Okay, experts: what about the advertising copy illustration that showed a "short skirt" and the line was "men like to look at short skirts" ... isn't this series' season supposed to be in 1962? The skirt in the illustration was mid-thigh which was something completely alien in 1962. A short skirt for that year would have been just above mid-knee. Isn't anyone who works in research for Mad Men looking at magazines, Sears catalogues (always authentic for the year involved), or Simplicity patterns, for example? The first impetus toward shorter skirts was in 1965 from Courreges and Cardin in Paris, and Mary Quant in London. That mid-thigh length just wouldn't have occurred to anyone. It had never existed before and its introduction a few years later was often ridiculed. Minis really took about four years for everyone to get used to them.
Also, what's with Peggy's ponytail, forget the bangs? No one, absolutely no one, would still have had a ponytail in 1962, just variations of teased hair. And where are the extremely popular overblouses of the late 50s and early 60s? I guess I'm the only person who remembers the details of that time. Again, please get copies of Sears and Montgomery Ward catalogs and copies of Seventeen and Glamour and you'll see what stylish young women were really wearing. Fitted bodices, tight belts and full skirts were on their way out, but the miniskirt didn't show up until 3 or 4 years later and it really took a long time and lots of exposure to push such a radical look. I was 15 in 1962 and was very fashion conscious. I was getting my mother away from the 50s and trying to get her to dress more fashionably and tease her hair. Please do research or you'll hear from me again and again! Remember I was there and crazy about fashion.

Hi Robyn,

Whoa, that's a lot of information! Thanks!

I'll confess I wasn't paying attention the ad copy illustration, because I was more interested in the actual clothes. Sounds like your gripe might be with the props department...

As for Peggy's ponytail, I think it's worth noting that Peggy often does what "nobody" would, especially in the fashion realm - a reason, perhaps, that she's both scorned by the men in her division and also permitted to work with them. Imagine if Peggy looked like Joan and tried to cut into the copy division? A very different scene.

Re: the overblouses, it's true the">http://www.rustyzipper.com/pics/101427L.jpg">the extreme ones are cute as hell. But some of them were subtle enough to look more like a part of the dress. Check out this one, as seen in the Kennedy library. I'll keep my eyes out to see if any are used going forward, but it may take second and third looks.

As for "doing more research," ouch! I'll definitely take your suggestion and find some archived Glamours, but I'd encourage you to think about what Sandy Powell said when Shakespeare in Love won a Best Costume Oscar and critics complained the clothes weren't "historically accurate." She said it was more important for the costumes to tell a story and anchor the viewer in the period while still showing contemporary symbols of power, sex, etc. to enhance the themes and characters.

I'll leave you to decide how much of that advice to take or leave, and in the meantime, I guess I'm going to the library...

xo F.

I can't help but notice, even tho' I hate to nitpick... but wasn't that plaid dress one that Peggy had on in Season 1 (1960)...meaning she was wearing a 2 year old dress? Oh well...

AS a Season 1 aficionado and computer programmer/Women's Rights activist in the 60s, I expect you to have at least a TOKEN woman who attends the Consciousness Raising Groups we had back then in women's livingrooms. I also expect at least one of those secretaries to rebel against the cow-like treatment they are getting from the preppie boys, who never grow up.

Really fantastic writing. and that sex dynamo, the red-head. Who is she? Are they deliberately pulling a Jane Mansfield on us? Big boobs, big ass? Glad they're making her multi-dimensional instead of pure whore.

You really do need to do more research.

I thought the short skirt in the ad was off too, but I think it was done so the characters could have the debate about "sex sells."

Joan's bottom was "too real"? What exactly is that supposed to mean? One of the things I like about this show is that it shows women of different shapes.

Faran, you want to write about fashion on "Mad Men," do you homework. Who cares that Marc Jacobs could dress Peggy. Let's talk about what 1960s designers the show is referencing and why. There are very specific choices being made.

