Mad For It?

Banana Republic and the Mad Men TV series just announced a line of clothing inspired by the show that'll be available this August at BR stores. Some of the details are here and you'll find photos of the various items all over the net.

Now, I like Mad Men. And I used to like Banana Republic years ago, when stuff was marked up only 2-3 times over wholesale versus 30-35 times now.

Nowhere in ANY of the stories is there a mention of how much this MM line will retail for. Oh, they know all right. Men's suits will probably go for anywhere from $600 to a grand or better. And what's with the hats? In 2011? There's a big difference in a TV show set in the early sixties and your own life that's kind of now. Besides, as PJ O'Rourke wrote in Modern Manners: "A hat should be taken off when you greet a lady and left off for the rest of your life. Nothing looks more stupid than a hat...A hat should only be worn if you are employed as a baseball player or hunting ducks in the rain."

So, with legions of Mad Men junkies set to fork over entirely too much dough for clothes they could find at the Salvation Army or Goodwill not long ago--and were the real deals--I say the time has come for a true retro renaissance.

Bring back Robert Hall!