Ever since she was six years old, Kiernan Shipka has been in the spotlight. The star grew up before our eyes onscreen as the moody and quick-witted Sally Draper on AMC’s Mad Men, and now—nine years after her debut—16-year-old Shipka credits the drama’s retro wardrobe with shaping her personal aesthetic. "Being on the show allowed me to find my own style and express it in a big, bold way," she told InStyle when we chatted with her for our August issue. “I wasn't thinking too much about fashion when I started on Mad Men, to be honest. I was only six! But once I started going to fittings and being exposed to the costumes, it was eye-opening from that point forward.”
As Shipka’s career has evolved, so has her wardrobe. “I would definitely describe my look as something that’s constantly changing,” she said. “My key thing with style is just to have fun with it, and I’m pretty laid-back.” From her red carpet looks to her street style, Shipka’s unexpected choices have certainly gotten our attention over the years—and she plans to keep us on our toes. “I pretty much never say never when it comes to fashion,” she said. Scroll down for 15 things we learned about Shipka's style.
STYLE MANTRA
"Mad Men's costume designer, Janie Bryant, always says that style can tell a story, so when I get dressed, I really think about what I'm trying to convey through my outfit."
RED CARPET RULE
"I like taking risks and trying wacky things that I wouldn't necessarily wear otherwise. It's easy to rough up a polished dress by pairing it with Adidas or New Balance sneakers."
STREET STAPLES
"My black Elizabeth and James bomber jacket goes with everything, and I'm always recycling my Madewell overalls. They’re my favorite item ever.”
GO-TO STAPLE
“I love basic pieces, and I usually do many variations on one outfit. I keep a few go-to dresses in the rotation.”
TOP DESIGNERS
“I’m wearing a ton of Madewell right now, and I’ve always loved Miu Miu. I feel like it’s a brand that’s just a signature—you can look at something and say, ‘That’s Miu Miu,’ and I kind of love that. As far as something just really fun and Parisian and young, I love the whole vibe of Giamba. But I think there are so many cool designers and fun brands out there that are interesting and cool, so my favorites are always changing.”
ONE-STOP SHOPS
“I shop mostly online—I order regularly from Net-a-Porter, and I find the best vintage pieces at Shareen in downtown L.A. It’s a fun experience to go vintage shopping with your friends, and it’s in a really random part of downtown so you get to explore when you’re there.”
FOOTWEAR FAVE
"I hate constantly being in heels, but I'm only 5'4", so Stella McCartney's giant creepers are perfect. I like the extra lift, and they’re pretty giant! If there’s one item I’ll splurge on, it’s a bold shoe. It can really elevate an outfit, so you can wear pieces that are in your comfort zone but then just kind of give it that extra kick with a fun shoe.”
CALIFORNIA CASUALS
“I think the city that you live in really influences your style—the people, and certainly the weather. I’m really into sportswear, and there are so many athletic people in L.A. who make it look cool and fashionable. There are a lot of laid-back vibes here”
WARDROBE BLUES
“I don’t wear that much color, but I would still say that my closet’s pretty colorful. There’s a lot of denim—I’m always in denim. Jeans, of course, but also denim jackets, overalls, and lots of wacky denim stuff, which I’m into at the moment. I’m also obsessed with a pair of vintage Levi overalls that I got recently.”
PARISIAN FLAIR
"I'm learning French, so I made it official by getting a Clare V T-shirt that says Masculin Féminin. It makes me feel fancy.”
MOST MEMORABLE LOOK
“When I wore the Dior pants and dress-slash-top to the Emmys last year, it was such a ‘We’re doing this’ kind of moment. I really had fun and I loved the look.”
FASHION FLASHBACK
"I've been wearing a ton of bell-bottoms because I'm obsessed with the '70s right now. There's something so chill about that decade. I also think the ‘40s were really interesting and cool as far as fashion goes, and even going further back, the ‘20s were so insane, style-wise. It was just such a fabulous look—flapper dresses, kitten heels, the whole nine yards. But the ‘60s influenced my fashion the most because of Mad Men. The vintage from that era leaves its mark on you."
COSTUME KEEPSAKE
"I still have a pair of Sally's go-go boots, even though they're too small. Shoes were very narrow back then. The pair that I have didn’t ultimately make it on the show—they were the backups. I also kept a necklace with Sally’s initials, ‘SBD,’ on it.”
ULTIMATE ICONS
"January Jones has the most effortless everyday style. I would always ask who designed her shoes when I was younger—and I still look forward to seeing what she wears today. Grace Kelly is another one of my idols, because she was so classic and tasteful. I’ve always been obsessed with her style.”
FASHIONABLE FRIENDS
“My friends and I all have super different styles. But I think it’s cool that everyone can have their own unique, distinct style but still share jackets and share shoes. I have a 6 1/2-size foot, and most of my friends wear a little bit bigger, so the shoe sharing is not super often. But we definitely share fashion tips and clothes.”
