Banana Republic Mad Men Three Piece Suit – $491.25
w/ code BRSUMMER25*
*That’s a ton for a B.R. suit. Code is good for 25% off purchases over $100. Expires 8/16/11
Is it just me or does Banana Republic seem a day late and a dollar short with this Mad Men stuff?
– Matt M. via styletip
That’s a good question. But credit to AMC’s Mad Men. It’s a great show. (Or so I’ve heard since I still haven’t seen an episode.) Credit to their marketing team as well. The fifth season doesn’t even premier until “early 2012” but they’re still staying front of mind by launching a new collaboration with a mass retailer like Banana Republic.
But is this whole “dress like it’s the 1960s” thing petering out? And did Mad Men really have that big of an impact? Did it really change men’s (and women’s) style, or, did Mad Men and its tailored, clean, muted style happen to come along when we were headed in that direction anyway? Regardless of whether Mad Men was the cause of, or, a simple coincidence alongside an already occurring style shift, here’s one opinion of what Mad Men-esque details are worth hanging on to:
Worth Keeping
- Well fitting tailored suits. Including the three piece.
- The pocket square.
- Women wearing dresses more often.
Time to let it go
- Ultra skinny ties with ultra tiny collars.
- Greased hair.
- Cigarettes used as accessories.
- Monochrome suit and tie pairings.
- Guys forcing fedoras.
Copying isn’t a good idea. But there’s nothing wrong with finding a little inspiration and mixing in a couple of things here and there. Wearing everything at once makes you look like a wayward costume party attendee. The question is, what Mad Men style, to you, is worth keeping around? The floor is yours. Leave it all in the comments below.
Here’s another item worth sticking with: A great looking business-ready rain coat. $170 with the BRSUMMER25 code. Or, maybe a classic double breasted trench for $143.63. Still haven’t seen this one in store though.
the trench is really nice, I stopped in this past week and did a little browsing when i found it. It’s a little on the thin side so its not really ment for cold days but it would make a nice spring and fall jacket for sure. And if you go in and talk to the employees there they might give you a coupon for a 50% off sale next week monday – wednesday.
Wow, 50% off would be great. Is that just for certain items or is it store wide?
I managed to get the belted trench for $126 shipped about a month ago (stacked a 25% off sale with a 30% off promo code) – totally worth it! That single-breasted coat is pretty tempting as well – I had given up on trying to find a single-breasted trench so I jumped on the classic one.
I agree – three-piece suits are definitely worth keeping around. It’s a shame my current occupation is overwhelmed by ill-fitting business casual.
More than any particular piece worth keeping from Mad Men, I just like that everyone dresses well. Something too many have gotten away from at this point. Agree with Kirby re: too much business casual.
That business-ready raincoat’s sleeves look really short. A raincoat’s sleeve should cover the suit jacket and shirt. I haven’t been to BR in awhile. Next time I’ll try one of these on.
I have a feeling those super skinny lapels are going to look dated in a few years.
BR is definitely a little late with the Mad Men train. I remember thinking it was genius for Brooks Brothers to release a Mad Men suit, but that was over a year ago. Also, I can’t afford the Brothers of Brooks. BR raised prices for pieces that really aren’t unique. Three piece suits and cardigans are not difficult to find. A more savvy pairing may have been jumping on the Boardwalk Empire train before season two. Club collars, collar pins, brighter colors and patterns. . . Not quite as easy to find at a mass retailer. That being said, the Women’s Mad Men collection is fantastic. I pretty much want to buy my wife the whole line.
BR is definitely a little late with the Mad Men train. I remember thinking it was genius for Brooks Brothers to release a Mad Men suit, but that was over a year ago. Also, I can’t afford the Brothers of Brooks. BR raised prices for pieces that really aren’t unique. Three piece suits and cardigans are not difficult to find. A more savvy pairing may have been jumping on the Boardwalk Empire train before season two. Club collars, collar pins, brighter colors and patterns. . . Not quite as easy to find at a mass retailer. That being said, the Women’s Mad Men collection is fantastic. I pretty much want to buy my wife the whole line.
Agreed with you on the women’s side of the Mad Men line. Everything looks awesome. The Ladies totally won out on this one (but, good for them…)
No more slicked, well maintained hair? I’m going to have to disagree there…
To each his absolute own, but, I think you can be well maintained without looking like there’s a quart of 10W-30 on your head.
Being a blog and a person who is really up with the men’s ward drobe styles, you owe it to yourself to watch at least one season of madmen. Season one is out on netflix. If you aren’t hooked by then, then at least you can say you at least saw the fashion styles that started this craze. Really after that season, they started changing the years, so the styles began to change. Still the attention to detail is AMAZING. Check it.
Definitely agree with the well-fitting suits. I was thumbing through some issues of GQ and Esquire the other day and saw some ads with the models wearing “full cut”, straight leg pleated pants and I thought it looked awful. I believe clothing should hug and follow the lines of the body without looking like you are wearing leggings of course.
I feel the 60’s style is a great place to start for most guys. Well cut navy’s and gray’s with slimmer lapels make a majority of guys look great. 3-pieces should definitely stay. And, I would keep a slicked hairstyle if it got rid of Bieber-bangs. Most guys should at least use a waxed pomade for a natural look, and be sure to comb it for crying out loud.
Thank you for the alert. I’ve been looking for something new to run through on netflix before I cancel my subscription. Madmen season 1 it is…
I LOVE the cigarette is not an accessory under leave it behind. Nick wooster has always bugged the crap out of me for that sole purpose. It’s not ‘cool’ bro.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but BR put out a Mad Men line after the second season, so they jumped on the trend before Janie Bryant designed the Brooks Brother Mad Men suit. That suit, btw, was a nice bit of tailoring. Unfortunately, it sold out before I could get my hands on one.
Being 24 years old, I associate slicked hair with Pat Riley, used car salesmen, and Wall Street criminals, err… executives. So put me in the camp of not wanting my hair to look like I haven’t showered in two months, but did comb it.
I prefer my low maintenance Matt Damon-like cut that looks just as good with some low-shine fiber making it a little messy or no product at all.
Being 24 years old, I associate slicked hair with Pat Riley, used car salesmen, and Wall Street criminals, err… executives. So put me in the camp of not wanting my hair to look like I haven’t showered in two months, but did comb it.
I prefer my low maintenance Matt Damon-like cut that looks just as good with some low-shine fiber making it a little messy or no product at all.
I don’t understand everybody saying that BR is late onto the Mad Men train. I remember them doing a Mad Men line, every year, for several years now. Is this supposed to be different?
its for 5 full priced items
I would be more interested in this collection if it was 100% made in America or something.
I don’t really have a problem with greased hair, provided it’s done with care and moderation. I’ve been using Brylcreem for a while now, and it’s really easy to go overboard with it if you’re not careful, so make sure you know where the line is.
I think as a whole I’d have to disagree with the dump it list, excluding cigarettes. When the dangers associated with smoking became common knowledge, it took all the “cool” out of it. If you’re smoking in 2011, you mostly just look like a tool.