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Fashion File: August 23, 2009 - August 29, 2009

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The Mad Men Fashion File - Ingenues vs. Matrons

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It's two seconds after the opening credits, and Matt Weiner's already giving us a major new archetype. She's Ann-Margret, the star of Bye Bye Birdie whose appealing persona could be called "bombshell ingenue" -- or in Peggy Olson's words, a woman who can "be 25 and act 14." That even Ann-Margret herself was quiet and withdrawn in public just adds to the idea that these "dream women" can't exist, and the women of Mad Men are caught more than ever between who they are and who their men want them to be.

With the Swedish starlet comes new clothing references, new makeup choices, and yet another unobtainable aesthetic -- impossible youth. Referencing Ann-Margret marks a major departure from last year's standards: Sexpot Marilyn Monroe, no-nonsense goddess Jackie Kennedy, and the spotlessly glam Grace Kelly. Actually, Grace gets a name-drop from Roger Sterling when Betty Draper visits the office. "Hey look," he quips when he spots her. "Princess Grace just swallowed a basketball!" And we can't really argue -- Betty's dazzling sheath dress is red carpet-ready, as usual, but this time instead of a diamond bracelet, her standout accessory is her stomach.

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Posted by Faran Krentcil
August 26, 2009 10:30pm

Filed under: Fashion File

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