'Mad Men' is Back, and so Are the Clothes!
Bolstered by the success of its first Mad Men capsule collection, which debuted in August, Banana Republic will launch a second round of the collection next month.
The clothing and accessories were designed by Mad Men costume designer Janie Bryant.
Bryant manages to keep the clothing suitably sixties, while still staying true to the subdued Banana Republic style.
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For example, this particular dress gives a nod to the era without screaming "Look at me! I'm RETRO!" I can see it having mass appeal.
But if you want your Mad Men inspiration to be a little more bold, not to worry!
There are other affordable designers out there taking a big cue from Mad Men style.
Online favorite ModCloth has oodles of affordable 50s and 60s-inspired dresses, including this Hepcat in Cherry dress (Modcloth, $49.99). You have to be quick if you like a style, though- The most popular dresses sell out FAST.
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If Dolly Couture had been around when I got married in Scotland ten years ago, I totally would have bought one of these retro-style wedding gowns instead of traveling overseas with a full-lengh dress. Many of them are affordable, like this Newport Beach gown (Dolly Couture, $595), and the designer will custom-design a dress to your specification if you like one of the styles, but want to make it all your own. FAB.
Lesley Evers is one of my favorite Mad Men-inspired designers. Her dresses are expensive, but they have the heavy look and feel of a 60s-era dress that you can pass down to your daughter some day. And while her prices are high, she always has cute things on sale, which make them more affordable as a special occasion dress. This Grace dress, for example, originally $265, is now on sale for $159.
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I'm dying to place a large order with Pinup Girl Clothing, which specializes in all things Mad Men related, from dresses to swimwear to lingerie. The prices are reasonable (this Dee Dee dress is $118), and the dresses appear to be boob-friendly as well! WIN.
My favorite retro-inspired designer has got to be Kate Spade. Forget the fact that I have yet to own a single Kate Spade piece of clothing. A girl can dream about this $398-dollar Japanese Floral Austin Dress, right? *sigh*
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A close second is Lilly Pulitzer. I'm crazy about this Bellanna Dress, but at $265, I'm afraid it's just not meant to be ... The good news about Lilly Pulitzer, though, is that you can occasionally find the brand at discount stores like T.J. Maxx.
So ... what do you think of these Mad Men-inspired designers? Do you have a favorite of your own? And are you looking forward to the return of the series next month?
Images (top to bottom): Banana Republic, Modcloth, Dolly Couture, Lesley Evers, Pinup Girl Clothing, Kate Spade, Lilly Pulitzer
Written by Lindsay Ferrier for CafeMom's blog, The Stir.
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