The Mad Men Influence On Office Wear

Following the phenomenal success of the American TV show Mad Men, are we to see the reappearance of smarter clothes being worn in the city?  If so, I feel it’s not before time.  The casual dress code adopted by some city companies has prompted many unsuitable choices of clothes for the office. Flip flops, plunging necklines and bare midriffs are surely sights best kept for weekends and holidays ladies.  The same applies to combat trousers and denim gentlemen!

 The businessman of the fifties dressed conservatively in a flannel suit. Colours of the day tended to be dark blue,dark brown or charcoal . The office junior would dress in a similar way  to the company head.  Office fashion followed that of the American style with wide legged ‘peg’ trousers, shorter jackets and single breasted jackets. Shirt collars were small and neat and tie widths slim.  Hats with narrow brims were worn by most men. In the early sixties, men were to be seen  wearing smart, hand finished Italian suits with narrow lapels along with a jauntily worn smart hat to the office.

Working ladies of the fifties  wore dark coloured suits at their office desks. Jackets would be short in length  with a fitted waist . Skirts mostly would be fitted or in a ‘pencil’ style, to the knee and narrow, precluding wide strides . This created the effect of a very alluring (for the men) wiggle as the ladies walked around  the office! Ladies’ shoes also made small steps a necessity . High heels and pointed toes could make walking a trial .  To compensate for the dour colouring of office clothes, brightly coloured jewellery and accessories were worn.

Looking forward to the Mad Men influence impacting office wear trends soon!