A few weeks ago, I promised to bring a bit more Mad Men­­-inspired style to this blog, but I had no idea that I would have such great news to share with you. I simply was planning to hop from store to store, piecing together looks worthy of Joan, Betty and Don.

Of course, that was before a little birdie (mind you, not the Birdie, Mrs. Draper herself) told me that Mad Men’s brilliant costume designer would be releasing her own retro-inspired capsule line for QVC. (If it’s anything like Rachel Zoe’s QVC line, I’m sold.)

Emmy-nominated costume designer Janie Bryant will be launching a ’60s-themed capsule collection for QVC on September 29. And, if the teaser photos of the line are any indication, Bryant sure does love a good animal print. Yes, I realize that mid-summer isn’t exactly the ideal time to dream of fur (it’s all faux fur, so we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief!). But I simply couldn’t keep this news to myself.

You see, I’ve been swept away by the Mad Men storyline, but I’ve been absolutely obsessed with Mad Men style since the first few minutes of the series. (Of course, this shouldn’t be news to any of you after my effusive cooing over the Mad Men collaboration with Banana Republic.)

The new line, called Janie Bryant MOD, will feature 20 pieces of outerwear, pants, skirts and sweaters and nearly as many pieces of costume jewelry—all priced from $26 to $138. Bryant says we can expect to see outerwear like fake-fur jackets and capelets, brocade boleros and swing coats.

And no Mad Men­-esque line would be complete without pencil skirts (very Joan Harris at the office, I’m sure) and skinny pants (think Betty lounging at the Draper residence). Then there will be the crystal pendants and pins, which will look stunning on the cardigans you already have in your closet.

Aside from the iconic show itself, Bryant says she was inspired by her grandmother’s closet and jewelry box. “I used to dress up as a little girl, and spend hours dressing and accessorizing my dolls, and this line brings back memories of a fond and fun time,” she says. So sweet!

Now that you’ve had a sneak peek, what do you think of new collection? Are you excited? I’ve always been a fan of animal prints, so I can’t wait until the line’s debut this fall. The two coats are my early frontrunners. While I love the rich raspberry hue of the swing coat, I absolutely adore the faux fur capelet. I imagine that I’d be wearing it to dress up my standard skinny jeans-and-a-cardigan combo.

So which pieces are your early favorites? Be sure to mark the September 29 QVC debut on your calendar, lest you miss the opportunity to channel the retro chic style of the ladies of Mad Men.

(Product Images: Courtesy of QVC)

There are less than two weeks left before the August 25 Season 4 premiere of AMC’s Mad Men (yay!), which means it’s time once again to start obsessing over the show’s drool-inducing ’60s style. (Admittedly, I’ve never stopped wishing that I could channel the looks of Betty and Joan.) Thanks to a Banana Republic partnership with the iconic show, we can all be one step closer to achieving a Don Draper-level of style savvy.

This is the second year that the retailer has teamed up with AMC for its Mad About Style campaign, which will include online instructional videos, character style guides and more. But the campaign, which will launch one week before the season premiere, is entirely new to me. (As is the amazing show, really—I’m a little late to the party. But Mad Men has held the top spot in my Netflix queue for months, and I’m on schedule to complete Season 3 before the upcoming season premiere.)

As I’m sure you’ve gathered from the Joan Harris (formerly Holloway—how I miss her single lady sass!) and Don Draper inspiration boards included here, Banana Republic has nailed the Mad Men style. With looks and pieces that make the signature retro-chic style of the show’s characters a smidge more doable for today’s ad man or office assistant, I now have no excuse not to incorporate a bit more Betty Draper into my everyday look.

Isn’t this collaboration just the smartest idea ever? The show simply has some of the best-dressed television characters of all time. Oh, and I almost forgot the most exciting part: If you can, indeed, put this Mad Men style inspiration to good use, you could win a walk-on role in an upcoming episode.

Here is how it works: Between July 21 and August 11, you can drop by any Banana Republic store to pick up a ticket with a code that allows you to upload a photo of yourself rocking your best Mad Men look. Matthew Weiner, the series creator, will then select a winner for a walk-on role. You can check for more contest specifics here.

A chance to be anywhere near Don Draper? I’m sure the act of simply making eye contact with John Hamm would melt me until I became one with the carpeting in his Madison Avenue office. Yes, I detest the monogamy issues of his character, but we’re talking about John Hamm here.

While you’re waiting for the contest to begin, start combing eBay for a swing coat that will help you nail Betty’s crisp elegance or pick up a skinny suit from Banana Republic to help your mister achieve Don’s tailored slickness. And pretty please don’t tell me how Season 3 ends—it would crush me. If you can keep the spoilers under wraps, I just might feature a bit more Mad Men style goodness here after the Banana Republic campaign officially launches next week.

