The below pictures depict Le Sapeurs of the Congo. Le Sapeurs (SAPE for Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes) are men who have devoted themselves to cultivating impeccable personal style, inspired by classic French dandyism. In addition, they adhere to strict professional and moral standards. All this, while based in the slums of the Congo.

Here are some of their guiding principles:

A Congolese Sapeur is a happy man even if he does not eat, because wearing proper clothes feeds the soul and gives pleasure to the body. A real Sapeur needs to be cultivated and speak fluently, but also have a solid moral ethic: that means beyond the appearance and vanity of smart, expensive clothing there is the moral nobility of the individual. When the Sapeur expresses himself through the harmony of his clothes, he is returning his admiration to God. A Sapeur does not shed blood. Your clothes do all the fighting for you, otherwise you are not fit to be called a Sapeur.

I’ve found this story inspiring because there is a tendency, especially at but not limited to, Harvard campus, for fashion to be reduced to a frivolous and meaningless afterthought and unworthy of serious consideration. In contrast, amidst the strife and poverty that ravages DR, Le Sapeurs have found fashion as a source of solace, empowerment, inspiration, and even godliness.

How one chooses to dress herself is inextricable from how one perceives herself and wants the world to perceive her. In other words, there is no abstinence: choosing to wear sweatpants to class to flout one’s seriousness and purpose is a choice nonetheless. Le Sapeurs truly recognize the power of clothes to transform: the nobility of the soul reflected in a perfectly cuffed pant.

All photos are by Daniele Tamagni and are copyright their owner

(Source: crisman.scripts.mit.edu)