You know, as much as I realize this series is supposed to be set in the early 1960s (and apparently will move along in time as it progresses), I think some people may not being enjoying it fully, as they seem to be watching it so they can find any little ERROR in costume or set design. If you look hard enough at ANYTHING, you can find fault. I think some of the nit-pickers are not really watching for the overall entertainment value, but to find some infintesimal little error in something that is totally irrelevant to the overall quality of the show. Someone mentioned that the neck scarves were so over by the 1960s, and yet I recall a number of younger girls (high school) wearing them in '62, '63, etc. I think it also DEPENDS on the part of the country in which you lived in the 60s that determines WHAT you THINK you remember, or what you ACTUALLY do recall. Fashion trends begin in Europe. Always have, always will. Then, they move to the West Coast, and ultimately across the country. (And, not everything West Coast becomes the rage in the Midwest or the East Coast.) So, if you recall that in 1962 neck scarves were so over, it may be that you lived in a part of the country where they were! That doesn't mean they were over EVERYWHERE at the EXACT same time. I think the series is good and really, I don't pay all that much attention to the fashions. I too was around in the 60s and old enough to remember a lot of what went on but I am sure there were things that eluded me because I was not watching EVERY front! I am sure there are things that escaped me (it all depends on what age you were at the time, i.e., a child, high school, young career person, parent, etc.), thus I think those who nit-pick at the fashion and sets, may have forgotten some think of the era. Memory fades over time regardless of what we like to believe; we all like to believe we remember EVERYTHING clearly, and in actuality, we don't because so much time has elapsed. And since I did NOT work in a Madison Avenue ad agency (or any office) back then, I don't really know what was going on in THOSE venus. I was in school and let's face it, school and the working world both offer a DIFFERENT set of fashion standards. Ditto for housewives (today's stay-at-home moms) and those women out in the working world. It depends on what "world" one is living in, not so much the era. That is why Betty Draper dresses COMPLETELY differently from Joan Holloway. In addition, Peggy is from a lower class than some of the others, and she is not making a ton of money. Someone mentioned that she has worn the SAME dress for two years. Oh my, perish the thought! This is supposed to be a women who is very young, working her way up, and probably doesn't have all the money in the world for a lavish wardrobe. I worked in a VERY HIGH CLASS area of the country at one time (back in the 70s) and believe me, that was at a time when we had never hear the words "Casual Friday" uttered. Anyway, some of us really dressed to the nines and others did not; it all depended on what are position within the company was (and some higher ups often did not dress as well as those who were lower on the totem pole). Some people were supporting families too, and didn't have a ton of money to spend on their own wardrobe. And now, Peggy may have a child to support, we don't yet know. So, let's enjoy the series for the entertainment value, the good acting, the intrigue, the flair, and stop trying to find every little ERROR we can. That can really take away from the overall enjoyment, I think. And keep in mind, what you THINK you remember clearly (come on, people, 1962 was 46 years ago!), you may find you don't remember as clearly as you are CONVINCED you do! It's like November 22, 1963. For those of us old enough on that date to have remembered it "clearly," try taking a quiz on the various aspects of it; the smaller details (not who killed Kennedy); the nuances, the fine points. You might find that your memory is NOT what you think it to be!

MadMenMaude wrote: "...Faran, you want to write about fashion on "Mad Men," do you homework. Who cares that Marc Jacobs could dress Peggy. Let's talk about what 1960s designers the show is referencing and why. There are very specific choices being made..."

Put my name on that petition! I agree completely...It was clear that the writer was trying to be 'clever' in the article and avoid discussing fashion. Instead, she revealed her lack of fashion knowledge when she referred to Peggy's attire as 'jumpers.' I hope our next weekly addition of Fashion File leaves the witty banter behind and instead, provides perspective without filling space with facetious comments about the advanced fashion sense of Betty's daughter.

Greytone, I love you. Faran is writing this blog as if it is an appendage of Fashionista (her other snark on fashion blog), which it is not. I expect next week she will explain to us that a modern day Peggy would shop at Forever 21 (the horror, the horror) while Betty is now a Bergdorf blonde. Yawn.

There is so much going on with fashion in this show and it is so exciting that people are TALKING about the fashion in this show. This blog is such a disappointment.

I am so tired of nuances and someone's "take" or
interpretation of something. There is no end to the
material available on 60's fashion that an "interpretation" is unnecessary. I too grew up during that time and remember it as it was not as it might have been.
If the show can be written so brilliantly,why can't the fashion be pinpoint correct?

http://www.enotes.com/sixties-america-primary-sources/helen-gurley-brown

"Dress for Success" was written in 1962 and was the Bible for us career women. I was 23 and an established programmer for the Southeastern Distributor for Armstrong and 150 car part lines. Mostly men of course, so I made sure to wear the Chanel suits with a classic cut and straight skirts with blouses with big bows.
And if we wanted to be 'daring' and flirtatious we wore the blouse with the top buttons unbuttoned, carefully leaning over to show the cleavage. Peggy's sweaters are entirely too tight, by the way. Only floozies wore them that way. The rule was that the sweater fell straight from the point of your boobs to your waist line, not curing inward. Neither was the skirt to curve in below you butt.

