Mad Men and Banana Republic

The most important television show for beauty, fashion and feminity, in my time, was easily Sex and the City. Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik and Christian Louboutin owe their household name-ness to Candace Bushnell and HBO. Mixing a little nighttime into daywear, the word “fabulous”, tutus on the street, can all be traced back to our favorite four TV girlfriends (I’m Carrie. Which one are you?).  

I cried at the end of the era.  But now it seems that Mad Men would like to quietly take their place. While Mad Men has certainly influenced the feminine silhouettes that we’ve seen lately, they have yet to catch fire as an influencer in the same way as SATC. 

Period looks are difficult to easily integrate into an everyday wardrobe.  Women don’t have time to figure out how to modernize the costumes themselves. In comes Banana Republic. In, what I call a brand co-op, Banana Republic and Mad Men’s costume designer Janie Bryant have come together to create a line of men’s and women’s clothing and accessories that will allow consumers to acquire the Mad Men look in a way that makes street sense.

It’s a smart relationship considering the audience for the series. While it may not be the most popular show on television, the audience is specific and quality. According to a 2009 article in Forbes magazine, “In its first two seasons, half of Mad Men's adult viewers (25 to 54 years old) had household incomes over $100,000, making it the most upscale audience on cable TV.” It’s no Sex and the City, but let’s see what happens. 

P.S. Another great article about the Mad Men audience if you’re curious.