In all of my seventy-plus years here on Earth I have never heard of a "pussy bow"...it sounds vulgar! If you are referring to the ribbon around her hair then just say so.
I do think it's time for Peggy to discard her hair ribbons and get a shorter, more becoming hairdo. JMHO

Patio soda, not Pepsi.
Thanks for correcting the Kitty/Trudy error.

I think they are referring to the bow around her neck. I think Peggy will come around when she moves to Manhattan. Her new roommate will not work out, too much conflict of personality. As for Peggy's family's poor wardrobe choices, their house is rather dark, so maybe they just don't notice. I think Sal's wife is starting to get some sort of clue, maybe she can't quite put her finger on it, but her husband isn't like other husbands.

Hey! I think they mean those bows Peggy wears around her neck. I've heard them called "kitty bows." I hope the new roomie gets Peggy loosed up! This should be fun! Also, I think Sal's wife was shocked at the fact her husband is gay!!

Kitty was wearing baby doll pajamas not a teddy. Don't remember anyone talking about a teddy in those days. Baby dolls were quite daring but of course they had to have panties to match. Costumes are great and I love how they mirror the character.

Patio was the name of Diet Pepsi before it was just called Diet Pespi. So Faran was not far off. I agree, it is the bow around Peggy's neck. And vulgarity is in the mind of the thinker.

I feel Peggy (aka Margaret) will have a difficult timw with her roommate. Not because the roomie will turn out to be crazy-wild roomate but because it would be too difficult Peggy to come out of the thick shell she likes to crawl into. I'm no expert in the medical field but I sense a touch of a borderline personalty disorder with Peggy. Whatever the case, it will definitely be interesting......

If Peggy was borderline, she would be stalking Pete and holding the baby over his head, not letting them both go. I think Peggy's just wound up like an 8 day clock. She's just trying to succeed in a man's world while trying to find her own way. Hard enough in today's society where a woman can do what she wants, let alone with all the expectations placed on women back then.

Ok it's a very small thing - really too small to be important - but since the Swede/Norwegian thing was brought up...
If Peggy is Norwegian, then her last name would be spelled with an 'e' since the name means Ol's Son, which in Norwegian is spelled 'sen' - i.e. Olsen. One other thing that puzzles me is that they are Catholic - which seems odd given that the vast majority of Norwegians are Lutheran. Of course, they are American-Norwegian and so could have converted - but why?

Talking about Fashion, I am SINCERELY HOPING that you will bring the unique, intelligent and incredible RACHEL MENKENS back into Season 3 et al, her character was superb and her relationship with Don Draper, INCOMPARABLE!

Fashion File is much improved this season. You have done your homework and it shows!

oldsoul, Oh my gosh. My mother was borderline and I was married to a borderline (what a surprise, eh?) So I have a little experience with them. Peggy is not borderline.

78, oh yes. Rachel Katz nee Menken had style. I hope to see her this season.

I have enjoyed watching Peggy's wardrobe change over the past three seasons. She has wonderful posture and an air of confidence.

Peggy is not borderline ~ she's tragically repressed! You guys obviously weren't there in the 60s and how it was for protected little Catholic girls from the 'burbs!

the norwegian/catholic thing came up on another one of these blogs. it seems that since most nors were lutheran. those who were catholic were oppressed and many came to usa

- Brilliant opening question, Fashion File. And I too am excited about a Karen/Peggy bunk-up.

[Peg o' my heart!]

About the "Baby Doll" pj's: Don't know where that label came from-- (don't think it was the movie "Baby Doll" with Laurence Harvey and Carol Baker) -- but the label is 100% accurate. "Baby Dolls" were indeed the sexist thing in bedroom attire in the 60's, at least among the middle class. I know because my oldest sister had several "sets" for her honeymoon.

