Mad Men Fashion

Not since Sex and the City have we seen a television show shape the fashion zeitgeist with quite the reach as AMC's Mad Men. "I saw an ad for Wal-Mart that had a funnel-neck suit, tweed, and a pencil skirt," says Janie Bryant, the show's genius costume designer who also won an Emmy for her work on the seminal HBO outlaw series Deadwood. "And I thought, `Oh my God! That's Mad Men!" Bryant talks to ELLE.com from her Los Angeles costume shop, wallpapered with images from the 1960s (see left), about how Mad Men's proto-feminist heroines—Joan, Betty and Peggy—got their style.

ON BETTY DRAPER'S PERFECTION COMPLEX

"She's a character who is trying to create the perfect façade. She spends time on what she wears, how she looks, and how she presents herself to the world. So I love the idea of her wearing full skirts and petticoats and all the foundations, really presenting that façade of perfection."

HER COOL, COOL COLOR PALETTE

"The winter white cashmere coat is a vintage piece, and it's really all about maintaining Betty Draper's color palette. I always saw her character in whites, beiges, grays, and light blues. I love the idea of her being in cool, cool colors because her character is very cool. It's taking the audience a while to get to know her, and she's closed off to knowing herself. In my mind, that would be about having a coolness."

ON BETTY'S SCARF HABIT

"The scarf is a classic accessory. My mother always had a drawer full of scarves, and my grandmother too. I felt like Betty would have many different, beautiful silk scarves."

THE PATTERN PHILOSOPHY

"I look for patterns with birds or butterflies. I see Betty as a butterfly. Or maybe she's still in her cocoon right now, and she's transforming into a butterfly – having growing revelations about her life, her husband, and her children."

THE REFERENCE POINT

"In my mind, I have an image of Betty Draper as classic and gorgeous. Grace Kelly definitely inspired me, and my grandmother was very much that way too."

Embellished wool-blend cardigan, 3.1 Phillip Lim, $450.00

Silk pleated skirt, Chloé, $1,455

Back-button cashmere sweater, Chloé, $855

Smoke gold plated bracelet, Bijoux Heart, $580

New Decoltissimo 85 pumps, Christian Louboutin, $595

Tahiti glitter peep-toe pumps, Jimmy Choo, $595

Two-strand pearl necklace, Lanvin, $825

Bayswater ostrich leather bag, Mulberry, $2,795

Lewis cashmere cardigan, Luella, $505

Lace detailed leather gloves, 3.1 Phillip Lim, $325

Camel hair bolero jacket, Smythe, $630

Ballerina Swarovski crystal and pearl earrings, Erickson Beamon, $400

Large printed silk scarf, Alexander McQueen, $535

Wool-blend brocade skirt, Jason Wu, $1,610, visit net-a-porter.com