The world of men is rife with anticipation over this Sunday's return of Mad Men, and with good reason — we've seen the season-five premiere, and it is fantastic. But the one thing we are not looking forward to is the clothes. With every passing moment that the show has been on hiatus — what has it been, six years? — the Internet has salivated with questions about when and where this season might take place (the answer: New York, 1965) and how the show would propel itself forward.

Now that it's finally airing, though, the only thing holding the show back is, ironically, those same garments that helped draw attention to the series in the first place. We've complained before that this particular look is dead. And, in fact, by the time the first season even aired, stylish men in New York had already moved on from resurrecting the grey flannel suit. Still, that look remains suspended in Mad Men's weird pseudo-style reality for all eternity. Even as characters move on, and the women adjust their look toward something a bit more swanky (or, at least, single-lady), the men are lagging: Nobody has purchased anything new to wear to the office. Draper's got the same skinny ties, the same muted stripes. Pete's suits are too big and his neckwear knots are too small. There's Roger Sterling, in a suit you swore he would've sweat through by now. And, look, that asshole who always wears a polo shirt to work.

AMC has always had a success on its hands because this show — a great show, maybe the greatest — is able to surprise and confuse constantly, even as the framework remains relatively the same. But, as The Mad Men Look has become a mainstream money-maker — because Banana Republic sells a version of it, actually — it has become the one thing the show is unwilling to change. It's obvious Janie Bryant, the costume designer, is a lovely woman and talented at her job. The casual clothes in Sunday's premiere — all piped polos and plaid sportjackets, and that is all we can say — are evidence that there's a way to add something new to Draper & Co's closets. Now, let's hope these characters can, at some point this season, throw aside the silly hats, tie bars, crisp white pocket-squares, industrial fabrics and, ultimately, wear a new professional wardrobe that reflects their boredom with the status quo. Until then, there's just one word for it: twee.

COMING SUNDAY NIGHT: The Mad Men Recap with Sloane Crosley

ALL THINGS MAD MEN ON ESQUIRE.COM:

• The A-Z Guide to Seasons 1-4

• Elizabeth Valleau's Style Guide to Season 4

• Stephen Marche on the Future of Mad Men

• How to Wear Suits Like Jon Hamm Does (Which Is Better Than Draper)

• Fashion Brands Go Retro for Season 5

• The Roger Sterling Diet: An Experiment in Drinking and Stairs

• Tom Junod on the Season 5 Poster, 9/11, and the Falling Man

• How to Make an Old-Fashioned Like Don Draper Makes One

• Elisabeth Moss (You Know, Peggy) in Her House, Not a Lot of Clothes

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