(Images: AMC and Banana Republic)

When Kate Spade’s clothing collection debuted in the fall, you may recall how I fawned over every piece, cooing and blabbing about how her designs are kissed with oh-so-much retro charm and wit. Well, prepare yourselves for the sequel.

I dropped by Kate Spade’s site the other day, and boy, are you all in for a sweet surprise. Not only is her Spring 2010 line just as chockfull of cheery prints, bright colors and plenty of vintage sass, but it’s also presented with unprecedented amounts of panache. That’s the thing about Kate Spade: Just when you think you couldn’t engage in any more swoon sessions over her artistry and playful take on fashion, she reveals something new—and you fall even harder.

Yes, I did fawn over Spade’s new spring styles, which included energizing doses of lemony yellow, lots of pop-tastic stripes and even a polka dot dress that rivals the pink-dotted number that Cher rocked in Mermaids (remember that sweet number?). But I also couldn’t stop ogling the genius product shots found in the “3 Ways to Wear Five of Our Favorites for Spring” feature.

When you have a moment—and when you feel particularly prepared to experience true happiness—give Spade’s new spring web feature a little looksy. As you move your mouse over each sunny shot, you’ll find a slideshow with ideas for how to style each piece. Aside from inspiration, you’ll find snapshots of tickets from the fare, sightseeing accoutrements, shiny pinwheels and plenty of goodness to chase away the winter blahs.

While you’re at the Kate Spade site, you may want to pry your eyes away from all of this merriment to nab a few pieces from her new collection. I certainly have my eye on a few springtime musts. (Okay, I have my eye on each and every piece in the line—from the shoes in happy shades to the one umbrella that could make me yearn for spring showers.)

Despite much difficulty in narrowing down the field, these pieces sit atop my (very long) Kate Spade wish list:

1. Soda Fountain Stripe Ivy Car Coat: Every girl needs a spring coat, something to take her from bleary winter days to cool spring nights. This car coat has the perfect shape and silhouette for frolicking through fields of budding flowers—or just trotting about the land of cubicles.

2. Kate Spade Umbrella: April showers might bring May flowers, but the joyful stripes in this rainbow-print umbrella are bright enough to encourage even the shyest of blossoms to come out and play.

3. Charm City Ostrich Maryanne Tote: I’ve always shied away from purples and plums in my wardrobe, lest I call to mind visions of a certain singing dinosaur. But I think I’ve been wrong all along. Looking at this leather, bow-bedecked tote, I can only think of purple iris blooms—and how many file folders, notebooks, bottles of water and so on that I could stuff inside of this roomy bag.

4. Connect Four Reina Dress: Here it is, the aforementioned unbelievably-better-than-the-perfectly-retro-polka-dotted number that Cher wore while flitting from scene to scene in Mermaids. The confetti-like spots are strewn throughout this print with a certain devil-may-care attitude, which lends a lighthearted spirit to this polished silk douppioni dress.

5. Kellie Too Heels: What will it be: tootsies swathed in mustard, cobalt or orange? These crinkle patent heels are available in all three shades, but as I’m casting my vote for the end of winter bleakness, the sunny shade is a must.

6. Pass the Shades Cotton Scarf: I may be wishing winter away, but not without mourning the impending retirement of my too-thick-for-warmer-weather scarves. Luckily, this luxe cotton scarf is light enough to survive the seasonal transition. Plus, with the splash of multi-colored sunglasses, prints don’t get much more playful than this. Quintessential Kate Spade, quintessential cuteness.

(Photos: Kate Spade)

Ask us to join you for a Zooey Deschanel movie, and we’ll never turn you down. After all, she is the supreme object of our fashion affection. So, when we heard talk of the to-die-for vintage wardrobe that she would be sporting in her latest romance to hit theaters, “(500) Days of Summer,” we had butterflies.

While we were completely taken with the perfectly melancholy love story between Summer (Zooey Deschanel) and Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) on the big screen, we were admittedly, albeit happily, distracted by the enchanting fashion parade that unfolded before us. With her mix of opaque tights, vintage pieces and schoolgirl-esque accessories, Summer was a vision of retro goodness. We, much like Tom’s character, couldn’t take our eyes off of her.

So, we left the theater thinking about past loves gone awry—but mostly obsessing about how we could recreate Summer’s look at home. When we found this movie poster, we immediately set to shopping online. And when we happened upon an interview with the film’s costume designer, Hope Hanafin, we realized just how doable it was. (P.S. How amazingly endearing is Joseph Gordon-Levitt in that shot? We could cast starry-eyed glances his way for hours on end.)

