they inherited to buy clothes.

[AkinAkin]

Évolué is a system that the colonizers heavily impacted on Congo. It rewarded Africans based on their ability to completely removed themselves from their culture, tradition, language and way of life, to embrace that of their colonizers. I wonder if this could be a long term expression of Évolué that persisted and evolved over time.

[eleveneleven]

Aspiration and self respect. Good on ya guys....
In Britain back in my fathers day the working men would have a good suit, their only suit, and maybe a nice overcoat.
On Sunday lunchtime they go to the pub with their hair combed, freshly shaved, suits brushed and trousers pressed and shoes polished to a high shine.
Its a way of rising above your regular life....if only for a day.

[veritasvanburen_]

I can totally respect their twist on it, and reclaiming certain colonial cultural phenomena for themselves, but it would have far more of an impact if instead of buying Gucci and other pricey western brands (which btw most white people cannot afford either), they created and purchased from African businesses, especially Congolese businesses. Otherwise it feels a bit like LARPing. Great video, fascinating topic 😊

[Omenastudios]

It will make more sense if they wore their traditional outfits made locally so they can boost the economy. As it is, they are just wasting money on expensive designer wears from Europeans most of whom don't even like Africans.

All that money spent on clothes can be used in setting up businesses and other economic ventures.
These people should use their heads

[manooxi]

I have never heard of this, what an interesting subject 🙏

[b.k.]

'It is not the cost of the suit that counts but the worth of the man in it'

[quidproquo]

Most of Africans think the Italian or French or even English designers came out of magic, they don't realize it was centuries of tradition and perfection! An Italian guy told me, in the past children were born to be seamstresses and tailors! It was an apprenticeship from an early age that became a lifelong profession, mostly passed from one generation to the other!! You need to promote local African designers and professionals!!

[cowlico]

Reminds you of the Zoot Suiters as “While its exact beginning is unknown, the origination of the zoot suit is long thought to be Harlem, New York. In the 1930s and 1940 Harlem was a hub for critical thinking, creativity, and activism. Jazz culture thrived, swing was the rage, and fashion made a bold statement. The youth of Harlem, who often felt under-represented and unnoticed, took to both music and fashion as a form of rebellion and expression—wearing a zoot suit was seen as a declaration of pride in one’s self and one’s culture, and an embrace of the freedom found in self-expression.

Initially, zoot suits were created by cutting down extra large double-breasted business suits or “drape” suits, possibly hand-me-downs from older generations. These were tailored down to create a more dramatic silhouette, namely a long jacket with extreme padding in the shoulders, and narrow in the hips, accompanied by wide baggy, pleated trousers ending in narrow hemmed cuffs. These were often worn with the “porkpie” hat and brightly colored neckties.

Zoot suit style soon spread to New Orleans, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Though it gained popularity it was never available in department stores, it always required a tailor or someone skilled in sewing to adapt an existing garment to something in the zoot suit style. The zoot suit was soon co-opted as a generational style for young Mexican American men on the west coast, commonly called Pachucos, and amongst Jewish youth on the east coast.

"A killer-diller coat with a drape shape, reet pleats, and shoulders padded like a lunatic’s cell.” ~ Malcolm X

[solaris]

This is like a slap in the face for their wife’s and children’s. 🤦🏾‍♀️
There is nothing to respect in this

[NikhileshSurve]

I've to say the way they're all dressed is quite cool & the fact that almost all are working class people it's very impressive. But I do agree that spending so much money to keep up with fashion & trends isn't sustainable, hopefully Congo's economy improves & their income & livelihood with it so it's not an economic drain on them. It's really awesome that they seem to live with such a class & standard.

[jayflow]

Freaken Amazing Short Documentary Thankyou I Didn’t Know I Needed This in My Life But I Do Now!!! 💯

[SizzlesDiaries]

This is a insightful and interesting topic. They surely do go to great length to maintain their social activism.

[Tubefish]

Black man gon shine regardless! Can’t stop, won’t stop! Brilliant! Cheers mates!!

[bronxtours]

All dressed up and no where to go!!! 😂😂😂

[kevinstreet]

It's a shame they can't put that energy into something more important rather than adornment and vanity