Screen Style: Madmen

I've written previously about how much TV and film can influence my style choices. When it comes to work wear, there is probably no TV show more influential to me than Madmen. Madmen is one of my favorites for its complex characterizations, intelligent writing, and literary layers, but the first thing that drew me to the show was the show's look. I love all the gorgeous mid-century design from the couches to the knick-knacks, but most important of all: the clothes! As long as I can remember caring about clothes I've been a huge fan of 60s fashions. Madmen brought it into the mainstream, inspiring 60s-influenced lines from Banana Republic and big name designers, making it easier than ever for me to get my mid-century fashion fix. 

All the women on Madmen are impressive, but my favorite by far is Joan: 

even the Joan Barbie is fabulous.

When I stumbled across this (possibly vintage) purple dress at a Goodwill store a few years ago for under $10, I immediately snatched it up and dubbed it my "Joan Dress."

Peggy is the most relatable character on the show, for me, at least. Her wardrobe has undergone quite a transformation from the show's early days. In doing research for this blog entry, I got distracted for HOURS by this website, dedicated, among other things, to observing and analyzing all the wonderful fashion details of Madmen -- including the way fashion reveals character changes. (The photos below are all from that site, which you should definitely check out if you're a Mad Men fan). By the show's 4th season, Peggy was starting to get a little more grown-up in her fashion choices, but she still rocked a lot of polka-dots. I'm sure there was a navy and white polka-dot skirt she wore at some point that inspired my outfit posted below, but I couldn't find it. The shots below show her in navy and white polka-dots of a different sort:

Also from the 4th season is the lovely, but short-lived character of Faye. She wore a lot of pale yellow and navy and her business-professional ensembles were some of my favorites while she was on the show:

It was he combination of Peggy's polka-dots and Faye's professionalism that inspired this outfit:

And, of course, no mid-sixties outfit would be complete without a good brooch: