January Jones as Betty Draper and Mark Moses as Herman “Duck” Phillips are seen in the AMC original series “Mad Men.” The show’s retro influence is being felt in fashion circles, where the hostess skirt is coming back into style.

New York ? Here comes the hostess skirt — again.

Once a home-entertaining favorite of American women in the 1960s and ’70s, the hostess skirt may be just the thing for the more intimate holiday parties happening in front of the fireplace this year instead of out on the town.

The hostess skirt has taken different forms over the past decades. These days, it usually refers to a formal skirt that grazes the ankle, and is made of silk satin or taffeta or some other fabric you wouldn’t wear every day.

The style pairs easily with just about any top in your closet — remember Sharon Stone at the Oscars, once in a long skirt and men’s-style white blouse, and once in a long skirt and Gap turtleneck?

And even though the skirt is longer and fuller than the sleek styles our modern eye may be used to, it comes with an enduring fashion-meets-function silhouette: The ladylike retro-cool style of “Mad Men” — can’t you imagine a perfectly coifed hostess greeting you at the door with a cocktail in hand? — but the freedom to move easily and wear flat shoes.

Talbots creative director Michael Smaldone included long skirts in the brand’s holiday collection after seeing old photos in the company archive. The skirt is the embodiment of a “gracious, thoughtful, giving and warm hostess,” he says, although it’s perfectly fine for guests to wear them, too.

They have a spare, clean look and seem more “real world” than a gilded gown or a slinky cocktail dress, which might seem out of place at an intimate party, Smaldone says. “This is a look you’d wear dripping with pearls, not diamonds.”

The loose A-line shape of most modern skirts isn’t constricting and you’ll often find sportswear details, such as pockets.

Adam Glassman, creative director at O, The Oprah Magazine and its fashion expert, says the hostess skirt is a good choice for a tough economic times.

“Dresses are easier, but skirts give you more bang for the buck,” says Glassman.

If a hostess skirt seems too old-school — or too fashion-forward depending on how you look at it — you could also try black crepe full-leg pants paired with a cashmere cardigan with matte sequins on the front, suggests Glassman.