The London Walker

You gotta love someone who calls a serving monarch a ‘fat bastard’. So hats off, no doubt a silky-velvet number, to the rather grand character that is Beau Brummell. Although absolutely fabulous, there is something sad in his story and I couldn’t help but feel a poignance to the framing of this image, here he is situated on his old hunting ground looking down Piccadilly Arcade, and yet he finished his days alone, penniless and abroad: a long way from his dear London.

Born in 1778 Brummell is widely regarded as the first ‘dandy’ redefining men’s fashion and social standards in Regency-Era England. He is arguably England’s first influencer and had he lived today he would have been all over instagram, tik-tok and the like.

He defined himself, with his sharp wit and charismatic personality, as being a man of elegance and sophistication, promoting tailored clothing, crisp white cravats, and polished boots. He was famous for being a member of Whites, Brooks and Watiers, London’s most exclusive private gentlemen’s clubs and he acquired a keen following of suitors, all trying to be just like him. So not only an influencer, but also a bit of a celebrity.

Brummell lived an extravagant lifestyle, often well beyond his means, which eventually led to his downfall. After a falling out with the Prince Regent, the fore mentioned fatty moment, and mounting debts, he fled to France in 1816, where he lived in poverty for the rest of his life.