It’s no secret that the wardrobe stylings of TV’s Mad Men have more than influenced the past few seasons of fashion.  We don’t think it would be too bold as to claim that Mad Men’s costume designer Janie Bryant is single-handedly responsible for the resurrection of the notion of ladylike dressing, i.e. ditching the jeans and tees in favor of A-line skirts, blouses and pleated wool pants.  And for this we thank her.  We now have a new game we like to play in the morning when we stand naked in front of our closet, desperately searching for an outfit.  It’s called “What Would Betty Wear?”, Betty of course referring to Mad Men’s leading lady, Betty Draper.   When it comes to our handbag choice, the answer is fairly obvious.  No hobo bag, oversized satchel or tote bag for her.  Instead, taking a cue from Louis Vuitton’s Fall 2010 runway, we’re turning to small, structured ladylike purses (with top handles to boot) that we know Mrs. Draper would surely approve.   And Louis Vuitton designer Marc Jacobs isn’t the only designer creating prim and proper purses for the season.  Design houses including Dior, Celine, Lanvin, Mulberry and Yves Saint Laurent are crafting their own elegant pieces of armcandy for fall, pieces we know Betty Draper would love to get her hands on.  Click through to shop our top 10 ladylike handbags for Fall/Winter 2010. 

They say that the army is based on a strict life of discipline and routine - two lifestyles not usually associated with the fashion industry.  However, judging by the recent fixation designers seem to have with military-inspired fashion (we can’t even think of the last season that didn’t incorporate army gear in one way or another), maybe they too are craving a dose of order and regimen.  Or maybe the army really does have the best uniforms.  Either way, Rag & Bone, Burberry Prorsum and Oscar de la Renta were some of the many designers who choose to salute the troops on their Fall/Winter 2010 runways (again).  And since we already have the obligatory military jacket from Spring 2010 and knee-high leather boots, we thought we’d show you a fresh way to tackle army-inspired fashion for fall.  From woolly capes to fitted cargo pants, we tracked down our top 5 pieces of army gear for the season.

We have an unhealthy addiction to anything Chloé.  We swear if designer Hannah MacGibbon were to send models dressed in belted Hefty bags down the runway next season we’d be …

We have a love-hate relationship with animal print accessories.  When done right, a carefully placed leopard print accessory can take an outfit from so-so to out of this world.  When done wrong, an animal accent can turn a perfectly respectable outfit into one hot mess.  Thankfully our three celebrity inspirations have used leopard print accessories the right way – as perfect additions to their fairly tame outfits.  We love how Alexa Chung upped the ante on her denim cut-off/basic blouse combination with a chic leopard print bucket bag at this year’s Glastonbury Festival.  Diane Kruger’s decision to pair a simple black ensemble with a pair of leopard print shoe booties at a London Hugo Boss party showed us the best way to wear animal prints on our feet.  And although Ashley Olsen spent a pretty penny on her oversized Louis Vuitton leopard print scarf, we think a silk animal print scarf is one item you don’t have to spend a small fortune on.  Click through to find out which animal accessories are worth investing in and which you can grab for less.