Ireland's last dandy

Is there a better - or more gorgeously - dressed man in Ireland than Garech Browne? It seems unlikely since no one else takes as much care over his appearance or over co-ordinating the colour, texture and fabric of his clothes. For all that, Browne is neither vain nor exhibitionistic.

He does not particularly care to have attention drawn to what he is wearing and can seem almost abashed when this occurs. He is far from being a poseur, dislikes the company of those who are merely so and is probably most at ease when least noticed. He can, however, talk eloquently on the history and development of costume and loves to describe each element of his extensive wardrobe. Garech Browne is a true dandy, not in the rather frivolous sense by which this term is customarily dismissed here, but in the more serious fashion that dandyism has always been understood among the French. Because, curiously enough, although dandies originated in England, they were always better understood in France. Browne would certainly appreciate Balzac's remark in the latter's Traite de la vie elegante of 1830 that "dress consists not so much in the garment as in the way it is worn". He would also no doubt concur with Baudelaire's argument more than 30 years later that dandies "all partake of the same character of opposition and revolt . . . Dandyism is the last splendour of heroism." Of all texts published on this subject, the finest is Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly's Dandyisme dating from 1845. While admitting that dandyism "is almost as difficult a thing to describe as it is to define", the author noted one primary characteristic "is always to produce the unexpected, that which could not logically be anticipated by those accustomed to the yoke of rules". Dandyism, therefore, "while still respecting the conventionalities, plays with them". This perfectly describes Garech Browne's own approach to clothing, which is simultaneously individual and yet conformist. Individual in his fondness for mixing unusual tones and materials, he still complies strictly with what could be construed as old-fashioned rules of correct dressing. He insists, for example, on wearing braces - "they make your trousers stay up and I find them comfortable, as a matter of fact" - and also always closes his shirt sleeves with cufflinks.

If the colouring of his clothes is original, the cut is not; tradition rules when it comes to tailoring, and he is a stickler for good form in matters of style. But he has no desire to look the same as every other well-dressed man. "I don't want to be a sheep," he remarked about his personal mode of dress 20 years ago. "Very boring to be a sheep." Having found a style he felt suited him, he has remained loyal to it ever since; he has worn the same beard, albeit grown steadily greyer, for more than two decades and his hair is forever worn tied back by a piece of ribbon. Having recently celebrated his 60th birthday, Garech Browne says he has always loved good clothing. He remembers being aged 11 when his first suit - a two-tone corduroy number - was made by a tailor called Scott with premises in Dublin's Lincoln Place. In adulthood, he chose to follow the example of his father (now aged 97) and late grandfather and has had his coats and suits made at London tailors Lesley & Roberts. His shirts are made by Turnbull & Asser, his shoes by Lobb's. Ties and braces come from a wide variety of sources including Hermes, Charvet and Lanvin. Whenever his clothing is specifically made for him, he provides the raw materials. These come from a wide variety of sources, including silk poplin from Egypt, Thai shot silk and heavy raw silk from India. Then there are the traditional Harris tweeds he has bought from the recently deceased Scotswoman Marian Campbell, as well as Irish tweed from Clifden's Ronnie Millar and the Foxford Mills and bainin from O Maille's in Galway. His shoes are made not just from leather but also the skin of sika deer and ostrich and even elephant ears. Buttons, most often of mother-of-pearl, come from The Button Queen in London.

His wardrobe is extensive but consistent; suits tend to be ordered in groups of four or five, and all of them carry the date of manufacture inside a breast pocket. In addition, they are without exception immaculately finished and in many instances interchangeable: a waistcoat from one ensemble, for example, is worn with the jacket and trousers from another. The most striking aspect of Garech Browne's appearance is his fondness for colour. "I love different shades and not having everything strictly the same," he remarks by way of explanation for a blue check jacket being thrown over a brilliant yellow waistcoat ("I like waistcoats and always have"). Taking pleasure in colour is a trait of the dandy. It is believed that Beau Brummell retired from the army in 1797 after his appearance at parade in a pale blue tunic with silver epaulettes caused consternation among his superiors. In 1845, Jane Carlyle described the most famous dandy of the day, the Comte d'Orsay, as wearing "black satin cravat, a brown velvet waistcoat, a brown coat lined in velvet . . . black trousers."

This complex intermingling of texture and tone also epitomises Garech Browne's approach to dress. He will wear the finest silk beneath the coarsest tweed, he will allow one pattern to jostle with another for predominance, and is not afraid of striking sartorial notes which on another man might be perceived as discordant. In addition, there is an attention to detail which must usually escape everyone but Browne himself. A late 19th century French dandy, the Prince de Sagan, used to have his black top hat lined in green leather, a small luxury likely to be appreciated only by himself. Similarly, Browne will use the most brilliant-hued silks inside his suits where they will be seen by his own eyes alone. This is the mark of the true dandy. He himself explains, "you know in Edo Japan, one was not allowed to dress fabulously. Men were completely limited in the colours of their kimonos, so they had brighter shades hidden underneath." When Balzac wrote "one may become rich, but one is born elegant", he might have had Garech Browne in mind. He has enjoyed the income to dress well but this does not explain his interest in clothes. After all, there are plenty of even wealthier people in this country who look neither so polished nor stylish as he. Conformity in dress has been a regretful characteristic of the 20th-century male, who rarely ventures outside the strictest palette of sombre shades and those few items of clothing regarded as acceptable. To be original is to invite disapproval. This is why Baudelaire's vision of the dandy as revolutionary is so perceptive. Dandyism is a form of contained rebellion in which certain rules are broken but others strictly obeyed. It is also often a form of aesthetic self-expression, an opportunity to give public voice to private interests. In Browne's case, there is an obvious correlation between his advocacy of Irish traditional dress and Irish traditional music; he not only wears the clothes and cloths of Connemara but also, more than 30 years ago, founded Claddagh Records which has done so much to revive the fortunes of this country's original performance arts. The problem dandyism has faced this century may be summarised by Bertrand Russell's decidedly facile judgement of the politician Anthony Eden: "Not a gentleman: dresses too well." What nonsense comments such as this must seem. Garech Browne, on the contrary, shows that it is possible to be a perfect gentleman and a perfect dandy.