It's also one of the ways Black people have always used fashion as community. One thing about Black people in the 1700-1800s: they had very few places to gather in public. Part of dandyism became about dressing up just to hang out all together.
“Sundays best” was and still is my prime example of what it means to be a dandy. Growing up in the South, putting on your most elaborate gowns, furs, suits, shawls, hats, jewelry, heels/pumps, lace/fur gloves, and spending certain Saturdays in the salon the day before getting your hair pressed and taking the rollers out that Sunday morning hoping the curls look the same. The church (no matter our views on it today) was one of the first runways for black people and trying to erase that on my timeline the day before the Met is crazy work.