When I was a high school sophomore, America was just introduced to Mad Men.
I think we can all agree the 2000s were a dark time for fashion. Think fuzzy tracksuits, denim tuxedos and oversized everything, and you get an idea of how far we’ve come.
Mad Men’s rise brought with it the sartorial style of the 1950s and 1960s, when men and women wore what are now considered American classics. It’s almost like we woke up from the bad dream of the early 2000s — at least fashion-wise.
For guys, Mad Men made looking good and caring about what you wear cool again, so much so that it gave birth to an entire subculture: #Menswear. That’s because the rise of social media helped democratize style for men. #Menswear killed the metrosexual. After all, I wouldn’t call Don Draper a metrosexual. I’d just call him a man.
Naturally, #Menswear also has its pitfalls. Not everyone can afford the tailor-made suits you find by searching the hashtag, nor does every guy aspire to dress for the Internet — even if #Menswear blogs have dominated men’s style since at least 2010. Some people have taken it more seriously than others, which might explain why #Menswear today resembles more of a meme than a subculture of guys who actually care about clothes.
Bottom line, Mad Men had a transformational effect on American style. But times have also changed since the show went on the air. That’s why I find it so timely that the series will be ending this spring, just as men’s style is shifting significantly once again.
If you think about it, the rise of yoga pants should have been an omen.
J.Crew — which skyrocketed to popularity as America became dressier — has seen its profits nosedive. The reason? People just aren’t buying, in large part because of America’s changing taste. What has been rapidly replacing Oxfords and skinny jeans is activewear: Adidas joggers, Nike Roshe Runs, even Lululemon for men. Fitness style is having its moment.
And few people are doing it as well as Kanye West. Yeezy, both a bellwether and innovator of style trends for years, recently launched his Kanye West X Adidas Originals Yeezy Season 1 collection during New York Fashion Week. It’s as futuristic and athletic as 2015 gets. For once it seems this decade is finally forming its own identity, and you can see it in the clothes. We’ve constantly looked to the past for inspiration. Such was the case with Mad Men, though it didn’t stop with the 50s and 60s.
Even as the series goes off the air and America is ditching its fitted khakis for sweats, Mad Men’s influence will be felt for years in the men to whom it reintroduced personal style. Regardless of whether it’s #Menswear or street wear, Mad Men saved our closets from the abyss. Thank God.
?edsalas@indiana.edu
