The Congo Dandies, Yes. They're real.

The CONGO 

DANDIES 

                                                                                                                                                                    By Dennis Pulley 

 Style struggles against culture and some will do what they must to keep from blending                                                                                                                                        into the backdrop.

         In a land in which the food chain extends beyond the human being, conspicuous is rarely a winning survival strategy. Are tigers colorblind, maybe? I would hope so, but I can also imagine the sigh of relief breathed by those in the immediate presence of the brightly colored gentlemen. Like traveling through bear country with a one-legged companion. If someone is going to get chosen, chances are you'll be able to skate right through unnoticed.

          These guys call themselves La Sape, The Sociey Of Ambianceurs And Elegant People and impeccable dress is their thing. The Congolese seem to respect style because these guys are looked up to by their peers and rarely seem to get beat up for their fashion statements, which seems like a sharp contrast to the US where this kind of brashness is usually rewarded with regular ass-kickings and in general, just a much harder life than one needs to have. Well, that maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but very few could pull off a wardrobe of extravagance in a culture of so little. Pimpin' ain't easy anywhere.  

 
        RT Documentary has a great eye and fast becoming one of my favorite channels for content like this. Check it out here https://rtd.rt.com/films/the-congo-dandies/