Step Back in Time with Fashion From the Fifties and Sixties

We have plenty of things to thank shows such as Mad Men and The Hour for, including bringing Jon Hamm and Dominic West back to our screens, but we have to say that on top of our list has to be the fashion.

Before these shows we had no idea about what to wear for the Her.ie office but now we’re inspired and so too are our wardrobes.

So we decided to bring you our favourite picks from the hit shows that are undoubtedly bringing the fifties and sixties back into fashion…

1. Before Christina Hendricks showed us how it was done, we didn’t even think to wear tailored dresses into the office. And while we’re not blessed with her figure, we still take advantage of the classical cuts and modest leg lengths.
2. Pencil skirts have always been regarded as work attire but Mad Men has really put this particular garment back on the style map. Who’d have thought a tweed skirt could look so good?
3. To draw attention to their hourglass figures, belted waists were huge. But it doesn’t matter what shape you are because you can still channel your inner Marilyn Monroe by drawing attention to that wonderful waist of yours.
4. Patterns were extremely popular back in the day. From floral dresses to polka dot blouses, some prints never get old. We are certainly going to follow in the footsteps of Betty Draper and invest in some patterned pieces.
5. During the sixties the female power suit really came to the forefront in the office. Strong cuts and skirts enabled women to dress professionally yet femininely. In fact they paved the way for the female trouser suit and equality in the office.
6. One of our favourite and arguably the easiest look to imitate from this time period is that of the pleated skirt. It works with so many other pieces including blouses, shirts and jumpers. And you can go for bright or pastel colours. We just can’t get enough of them!
7. There we were thinking that peter pan collars were a relatively new style phenomenon. Not at all. Peter pan collars were huge back in the fifties and sixties. We love how they are subtle and feminine.
8. Aside from patterns and pastels, the other main colour theme that dominated the fashion trends at the time was metallic. Be it glorious gold or shimmering silver, metallic shades are attention-grabbing and definitely making a comeback.
9. If a fitted or tailored dress doesn’t tickle your fancy, how about opting for a knitted dress a la Bel Rowley in The Hour? Cosy and comfortable, feminine and fabulous, subtle and sexy the knitted dress can’t really go wrong.  
10. Pointed shoes were the only shoe to finish off an outfit way back when. The fact that most of the shoes weren’t all that high also means that our feet won’t be too sore by the end of the day.

We honestly don’t know where we, or our office attire, would be without the help of these television shows. And for that reason we’ll have to continue watching them. As if we really needed an excuse!