Hanafin says much of Zooey’s wardrobe for the film is a mix of new, vintage and affordable pieces. (Love a woman who truly speaks our language!) Hanafin described her process for outfitting Zooey this way: “Though I have great respect for these romantic comedies where secretaries are wearing Prada, I wanted ['500 Days'] to be kind of the anti-‘Sex and the City.’ So, Zooey’s wearing clothes that her character really could afford, things are also repeated. Her clothes are a mix of things from [places like] Old Navy, GAP, BCBG and then there’s a lot of vintage.”

Oh, a lady after our own hearts. Further proof that you don’t have to starve—or skip out on a mortgage payment—to have a closet brimming with fashionable, vintage loveliness. In recreating this look, we set out with a few rules in mind:

1.) Stick to a blue-centric palette. Hanafin says the film’s director, Marc Webb, wanted Zooey’s character to be in blue throughout the movie to set her apart—and to draw attention to Zooey’s entrancing baby blues. Should you wear head-to-toe blue? Not necessarily. Just a hint here and there will do the trick.

2.) Opt for affordable pieces with a vintage twist. Remember, thrift shops and secondhand stores are your friends. Not to mention, there are oodles of wallet-friendly shopping sprees to be had at vintage-driven stores online. Our love of ModCloth, the purveyor of all things gorgeously retro, is downright insatiable.

3.) Top off your look with sweet feminine touches. We heart the ruffles that line this blue cap-sleeved top we found at ModCloth. In the film, we loved that Zooey’s locks were often adorned with satin bows—such a girlie-without-being-too-precious touch. Not a fan of headgear? Incorporate bows elsewhere. The cap-toe flats that we found and instantly fell in love with on Piperlime have tiny bows that ooze the same sweet effect.

So, without further ado, we’ve compiled the shopping list that will help you nab Summer’s “(500) Days of Summer” style. And, if you just can’t get enough of Zooey’s charm (who can, really?), we’ve added a link to “Volume One,” the debut album from She & Him. Her vocals, along with her banjo and piano skills, are just as charming and warm as we imagine Zooey to be.

1.) “Volume 1,” She & Him, $15.29, borders.com.
2.) A Ruffle in Time Top, ModCloth, $42.99, modcloth.com.
3.) Buttons Flat, AK Anne Klein, $69, piperlime.com.
4.) Women’s Dress-Like Shorts, Aryn K, $47.20, 80spurple.com.
5.) Black Fancy Double-Bow Barrette Two-Pack, Torrid, $6, torrid.com.
6.) Houndstooth Sweater Tights, Hue, $15.90, nordstrom.com.

Want to feast on some amazing eye candy? Get thee to Kate Spade’s revamped website. Spade, who has long been the purveyor of cute purses and accessories, has launched her new fall clothing collection, which has us in serious swoon mode.

Our hearts skipped several beats as we poured over the whimsical pieces—blouses, skirts, dresses, coats and jackets, oh my! There was so much retro charm, so much sweetness, we were instantly smitten.

Spade’s classic shapes are kissed with a certain playful wit. We’re talking bright pops of color, oversized polka dots, stripes, flowers and bows—all adorning pieces that are very quirky yet very wearable.

And the model donning the Spade creations? She’s cute as kittens as well. (Check out her endearing poses when you’re scanning the product shots on the site. They remind us of our 5-year-old selves, hitting our best ladylike stances for snapshots way back when we rocked ruffled socks.)

Spend 10 minutes on the site, and you’ll find all of the fall inspiration you need. While you’re there, be sure to take a detour into “Things We Love” in the site’s Behind the Curtain Collection for suggestions on everything from art and books to recipes and fashion.

In our sweetest shopping dreams, our closets would be brimming with every perfectly tailored piece in this collection. And we’d be waking a half hour earlier each morning just so we could mix and match and twirl and squeal with glee as we caught our reflections in the mirror. Alas, reality is cruel.

Even if we can’t drop nearly $250 on the adorable Madeleine Paulina Cardigan (though we’re sure it would be worth every penny!), we’re storing every fabulous photo in our fall fashion memory banks. Once the weather gets cooler, we have designs on purchasing a rainbow assortment of candy-colored tights to pair with the simple shift dresses we already have on hand. And we’ll be channeling the lovely face of the new Spade line as we twist our hair into high, messy buns and sport pouty red lips.

In the meantime, we’re keeping this discount code handy and bookmarking Spade’s site for future obsessive fawning. What can we say? We’re suckers for colorful, retro-inspired goodness.

(Images courtesy of Kate Spade)