The Mad Men Fashion File - Polka Dot Frocks and Priestly Lunchboxes
Mad Men Lesson One: If you're going to have a meltdown, it may as well be in a polka-dotted spaghetti strap party dress. At least that's the case for Betty Draper, who manages to choose exactly the wrong thing to wear when saying what's exactly right. Actually, that dress was interesting for several reasons:
1. The silhouette was still very traditional, but the colors were a big push forward for Betty D.
2. The silhouette was very sexy but the colors were very innocent and childlike.
3. The fabric was very expensive, but the overall effect was cheap.
And that means something brilliant is going on here: The dress is completely ambivalent, pulling at both the past and the future, at luxury and misery, at reality and lies. In a way, the dress transcends the scene to represent Betty herself -- comfortable but uneasy, scared but bold, innocent but jaded. Really, the dress is saying "Should I stay or should I go?" Unfortunately, Betty herself won't be able to say that for another 20 years, since the Clash didn't write those lyrics until 1981. But I guess that's the way it goes.
Also, I hope you noticed the other wives at that dinner party -- between the neon plastic jewelry and the wallpaper prints on their dresses, I think it's safe to say we've taken a big step into a new world, at least where wardrobes are concerned.
Meanwhile, Peggy Olson went back to her schoolgirl outfits (boo!) for a few meetings with Father Gill, and if you weren't distracted by Colin Hanks himself (cutie!), you were probably pulled out of the scene by his amazing "briefcase," black with a giant cross painted on it, and small and square like a lunch box. I've no doubt that thing was historically accurate, but I'd also like to direct everyone to Gaultier's couture collection in '98 and Versace's ready to wear line, also from '98, because guess what? That thing was remade into accessories and prints and sold for like a thousand dollars to Madonna wannabes everywhere. If you can find it vintage, buy it, flaunt it, love it. Also love this: That ambivalence represented in Betty's dress? It came up again in Father Gill's speech to Peggy about reconciling with God. It's cute when a priest flirts with a parishioner by telling her to confess, right? But more exciting is the way the dialogue can mirror the costumes and their themes.
Finally, let's take a quick look at Jane Siegel, whose color palette has reverted straight back to nursery colors. In fact, her breasts look almost swaddled in her fuzzy blue sweater, and this can mean one of two things: She's staying far away from Joan's jewel-toned signature style to get off her back, so to speak, and retreat from being a threat. Or, more likely / more fun (circle one), she's subverting the colors of youth to show Joan that she can be totally and completely replaced by someone younger and less shaped by the working world, and by something that now seems inevitable: Corporate ambition. Wonder how Joan's stuffed bra will edge her into that boardroom now...
Joan's bra ain't "stuffed"---that's all "Joan" in there.
Oh...Faran, maybe you meant her bra IS stuffed---with her...huh?
I love Betty--- but that dress!...it looked like she mugged a clown, stole his suit, took it to her Singer & cut it up & sewed herself a "sundress" (the word we used to use for that style) out of the fabric!
I have to say, everyone on Basket of Kisses LOVED Betty's dress. There was much drooling.
Well, I liked the dress. It looked very blonde and Doris Dayish. I suspect, however, it went the way of the dining room chair as Betty most likely shredded it after the "lovely" evening she spent in it. No way would she want to wear it ever again. Gee, add in the blue gown she barfed all over, and she is definitely going to have to go shopping for more evening wear.
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I loved Betty's dress too. It was a Doris Day romantic comedy style dress.
Looks like I'm outnumbered--I will say the style was pretty--just didnt' care for the fabric/colors--it would have been beautiful in a smaller scale print--or even the turquoise of those dots in a print-- or even a turquoise solid organza-type fabric...not a fashion expert so don't go by me. ha
I love that dress!
@scfan: you are a fashion expert! Vogue mag is going nuts over these styles (of Betty's) trust me- these are retro cool. I would wear it in a second!
I have an issue with most of the fashions chosen for this show. The carachter playing the Catholic girl looks more like 1952 instead of 1962. Hair & hats all wrong. I sometimes wonder if anyone over 40 is employed in the production. The scripts often utilize use less than accurate vernacular-- i.e., "stereo" instead of the more accurate "hi-fi". Also, many of the actresses would greatly benefit from some voice coaching. Their nasaly, clipped and rapid manner of speech is not at all period. I know Mad Men won an Emmy this evening, but to those of us who lived through this period, the historic inaccuracies are glaring.
I have an issue with most of the fashions chosen for this show. The carachter playing the Catholic girl looks more like 1952 instead of 1962. Hair & hats all wrong. I sometimes wonder if anyone over 40 is employed in the production. The scripts often utilize less than accurate vernacular-- i.e., "stereo" instead of the more accurate "hi-fi". Also, many of the actresses would greatly benefit from some voice coaching. Their nasaly, clipped and rapid manner of speech is not at all period. I know Mad Men won an Emmy this evening, but to those of us who lived through this period, the historic inaccuracies are glaring.
I'm crazy-wild about this polka dot dress! I want it-It's killer. I would wear it in a New York second. One of the reasons I love this show are the retro styles. I love the chiffon, taffeta. organza, satin,cotton, and wool dresses that accentuate the waist. I remember my mom wore them then and as a child, I couldn't wait to grow up to dress just like her, but alas times changed to micro-minis, hot pants, loud plaids and prints, polyester double-knit, platform shoes, prairie dresses..all-horrible.
There is a cliche- (paraphrasing) a woman's dress should be tight enough to show that you're a woman and loose enough to show that you're a lady.
Fr. Gill's so-called lunch box is a communion kit. He takes communion to people who are not able to get to church.
The polka-dotted dress was awesome! Who could pull that off but Betts?! It was appropriate and well suited for her. It's a party dress with the colorful dots, childlike but yet classy which really describes poor Betty. She had taken this dinner party so seriously and sadly enough at the end, it made her more neurotic than ever.