Unknown Maker, American

The sumptuous linen shirt, supple deep-blue broadcloth 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.