The word 'dandy' still retains an inexplicable air of mysterious charm, and dandies themselves are seen as eccentric aesthetes, creators of ingenious whims. But who can be called a modern dandy? How did the modern canon of male elegance emerge? Why did dandies take turtles for walks? You will learn about these serious, and sometimes amusing, topics in Olga Weinstein's book 'Dandy.' Among the book's main characters are the famous British dandy George Brummell, the French dandies Count d'Orsay, Barbey d'Aurevilly, and Charles Baudelaire, and the decadents Oscar Wilde and Count Robert de Montesquieu. European dandyism emerges for the first time as a distinct cultural tradition, encompassing not only fashionable attire but also an everyday lifestyle, refined demeanor, special body techniques, and a secret charisma. The book details English clubs and gentlemen's pranks, urban flâneurs and 'optical duels,' social receptions and virtual aristocracy. A special section is devoted to the history of Russian dandyism and domestic dandies.