Elegance in black

Michael Henry Adams' epiphany came in the quiet stillness of the Akron Public Library. Hanging on the wall were photographs of the Harlem Renaissance era by James Van Der Zee. "There were images of blacks who were every bit as polished and elegant as Clark Gable or Cary Grant," Adams says. "That was a revelation for me, and also a justification. Before that, I would have felt that to identify with the style of Fred Astaire would have not been something that reflected blackness."

In an age when T-shirts and jeans are the closest thing to world democracy, true style icons are rare. But in October, Esquire magazine crowned OutKast frontman Andre 3000 as the best-dressed man in the world. With urban street wear firmly lodged in the mainstream, Andre 3000's penchant for hats, vests and Savile Row tailoring suddenly appeared less a personal idiosyncrasy than the result of a man who had found a kind of sartorial enlightenment.

An increasing number of African American men, in fact, are embracing classic gentlemen's attire, riding the forefront of fashion's return to luxury and timeless classics while adopting a mode of expression that subverts stereotypes of black style. In contrast to the mostly white metrosexual phenomenon -- a fop-fest of manicures, grooming gewgaws and trendy designer wear -- today's renaissance of black elegance seems a striving for dignity and good taste in an era not exactly known for either.

Recently at Macy's Passport, the annual charity event held in Santa Monica, the best-dressed men -- clad in tailored trousers, velvet blazers, ascots and pocket squares -- were black. Durand Guion, Macy's West fashion director, styled the event, which featured African American models in silk pajamas and velvet smoking jackets, a look that less than a decade ago was parodied by Charles Barkley in a series of Right Guard commercials. "We've been as casual as can be for so long that a new, big fashion trend is on the horizon," Guion says. "And it's definitely about dressing up. Young African American men are jumping on the trend quickly, because at the end of the day, it's something new and a way to get attention." Classic gentlemen's attire is also aspirational, Guion says, a subtle alternative to the "bling bling" that rappers and other pop stars have been known to don when trying to look elegant. "There's a whole idea of reaching the next level, and fashion is a quick assessment of whether you've done that or not."