Dapper Day

Dapper Day is a fashion-based organization that provides outings and social events unofficially at Disneyland. The events promote vintage-style clothing and aesthetics and are held biannually. The first outing was held in 2011, and Dapper Day has increased in popularity, growing to attract as many as 25,000 participants, with related events now including Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris. The organization has since expanded to include events at museums and concert halls, along with expos and car shows.

Dapper Day is a fashion-based organization that provides outings and social events unofficially at Disneyland. The events promote vintage-style clothing and aesthetics and are held biannually. The first outing was held in 2011, and Dapper Day has increased in popularity, growing to attract as many as 25,000 participants, with related events now including Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris. The organization has since expanded to include events at museums and concert halls, along with expos and car shows.

Origins and history

Dapper Day was founded by Justin Jorgensen, who grew up in Fargo, North Dakota. His inspiration was connected to a childhood experience, in which his family travelled to Winnipeg and encountered a store called "Dapper Dan". After taking one of the free promotional pins from the store, Jorgensen asked his mother what the word "dapper" meant, to which she responded, "It means you’re well-dressed – smart and sharp." A self-proclaimed "eccentric" dresser, Jorgensen decided to name his organization "Dapper Day". Jorgensen said he first thought of the concept of a Disney dress-up day a decade before the first Dapper Day event took place. He was partially inspired by the Walt Disney Imagineering concept design illustrations from the early days of Disneyland. In renderings by John Hench, Herbert Ryman, and other artists, the park's visitors appeared to be dressed in era-appropriate clothing for sophisticated entertainment, such as a night at the opera. The men were drawn in tailored suits, the women were styled in dresses and layered pieces, and the children donned formal jackets and dresses. Many of the attractions imagined in the original design developed into the rides and parks that stand today; Jorgensen wanted to see that full picture (guests included) come to life. Additional reports note that Jorgensen recognized a trend among his friends to "dress down" when frequenting the park, where as usually they would be more dressed up as a matter of personal style. In an pushback against this relaxed park attire, Jorgensen imagined a day dedicated to "dapper" dress where people would not feel uncomfortable expressing their personal style. The first Dapper Day outing was held in February 2011 in Disneyland as a small function organized by Jorgensen. Over a two-week period he promoted the outing using social media; nearly a hundred people showed up for that first outing. Jorgensen's photographs from the event gained popularity on the Internet, and interest grew for holding another Dapper Day event. In response, Jorgensen decided on a biannual format that would take place in the fall and in the spring. Due to warmer weather conditions, the fall event was originally positioned as a nighttime event, whereas the spring event would take place all day. This model also lends itself to the fashion-centric nature of Dapper Day, mirroring the daytime and evening looks of a fall and spring collection. However due to a string of hot Septembers, the fall outings were eventually moved to the cooler November (with the Disneyland Paris fall outing remaining in September). The second Dapper Day outing drew an estimated 500 people. In spring 2012, the event had 1,200 participants, and more than tripled its size in the fall of that same year with a crowd of 4,500 people. Just two years after the first outing was held, over 10,000 people came to the park. Following this dramatic increase in participation in the spring, Jorgensen began running the event full-time. At the Disneyland event in spring 2017, an estimated 25,000 people participated. Jorgensen currently works as a creative director and brand consultant.

Additional attractions

The Dapper Day Expo is held exclusively in the Disneyland Hotel Exhibit Hall. A variety of vendors sell both vintage and contemporary clothing, as well as style-related products and accessories. Exhibitors and sponsors have included Brooks Brothers, Cirque du Soleil, Walt Disney Pictures, and Simplicity Patterns. Book signings and meet and greets have included Dita Von Teese. Beauty demos have also been offered to style guests in a particular period look. The hall also features a bar, swing bands providing live music, and a pomade parlor for styled hair touch-ups. The 2015 expo also brought an authentic tintype photo booth to the site. A ticket is required for admittance to the two-day-long Expo event. In 2015, the first Dapper Day Car Show was held in the parking lot of the Disneyland Hotel. Those who wished to register a vehicle for the show were encouraged to "arrive in style" by bringing cars defined by classic style and refined design from all time periods. This was only the second car show to happen at the Disneyland resort after the first in 1959. At past Disneyland Resort events Dapper Day participants could opt to purchase tickets to a viewing of the Charles Phoenix Retro Disneyland slide show, which features actual slides from guests who visited the park in the early days of Disneyland. The show includes pictures of park-goers dressed in 1950s and 1960s fashions, as well as attractions that have since been retired, such as The House of the Future, the Skyway, Skull Rock, Rainbow Caverns, the Flying Saucers, and Carousel of Progress. Charles Phoenix is an American pop culture humorist and historian whose work is associated with 1950s and 1960s kitsch and Americana.

See also

Distinguished Gentleman's Ride Gay Days at Walt Disney World Gentlemen Bats Day in the Fun Park

References

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1341332050 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.