American

The sumptuous linen shirt, supple deep-blue broadbloth coat, and expertly contoured pantaloons seen here-drawn from the wardrobes of three different Rhode Islanders-reflect the far reach of Brummell's sartorial influence. "In certain congruities of dark cloth, in the rigid perfection of his linen...lay the secret of Mr. Brummell's miracles," observed 20th century artist and writer Max Beerbohm, a dandy himself. As suggested by these pieces, Brummell's preferences in fabric and cut signaled a shift from embellished, overtly sumptuous ensembles to suits that celebrated the body through painstaking tailoring. The pantaloons' sharply delineated calf shape reflects the Brummellian taste for a taut fit that revealed the natural form of the youthful physique.