Dandies,Saga Boys, and Me: A Caribbean Take on the Met Gala

A Personal Reflection

Grandpa Tav

The Met Gala’s focus on Dandyism via the theme: "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" this year has me reflecting on how my own understanding of the Dandy is deeply rooted in my Caribbean upbringing and the term 'Saga Boy.'

Though we also used the term Dandy. In relation to a man in tailored dressing, Saga Boy was often uttered. Today, I’m choosing to see the terms Dandy and Saga boy as one and the same. And I can’t help but think of all the finely dressed and sweet smelling Dandies and Saga boys I grew up admiring like my Grandpa Tav, pictured above..

There’s a book by that name (Saga Boy), which I've yet to read. But growing up, the word meant something very specific. There are many ways the word Saga Boy has been interpreted over time, but this one resonates most.

“Saga boy" is a term originating in 1940s Trinidad, referring to a fashionable, flamboyant, and typically wealthy man who was known for his style and attention to detail. These individuals were part of a subculture that embraced a glamorous lifestyle, often wearing zoot suits and other fashionable attire."

My love for tailoring is rooted in my eye for detail, patterns, and silhouette. My own mama, seamstress at Maison Gido, often relies on that eye to reverse engineer styles she wants to create for her clients. I’ve learned how to find a silhouette because I’ve had to: constantly adjusting clothes so they fit the way they’re supposed to or at least how I want them to on a body often left out of the tailoring conversation.

I’ve always loved suiting. Shoes, in particular, have been my way into that world; you’ll always find thrifted men’s brogues in my closet. But it’s only this year, inspired by the Met theme, that I’ve been able to explore Dandy fits that feel feminine and curvy conscious. Honestly, H&M has been coming through for me!

Then there’s the bittersweetness of André Leon Talley being honoured...indirectly. I love how the collective got that his spirit along with other key figures like Dapper Dan are the fathers and MOTHAS of this in a North American context, from the beginning. It’s beautiful to see his influence, but painful that he didn’t get this particular flower while he was still with us. I'm now so curious about his time at Vogue; what he shaped, what he endured, and what it meant to be so close to the powerhouse and oft described as a tough cookie...Anna Wintour.

There's also a bittersweetness in how Dandyism touches on conversations about respectability, aka it all leads back to racism, but I won't get into that here or today. I’m choosing to focus on the self satisfaction that I see on people when they get suited and booted in the name of personal style, peacocking and for the sake of beauty.

All in all, I’m excited. Excited for what this theme has surfaced, what it will inspire, and what’s still to come.