This evening I was invited into Banana Republic on Regent Street in London to take a look at a new range. Tonight was the night for the big launch of the second Mad Men for Banana Republic capsule collection and the entire store was filled with some of the savviest dressers I’ve yet to discover in retail. I feel I am getting ahead of myself a bit in making that statement. Let me give a little background here.
I’ll start by saying that I am a huge fan of both the Mad Men show and the Banana Republic brand. The later revelation should come as no surprise as I quite regularly reference my long standing allegiance to the BR brand and find I’m constantly talking about terrific finds in store each season. However, this second Mad Men Collection for Banana Republic did give me a moment’s pause. I won’t lie here. There’s no point. The campaign, starring Coco Rocha, was not one I was instantly drawn into. However, I’d like to apologise to you all for being so horribly blind to how fabulous this collection really is. I went into store tonight expecting to find a collection that I could write about in a nice way, and left feeling excited about a collection I would be happy to suggest checking out to all my readers. In fact, even now as I look back at the campaign I feel I must have been on a no-sleep bender when I glanced at them for the first time. This is a strong and beautiful collection worthy of praise.
There are a number of different reasons to be excited about the Banana Republic Mad Men Capsule Collection for spring summer 2013. To keep things easy, I’m going to move into using bullet points. Stick with me here.
- First and foremost, let’s talk about the versatility of the collection when it comes to the varying shapes and sizes of a woman’s body. Let’s get real here. We’re all different yet we live in a world where most clothes are cut for a size zero in mind. Yes, Mad Men‘s January Jones falls into this category, but the capsule collection for Banana Republic caters for all sizes. The fabrics are flattering and forgiving and the cuts are beautifully thought out for a wide range of women. That gets a plus point from me from the get-go.
- Secondly, this collection can be styled to embrace the Mad Men‘s 1960s look or something more modern, the choice is completely yours. I was given a glimpse of the capabilities of the collection when looking around at how the staff at BR were wearing the pieces on the big night. No two looks were the same but they were all wearing the same collection. It was simply stunning and now I’m kicking myself for not taking pictures of them all. It would have been a blog post in itself on style!
- Lastly we have price. I’m constantly on the hunt for a bargain and Banana Republic consistently delivers. This collection does not disappoint. It’s a collection that is VERY reasonably priced and will last you forever (especially the dresses). Just think… the styles are influenced from a time that existed 50 years ago. If that doesn’t define a “timeless investment” for your wardrobe, I’m not sure what does. Here’s to another fifty years, eh?
So there you have it folks, this collection gets my vote but you do have to go into store to see it and touch it. Grab pieces, go into the dressing room and check your hot self out. I left the store swinging a bag containing a lovely white and black striped dress that I’ll be wearing to death this summer!
For those of you not near a BR store, remember that you can shop the Mad Men Banana Republic Collection online. now.
