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If you
watched television in the '50s, you probably remember
how
Loretta Young
would make her elegant entrance, coming through a door,
swooshing onto the set of her show.
Way
before your time? OK, think about the wardrobes of
January Jones
and the other women in "Mad Men," a show that
takes place in the late '50s and early '60s.
The dress
rules. The accent is at the waist, and curves are
accentuated, not hidden.
It might
be 2009, but dresses and suits from many collections
look as though they were pulled from
Grace Kelly's
closet.
David Wolfe
,
New York
-based fashion trend consultant for
The Doneger Group
, says he's noticed the baby doll dresses have been
replaced with more "grown-up" looks.
"Designers
are being inspired by the '50s and '60s. I think there
is a psychological yearning for a more safe and secure
time, an era of affluence when a woman didn't have to
feel guilty about shopping and feeling feminine and
being a bit frivolous, perhaps," he said.
Wolfe
says "Mad Men" is still a talking point among
designers and he expects the series returning to the air
for a new season "will intensify the focus on retro
dresses."
Another
trends analyst,
Tom Julian
of
Tom Julian Group
, says that dresses are not the only items getting a
'50s feel.
"The
'Mad Men' factor now spills over in women's wear. For
the past year, ad-exec dressing was all about the smart
suit for him. Now masculine lines and shapes come to
life for her in coats, jackets and skirts," he
said.
The trend
isn't just in clothing, but accessories as well.
"The detail is what makes the difference,"
said
Lisa Legros
, a sales associate in the shoe department at
Dillard's
in
Wichita, Kan.
She's 24 years old but says she loves the retro looks in
footwear, whether they're from the '40s, '50s or '60s.
"On television and in magazines, I always look at
the shoes," she said, adding that an easy way to
update your wardrobe is with retro accessories.
Seeing
the '50s and '60s looks are reminiscent for some, and
new and trendy for others. Regardless, it's evidence of
yet another turn of the fashion cycle.
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