From dandyism to ‘Coco’ Chanel: A reassessment of Georg Simmel’s theory of fashion

Abstract

Abstract In this article, I reassess Georg Simmel’s theory of fashion. I stress the importance of two principles: generalization and differentiation, that for Simmel, guided the change cycle of fashion. An analysis of Simmel’s theory shows that imitation is the root of these two principles, which points to the circular structure of desire. For Simmel, the principle of differentiation was the source of two fashion trends, typified by the slave to fashion and the unmodern individual. I show that this classification should be changed by taking into consideration a third trend: chic anti-fashion. I analyse the chic anti-fashion trend starting with the figure of the first dandy, ‘Beau’ Brummell. Dandyism was the origin of three kinds of fashion. The first was conspicuously ostentatious fashion, which included degenerate forms of dandyism, such as the gandin and the ‘dude’, and the first creations of French haute couture. The second consisted of the bohemian movement of the nineteenth century that was a kind of fashion that is designated as oppositional fashion. The third was chic anti-fashion, which I will examine with the example of ‘Coco’ Chanel, showing that Chanel’s style allowed for the association of functionality and prestige.