Get preppy with Rachel Berry's red vest look from Glee

Be inspired by The Power of Madonna.

Each week we see Glee take on pop hits and classic ballads and find ourselves singing along, without a care in the world. Not only do the covers sound great but they manage to fit them into the narrative perfectly, with each song giving a message about the episodes theme or character’s feelings. So when we heard that there would be a whole episode of Madonna songs, we worried that it might seem contrived. How would they fit in songs by a single artist and still keep the natural rhythm to the show.

But now we’ve seen it we totally get it. Creator Ryan Murphy used the episode to make a comment on empowerment and at head of it all is Cheerio coach everyone loves to hate: Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch). As part of her blackmail of Figgins she makes him play Madonna songs through the schools speaker system all day to fill the cheerleaders with confidence. And after seeing how the girls in New Directions are being treated by the girls, Mr Schue (Matthew Morrison) decides they need a bit more power and sets them a Madonna themed assignment.

The episode featured the amazing Vogue video starring Sue as Madonna, Express Yourself, and a brilliant representation of the characters’ sex lives with Like a Virgin. Add to that the guys singing What it Feels Like for a Girl and a mash up of Boderline and Open your Heart and the episode was a roaring success. In fact even Madonna loved it, saying:

I thought the Madonna episode of “Glee” was brilliant on every level. The dialogue and the entire script was genius. I completely appreciated the layers of irony, especially when all those macho boys sang ‘What It Feels Like For A Girl.’ I also loved the fantastic performances of ‘Vogue,’ ‘Express Yourself’ and all the messages about the boys being respectful to girls. The entire cast was amazing. They’re all so talented. I especially loved Sue Sylvester and Kurt Hummel’s characters. Ryan Murphy did a great job bringing all these elements together.

What a compliment! But the one song that stood out for us was Like a Prayer, particularly since the group members wore matching outfits once again. While the bustier’s and conical bras were a nice touch to the episode, it was Rachel’s (Lea Michele) simple jeans, tee and vest outfit that caught our eye. Simple straight leg jeans with a cute turn up worn with a black belt and classic converse made the outfit cool. And on top a plain white tee with a deep red vest, from American Apparel, gave her the all-American preppy look she does best. Follow in her footsteps and make your own Power of Madonna outfit now.