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'Mad Men' fashion: How to get the show's iconic 1960s style

Posted in : For Women, Fashion Events

(added last year!)

'Mad Men' fashion: How to get the show's iconic 1960s style"Mad Men," the award-winning AMC show about Madison Avenue in the mid-1960s, has had a profound affect on modern-day fashion, some 40 years later. The runways for the past several seasons have shown pencil skirts and front-tie blouses, full skirts and Joan-worthy “wiggle” dresses.

And while I’m utterly despondent that the fourth season is coming to a close on Sunday, Oct.  17, I’m cheered that I can bring a little bit of my favorite show into my closet. Many local stores -- indie and otherwise -- are selling “Mad Men”-inspired fashions sure to unleash your inner Peggy, Betty or Don.

Joan Harris (neé Holloway): Let’s start first, though, with femme fatale Joan Harris, unflappable head of the office secretarial pool. She’s tough, she’s dignified -- and she’s the flesh-and-blood Jessica Rabbit, inspiring one potential client of Sterling Cooper Draper Price to marvel (in Japanese), “How does she not fall over?”

Still, you don’t have to have the body of a goddess to pull off some of the more Joan-inspired looks. J. Crew has a beautiful silk, cowl-necked blouse ($98) that would pair beautifully with its black, high-waisted pencil skirt ($118) and a skinny belt ($39.50). Kohl’s has some great, well-priced items, including this AB Studio animal print blouse set ($21.99), and the Dana Buchman cat eye sunglasses, on sale for $19.99.  

Joan’s most-wanted accessory, however, is the gold pen necklace she wears around her neck. It connotes, as it dangles in front of her impressive bust line: “I run this joint, and I’m unbelievably hot, too.” 1928 Jewelry sells a gone-tone replica of the necklace/pen for just $20.

For a sexy (but classy) work-to-evening look, I love the jade-green Suzabelle Bacchus dress, that Frock Shop is selling for $174 and the polka-dot silk mini dress at Dolce Vita ($198). For a va-voom evening look, the modern-day Joan would rock the gray-and-blue Mae tank dress at Hip Zephyr ($319).

Betty Francis (formerly Draper): She’s a beautiful, blonde ice queen and an upper-crust Junior Leaguer with a chip on her shoulder and a wardrobe full of prim, ladylike clothes. Betty favors classic silhouettes, such as the silver Amai Unmei sheath dress I spotted at Hip Zephyr for $263, and pastel-colored cardigans like this cashmere crewneck sweater from J. Crew ($158).  

But where I really hit the jackpot on Betty-wear was at vintage shop Pretty Parlor, on Capitol Hill. There I found a full-length wool coat with a mink collar for $68, and a 1960s four-piece pink brocade suit with rhinestone buttons, also $68. And, you can get vintage hankies ($5 each or three for $12) -- a critical accessory if you plan to rifle through your mysterious husband’s locked desk.

Peggy Olson: My favorite character on the show, Peggy is a strong, confident woman in a male-dominated field, and her look mirrors her burgeoning sense of power.

I saw plenty of Peggy-worthy clothes at Frock Shop, including the burgundy Suzabelle Oxley dress, complete with button cap sleeves and tie neck ($174), and the Tulle Extra Black wool dress ($68). Across the street, at Hip Zephyr, I saw a darling black, white and gray plaid coat ($311) that plucky Peggy would pair with a cute little cloche hat, like this one at Kohl’s ($32).

When chilling with her new bohemian friend, Allison, Peggy might pair this plaid casual jacket from Modcloth with a pair of pedal pushers. She’s also a fan of striped T-shirts -- so cool in 1963, and super hip today, too. Land’s End has a 3/4-sleeve boatneck striped tee for $29.50, and Madewell in University Village stocks the cult favorite Saint James Meridian II for $85.

Don Draper: No casual Fridays for this guy -- it’s all slim-cut suits and coordinating accessories. The key to looking like a modern-day Mad Man is a perfect-fitting suit, so whether you hit J.Crew or Brooks Brothers, be sure to spend some dough on tailoring.

If suits aren’t realistic for your lifestyle (and in Seattle, that’s usually the case), you can still integrate a little Draper style into your repertoire. Pretty Parlor has a plethora of skinny ties, casual, ‘60s-era button-down shirts and a great, Ben Sherman striped blazer that would play quite nicely at the country club ($85). A current-day Don Draper would approve of Nordstrom’s nice selection of close-fitting cardigans, including this silk-blend sweater ($95), and this Hugo v-neck button-up ($195).

And, of course, there’s the fedora. For on-trend lids, check out the selection and impeccable service at Byrnie Utz Hats downtown, or hipster haven Zebra Club. Ladies looking to steal a little of this style can head to Madewell, where you’ll find 100-percent wool Stetson fedoras in gray and black for $78.

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(added last year!) / 1904 views