The producers should get a copy of this book, because women all over this country used it as a reference for what to wear and what not to wear in the 60s. Bee-hives were beginning to come in, but the flip was definitely in, a la Gidget.

Strange, this series apes the era in that the men are writing this from THEIR perspective, with any input from women seeming to come from women who weren't there, just read about the 60s. God help them if they actually sought input from those of us who were there, living this in various forms.

P.S. I gave up being a housewife in '62, because the coffee-klatch conversations on the best soap to wash your diapers with drove me crazy. 4 years of college gave me the intellectual stimulation I wasn't getting from these housewives, so I headed for my career.....still pursuing it: software engineering.

It was a little later but remember Marlo Thomas' flip in "That Girl"? She had the best flip of all! As an aside, I read about her and "Don" (Hollinger, her boyfriend on the show)---Ted Bessell---were lovers off camera as well...and more. According to her they were pretty sexual esp. for the times, and as everyone knows Anne and Don never "did it" on the show...Anne Marie was always the professional virgin a la Doris Day. And after they broke up, she said the women connected with the show benefited from "Ted's eye for the ladies" he evidently was a stud from all accounts. Just a 60's memory. All us teen age girls watched her show every week to see her cute (we thought!) outfits!

anyone have an idea where a man can buy the kinds of suits and ties that they have on the show - at a reasonable price that is? they're back in style but I would want them anyway

thanks

scfan: I was a huge fan of That Girl with Marlo Thomas, but I NEVER EVER EVER recall her - or anyone - stating anything CLOSE to the effect that she and Ted Bessell were romantically linked off the show. He was married and the father of two children. Thomas was a total women's libber and came from a VERY strict Catholic background. In fact, in interviews on the That Girl CD's, she states she loved Bessell like a brother, and NEVER hinted there was anything more than this. She stated they were good friends and their chemistry was right on the show. And really,the show was anything but an advertisement for sexual tension! It was so utterly tame it wasn't to be believed! I liked it but to believe that a grown man and woman would be able to date for what, five years, and NEVER sleep with one another (come on, they stayed at an inn at one point when their friends were getting married, and she made up the shower for him to sleep in!). That is hardly risque! Bessell was by all accounts a family man, so I don't know where the ladies man thing came from. Bessell, of course, is now gone, but I don't think there was ANYTHING going on romantically off screen between he and Thomas, at least not from the many interviews with Thomas that I have both seen and read.

Sally's dress was too short in episode 1, season 2. Not to nitpick, but I was Sally's age in 1962 and our dresses ( prior to 1965 ) were no shorter than just above the knee. If your dress was shorter than that, it meant you outgrew your clothes and your parents couldn't afford to buy you new ones .... or mom was too lazy to let down the hem. You'd no more go to school in a dress that was too short than you'd go in your pajamas. Also, a lot of women took up horseback riding during the Camelot years, due to Jackie Kennedy. They may have worn riding pants, boots and a sweater, but the riding habit ( blazer, etc. ) was never worn for a lesson. It would have been viewed as pretentious.

I'd love to see men ( and all business people ) "dress" again. When I go into an office and see golf shirts and khakis, It leaves me cold. It does not look professional. And I'm sorry, ladies, but tank tops, hip-riding skirts, greasy hair pulled up in a hair clip and bare legs in sandals looks tacky at the office. If nothing else, maybe "Mad Men" will have an effect on how career people present themselves. One other thing ... no matter how closely clipped, a beard ( and in most cases, a mustache ) would not have been accepted at the office prior to 1970. As men grew their sideburns to Edwardian length, facial hair became more accepted in the workplace.

FK was referring to the clothes Peggy wore as 'jumpers' because of her memory of what she wore in Episode 2. (This blog was posted after Episode 1, and I was pretty vocal about the gaffe.)

Indeed, Peggy wore an dowdy jumper to her mother's house and I think it was probably chosen for a specific reason other than its visual appeal. When I saw it (and the kitchen where her sister and mother sat) my mind immediately flashed to the movie, "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn." Anyone else see that similarity?

Ad Age ran an article today called, "Mad Men as Fashion Muse." Apparently the show has even inspired Michael Kors' new fall fashion line. What an impact this show has created! Check out the article at http://adage.com/article?article_id=130074

I was a model in L.A. during the 60's, dating and in love with a married ad man from Foote.Cone & Belding in NY. This series has certainly refreshed some long-forgotten memories.

