The Mating Game Villager Fashion Poster 1960s
This is a 1960s American advertising poster (22.5” x 37.5”) for Ladybug and The Villager, two iconic American clothing brands that defined the "preppy" and "mod" looks of the era.
The poster promotes a specific collection from Ladybug, which was the junior line of The Villager. It uses a playful "The Mating Game" theme—likely referencing the 1959 film of the same name—to market fall and back-to-school fashions, such as sweaters, kilts, and slacks for "class and football games."
The specific advertiser listed at the bottom is Scare Crows, a boutique located in the Nassau Mall in Pottstown, PA, which served as an "authentic Villager and Ladybug Shoppe."
NOTE: The Villager, a clothing brand make by businessman and part-time film producer, Max Raab was created in the 1950's. The target audience of this brand were WASP's (White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestants). Their clothing was made to be worn in office, casually, or going out. Max Raab was named "Dean of the Prep Look" by Womens Wear Daily and the New York Times. His iconic fashion was wardrobe for Ali MacGraw in the movies Love Story and Goodbye Columbus, Joanne Woodward in Rachel, and many other films.
Max Raab had multiple companies and eventually sold them after their success. Alongside making clothing, he helped make films. Some of his more notable producing credits being A Clockwork Orange (1971), Walkabout (1971), and Strut! (2001). These films made sure that his credit as "dean of the prep look" was not the only credit he had.
The design and illustrations of the poster are fantastic and exemplify the era. I could not find who the illustrator was but Mildred Orrick (1906–1994) was a prominent American fashion designer best known for her role as the lead designer at Villager from 1963 through the late 1960s. Under her leadership, the Villager brand became iconic for its "preppy" aesthetic, characterized by small prints on white backgrounds, shirtwaist dresses, and Peter Pan collars.