Of course in the Mad Men world, it's the plain brown box that holds all the secrets. It's not fancy. It's not expensive. In fact, what makes it special -- besides its contents -- is that it's been locked up. But from the outside, it looks exactly as it should. Nothing special. Just a box.

The same idea could be applied to the characters and their clothes this episode -- Betty sporting not one, but three cashmere twin sets. Nothing special; just a housewife. Peggy in her muted pussy bow ensembles is equally unassuming. And even when the women dress up, it's something we've seen before... Oh look, there's Mrs. Draper looking like Grace Kelly. Beautiful, yes, but at this point, it's almost easy to gloss over. Even Suzanne Farrell's unique accessory (the foil star on her cheek) is really just an accident. Give it fifteen years and maybe Sally Draper will be wearing one on purpose in a disco.

Still, certain costume pieces also betray their owners at various points in the story. Peggy Olson's scarf during the Aqua Net skit isn't just a prop; it's the Hermes prize from Duck Phillips. That scarf was a bribe to leave her job, and yet she's using it to do her job better. I was laughing pretty hard at that. Paul Kinsey's jacket, and later his tie, have the same going-against-him feel: He wants attention for his work, but the busy checks on his blazer make it impossible to focus on anything except his crazy outfit. Seriously, Paul, I wouldn't have been able to remember anything either if I'd had to keep looking down at that coat...

Betty's dress for the Sterling Cooper anniversary party had a print with a distinctly wallpaper-ish pattern, as did the pillbox hat in an earlier scene on Mrs. "Send Me Back to London!" Pryce. Both women dress, literally, to blend in but don't... or perhaps won't. This is clearly evident in Betty's none-too-happy expression at the gala -- a sea of beautiful and happy-colored clothes: Trudy Campbell's mermaid tones and beaded bodice, Jane's over-the-top hot pink silk. Betty's not just fighting against the urge to hit her husband; she's fighting against a giant sea of beaming sequins! No wonder she looks like she wants to shake someone. She's a lot like the secret box: exactly as it should be on the outside, but potentially explosive within.