Those of you who follow galadarling.com closely will know that one of my most recent obsessions is Mad Men, the smash-hit AMC series based around the world of advertising on Madison Avenue in the 1960’s. My fiancé (typing that still makes me go “!!!”) & I started watching it about a month ago, & became instantly addicted. We blitzed through the entire show — all five seasons — in record time, laughing at the one-liners, clutching at our chests in anxiety, & most of all, coveting the fabulous wardrobes on display.

So you can imagine my delight when I learned that Mad Men’s costume designer, Janie Bryant, & author of allegedly fantastic book, The Fashion File, had teamed up with Banana Republic‘s creative director to develop a Mad Men-inspired collection!

Maybe you’ve never seen the show; maybe you’re a die-hard fan. Either way, I think the styling is something everyone can appreciate!

Betty Draper (far left, played by January Jones) is my latest style icon.

Don Draper loves the ladies… & they love him. Can you blame them?!

Delicious. Now, as much as I love those dresses, you have to consider that Banana Republic are very conservative. Nothing would delight me more than being able to buy an exact facsimile of everything Betty has ever worn, but we all know that was never going to happen.

Instead, the clothes have been reinterpreted in a more modern & simple way. They’ve been pared down so that they’ll fit easily into a modern woman’s wardrobe, & mix & match with things you already own. Let’s have a look!

Janie Bryant says that many of the pieces she brought to Banana Republic were items worn on the show, or taken directly from the costume department.

One of the things I’m most excited about is the fact that this opens up many more fabulous outfit possibilities for girls with a significant bosom or shapely hips! You only have to look at Joan Holloway & her impeccable styling to know that these dresses will contour beautifully to a woman with the goods to fill ’em out!

I kind of wish they had picked a slightly curvier model to demonstrate this, but it’s okay! It just goes to show that these pieces will be great for smaller girls too — a belt here, a cinch there, & you’re away laughing!

If you don’t want to look so “period perfect”, it seems that this collection has plenty of separates which can be mixed with your day-to-day wardrobe for wonderful effect. Men can team bow-ties or vests with fitted jeans, & women can work some magic on the silk blouses, high-waisted skirts & animal print cardigans!

There are plenty of hats, belts, handbags, gloves & shoes to go around, too… & can we talk about that animal print trenchcoat in the first picture, please?! OH MY!

Call me a filthy pervert if you like, but I can’t wait to see my man in some of these looks. If lovin’ this is wrong, I don’t wanna be right!

One thing I really love about this is that they’ve raised the hemlines of all the dresses & skirts, making them much more modern & wearable. I’d also say that while a lot of the fabrics & patterns are on the understated side, you can definitely jazz them up. A crinoline here, a pair of fetishistic heels there, a couple of huge belts & some bold accessories will totally transform these garments!

The line will be available in all Banana Republic stores & online from August 11 2011, & consists of 65 pieces for both men & women. I’m definitely going to be waiting outside the shop! Won’t you join me?