As the "pair" Trudy is wearing shows, they were of a filmey, nylon-ey, or chiffon-type material, the top often "runched" or gathered around a low neckline, and then dropping loose to about mid-to-upper-thigh length. The "panty" part of them was of the same material, elastized at the wasteline and around the "legs". The length of the bottom "panties" was very short --( thus the "sexiness" of the style) --allowing the top to hang loose, and flowing as though the wearer had nothing on underneath. But, make no mistake, these were sold as two-piece "baby doll pj's" -- not as teddys (as has been pointed out) or short nightgowns--which didn't exist at the time.

my sister wore baby dolls, i don't think[?] she mean't to be sexy in them, she was still a teen and wore them in front of her dad and bros. they weren't as frilly but that's exactly what they were called. trudy wore some last season. they may have even been the same color as kitty's. odd color for sexy night wear.

Roszie - I agree 100%. "Pussy bow" does sound vulgar. I may not be all of 70, but I too had not heard it until now. And trust me, those bows were the "ties" of women in corporate America in the '80s. I even remember tying one as a man's tie instead of a bow and thought I was fashion forward. I do like how they are dressing Peggy in a bow-front blouse on every episode. Shows her keen interest in making it fashion-wise in a man's world.

Lundgren - perfect analysis! I too thought that about the Lutheran/Catholic thing for a Norwegian, but then all the Norwegians with "sen" last names I've ever known lived in the midwest.

As for the clash of colors and patterns for the Olson women: spot on! My grandmothers, mother, and aunts (my mom had 9 sisters) all had "housecoats" and aprons very much in those styles. Often made from fabric scraps from other clothes patterns, they were pieced together to be colorful in their own right. But most often they were worn over other patterned clothes and the end result was hodge-podge. To me it says "working class woman." Great costume detail. They were a woman's apparel staple in the homes I knew as a kid.

I don't know, those bows Peggy's been wearing lately look like orchestra bows and were last worn in the 80's.

In the kitchen with her pattern-challenged mother, Peggy seems out of place in her drab, monotone frock with even darker bow tie. One might not suspect that she is at home here.

On the other hand, the picture of Peggy and Duck displays absolute color coordination. Duck's turtleneck matches Peggy's tie; and his jacket coordinates with Peggy's outfit. That the colors are "off colors" and different from those of others we see sets the two off in their own world for that short time.

I wonder if this too-well color-coordinated pair will become partners in crime? Have more in common than we know? Is there a message here?

Afterall, Duck does see an affinity between Pete and Peggy.

Lundgren......not always true that "-sen" is Norwegian and "-son" is Swedish.

I'm Norwegian, and my family is Peterson, Olson, Larson, Mathiason, and Engebretsen.

Thankful too have found a 'fashion comment' page for MADMEN. A few weeks ago the show had Peggy listing personal items she had to buy on a budget. She mentioned PANTYHOSE. To the best of my recollection, pantyhose were not on the market (available) until the year 1969. I was either in 5th or 6th grade at the time. Believe it or not, women, teen and pre-teen girls all wore pantygirdles...wether we need them or not...with stockings. The pantygirdles were short with clips for holding up the stockings. Little girls sometimes wore tights in 1963-1964, as I recall. Tights in different colors were in style around 1966 and came into vogue with the miniskirt. Tights are not sheer like pantyhose.

Yeah, marlene1tx, I thought the same thing about the pantyhose. I think you and I are about the same age. I know my sisters wore either a panty girdle or a garter belt (not a Fredericks of Hollywood sexy number!) to hold up their stockings until the late 60's. I'm not sure what year, but you could get tights because we had them although they did not contain lycra and were ill fitting and droopy around the knees and ankles. I definitely remember seeing Peggy putting on pantyhose at the start of either For Those Who Think Young or Maidenform last season.
I went on a website a few weeks ago because I was thinking the same as you, and it said that pantyhose were invented so women could wear mini skirts. I don't remember the address for the website, but I got there by doing a Bing search with the words fashions of the early sixties.
Janie Bryant is usually so thorough in her research, but this is not the only time I've thought she was off by a few years. Definately in last week's episode with Miss Farrell's late 70's running shorts and rolled up sleeves on her tee.