As for the clothing styles...the only gals who wore tight sweaters and short skirts were considered cheap. We were just coming out of the Dior era of maxi lengths and the hemlines had leveled off at
the knee. There were a few full-skirted hangovers
('scuse the pun).with copious petticoats but most silhouettes were A-line, straight or slightly full.
Halter necklines, empire waists and sleeveless shirts tied at the waist were big. Chiffons and beaded gowns and the little black dress for cocktails. I traveled to NY for work often but as I recall, it wasn't until the late 60's, early 70's that hemlines started to rise. For evening, tiny, whiimsical cocktail hats were in vogue...always with gloves.

To see Peggy dressed up at home in the suburbs perspiring in the heat, looks completely out of place. I knew and visited NY suburban women in their homes. They wore sportswear.

As for those crazy ad men. Their outer appearance was pure button-down.ivy league.
Take off the clothes and they were indeed a bit mad.

>> When I saw it (and the kitchen where her sister and mother sat) my mind immediately flashed to the movie, "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn." Anyone else see that similarity?

Well, maybe closer to "A Catered Affair" or "Marty." It was a typical kitchen from any apartment in Brooklyn, Bronx, Jersey City, Union, Bayonne, etc. This is how the average pre-"white flight" working-class city dweller lived. After the Newark riots, there was a mass exodus to Staten Island and New Jersey. The Garden State Parkway became the 1960s Oregon Trail. lol

Let's face it ... the fashion is the best thing about this show. Costume designer Janie Bryant breaks down the style of each character in Valet magazine's feature, including some cool behind the scene secrets ... Dressing the Part: Inside the Stylish World of Mad Men.

My only comment on this suject is....I love the neatly folded hankie in the pocket of the men's suit coat. I remember my dad wearing his like that. Good times!!!!

MicheleK:
I agree with you about the need for professionals to "dress". I hate casual Fridays. They should call it Tacky Friday instead. The fashion world jumped the shark for me when that women's athletic team visited the White House and some of them were wearing flip-flops. MM is the perfect example of how our society lost it's taste and civility when it became so casual. I know I act differently when I'm wearing a dress, hosiery, high heels. I act like I care about my appearance. If I'm out wearing jeans my demeanor is completely different. I've been wearing a classic, preppy style for a while because I like to look lady-like. I swear people treat you differntly. Men open doors, help with packages, etc. My absolute favorite look right now are bateau sheath dresses in wool jersey or boucle cotton or wool. I wore a black sheath dress with Hermes like scarf and diamond stud earrings, I got compliments all day long from clients, co-workers and strangers. I live in central Calilfornia and it's 8:45 pm and it's still 100 degrees outside and I still wear pantyhose because I think it's the professional and lady-like thing to do. Saks Fifth Avenue has examples of smart sheath dresses. Look at David Meister's waffle pique bow dress. Too die for. $244, a bargain at Sak's, but perfectly adorable, lady-like and so MM. I'm a hat wearer and am planning to start dressing up more often. I'm really looking forward to wearing my gloves on days other than Christmas and Easter. We have to take back fashion and look like ladies and gentlemen. I hope good manners come back to. Loved Don in the elevator. "Take off your hat". He was raised right.

I Had a job in the early sixties and one of my co-workers was the youngest - she wore short skirts which were beginning to catch on with young women. Unusual? Yes, but then Kennedy was elected that same year - earlier than 62. The mini caught on pretty quickly after that.

By real fashion:
"Also, what's with Peggy's ponytail, forget the bangs? No one, absolutely no one, would still have had a ponytail in 1962, just variations of teased hair."

The Barbie dolls from 1961-62 had bangs and ponytails - just like Peggy. I think we have to consider there is quite an age difference between Peggy (probably late teens/early 20's), Betty (late 20's) and Joan (as we just found out in the latest episode, early 30's). I can see Peggy wearing bangs and ponytails at her age for that time - just coming out of her teens and starting to "grow up". Betty and Joan have teased hair updos which would be appropriate for their age and level of sophistication.

Wow, you people know your stuff! I watched my first episode of Mad Men this week. Great work. I just wanted to give Faran my support for her efforts to bridge the fashion in Mad Men to current fashion designs.

Can't we all just appreciate the costume design in Mad Men for what it is, a contemporary interpretation of fashion of the 1960s? The mid-20th century musical films of Oklahoma, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, the King and I, and many others are only interpretations of historic fashion. Do I enjoy the movies any less? Absolutely not. In fact, I find the grossly inaccurate costume of the musicals rather charming. Mad Men is not a show about fashion, if it were, I would expect a lot more precision. Besides, it's television entertainment...not a thoroughly researched museum exhibition.