If you are after a touch of Mad Men-like style without breaking the bank, this Sailor Collar Belted Waist Shift Dress could fit the bill.
Inspired by that early '60s era, this figure-hugging number has that eye-catching collar with button detailing, cap sleeves, a leather look belt and a black and white colour scheme.
£25 is the asking price.
One of our firm favourites on Retro To Go, Mode Merr have come back to the market flying this month with a vamped up new website and plenty of covetable clothes to help the relaunch. One of our favourites, thanks to its versatility and undeniable vintage charm is this Understudy Blouse.
Made from a stretch jersey fabric, the top clings to curves to create an ideal separate for your fifties and early sixties looks. With a peep hole neckline, pointed collar and ribbon fastening, the decolletage is key on this one. With a slim long sleeve and fitted cut, however, you can be sure the silhouette is kept classic throughout.
The Understudy Blouse is available from Mode Merr for $62 in a wide range of sizes.
We first saw these back in March, but now the Mad Men Barbie dolls are available in the UK. Well, most of them.
Right now, you can order Don Draper and Betty Draper, with Joan Holloway available from next Friday. What's happened to Roger Sterling and his monogrammed suit? We don't know – we're hoping he'll be here for Christmas though.
Opt for Joan and she'll come with purple skirt suit, pen necklace and handbag. Don is suited as well having a jacket, hat, and briefcase, while Betty has a floral party dress with 'pearl' choker and clutch containing powder compact, lipstick, and comb. All are moulded out of Silkstone, a porcelain-like material and all the 11-inch figures sell for £79.99.
Find out more at the Play.com website
You may remember the bumper book Lifestyle Illustration of the 60s we featured a little while back. It's sister volume has now been released, which goes a little bit further back in time – yes, it's Lifestyle Illustration of the 50s.
Also written by Rian Hughes, it features over a 1000 images spread over its 576 pages and shows some of the social aspirations of the post-war era, presumably as seen through the eyes of some of the Mad Men of the time. Some of those dreams, not to mention the technological innovations of the period, of course now seem quaint to modern eyes, all adding to the book's charm. As well as being an author, Hughes is also a graphic designer and illustrator so is well placed to make the selection of images.
The book is currently available for £18.71 on Amazon.
One of my favourite television shows of recent years and undoubtedly a huge influence on women’s fashion, I think we can expect to see more and more Mad Men inspired products. Mad Men: The Illustrated World, at least, is officially endorsed and retains the wit, charm and style of the programme.
Illustrator Dyna Moe illustrates the world of 1960s Madison Avenue and adds a good deal of humour. There are cocktail recipes from Sally Draper, tips for aging philanderers on hotel liaisons and instructions for recreating hairdos of the period.
The book is released on 25 November, but you can order it now from Amazon for the reduced price of £6.49.
I know there's a lot of Mad Men fans out there, so The Fashion File: Advice, Tips and Inspiration from the Costume Designer of Mad Men by Janie Bryant will almost certainly find a ready-made audience.
Janie Bryant created all of the looks seen on cult show Mad Men, with this book offering a peak inside the dressing room, revealing how the looks of various characters are developed, as well as tips on where to find quality vintage clothing and accessories, plus ideas on pairing authentic pieces with modern clothing and accessories. Not just for women (although that's the backbone of it), there's also a section on giving men a touch of the Don Draper. Probably more Mad Men-inspired than focusing purely on the TV show, but if the show if your latest obsession, probably worth checking out.
It's got a shelf date of 14th October 2010, with Amazon doing pre-orders for the 192-page hardback book right now – the price is £14.44.
