The Style Evolution of the Women of Mad Men - Fashionista

The Style Evolution of the Women of Mad Men

To say we're looking forward to new episodes of Mad Men would be a bit of an understatement. We're obsessed with the genius character and plot development, the subtle yet on-point commentary on the shifting society of 1960s America, flawless period set designs, and oh, yeah, the clothes. Since the AMC series began in 2007, the fashion of Mad Men has made an undeniable cultural impact-- more than four decades after the styles were originally popular. The past several seasons of runway shows have seen more than a few designers heavily inspired by the retro drama, and series costume designer Janie Bryant has put out two extremely well received Mad Men collections at Banana Republic. But the fashion of Mad Men isn't just about the time period. As the lives and stories of Don, Betty, Peggy, Joan, and Sally change and expand, so do their styles. In anticipation of Season 5's premiere this Sunday night (which we've literally been waiting for our entire lives), we've taken a look back at some of our favorite Mad woMen through the years, from the early '60s onwards. We can't wait to see how Mad Men mania pans out as the 1970s creep up-- but you can bet we'll all be talking about it (and teasing our hair and wearing pencil skirts and winged liner) come Monday morning!
Author:
Publish date:
Image Title1

To say we're looking forward to new episodes of

Image Title2

As Betty Draper Francis (

Image Title3

Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) goes through the most noticeable physical (and occupational) changes throughout the series. Starting out Season 1 as Don Draper's lowly new secretary, Peggy sports a mousy ponytail and outdated silhouettes. In spite of the naysayers (and there are a lot of them!) and a ridiculously secretive pregnancy, she manages to rise quickly in the ranks at the Sterling Cooper agency, first becoming a copywriter and is eventually promoted to the creative department at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Peggy's style evolution reflects her personal growth as well as the changing times: Her pony gives way to a teased bouffant, her outfits start to actually match, and she even rocks the odd pillbox hat.

Image Title4

Joan Holloway Harris (Christina Hendricks), the femme fatale office manager at SCDP, has the most unchanging style of the lead characters in Mad Men. Her wardrobe seems to reflect that "If it ain't broke" mentality: Her clothes are always extremely sexy, fitted, and often constructed of wool or ponte, and

Image Title5

Sally Draper (Kiernan Shipka), the daughter of Don and Betty, has really started to come into her own. As her character gained importance in the second season, her changing style followed suit. Sally started out as a typical little kid with a seemingly awful mother-- how sad does she look in that nightgown! But by season 4, Sally had chopped off her hair and started wearing little shift dresses. And began seeing a therapist, because, clearly, people who cut their own hair are mentally unstable.

Related Stories

Primary Photo
Style

Mad Men Style Recap

Last night's season premiere of Mad Men took the show into the future: November 1964, to be exact. So, how much has changed since 1963? A lot. From the newer, brighter offices to Peggy's peppy hairstyle and pearls, the look of the show has changed dramatically. Let's start with Don, Mad Men's troubled hero. Last season he was the poster boy for success, perfect suits, perfect hair, perfect bone structure. That last bit may remain the same, but his style is in the dumps. Don's opening look, the suit to define a season, was dark blue with a coordinating, diagonally striped tie in blue tones. Next to Roger's gray three piece and Pete's black suit, Don's blue number read a little weak. And the tie read kooky. Not the luxe look we've come to expect from Mr. Draper. Don spends the rest of the episode changing between similar suits and some red and blue long sleeved polo shirts that leave him looking haggard. Perhaps it's the worry in Don's face that is killing his glamor. (Or the darkness of his West Village apartment that creates a literal five o'clock shadow over everything.) We're hoping that Don gets himself back together, no more hookers or yelling at clients; though "So well built, we can't show you the second floor," is among the greatest tag lines of all time. But on to the ladies.

Primary Photo
Style

The Ladies Of Mad Men: A Style Evolution

Since Mad Men hit the air in 2007, it feels like half of the praise the show receives is about its stunning--and stunningly accurate--costumes. And if you read our Mad Men Style Recaps, you know we're big fans of the woman behind those wares, costume designer Janie Bryant. But while we've documented the on-air style of Mad Men's women quite regularly, we've been fairly quiet about what they wear off screen. Thus, in honor of last night's season finale, we've tracked the evolution of their red carpet style.

Primary Photo
Style

Mad Men Style Recap, Episode 2

It's Christmas on Mad Men, and as this episode's title proclaims, "Christmas Comes But Once a Year." You'd expect everyone to be jolly with seasonal cheer, but this is Mad Men, so, naturally, everything takes a darker turn. Don spirals deeper into his alcoholism and depression, the former Draper residence gets egged, and the rest of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce works to deal with clients' requests and each other. The fashion on Mad Men is changing, and fast; women are leaving behind their New Look silhouettes for slimmer, shorter options, and men are experimenting more with suiting. Hair is higher and shorter, and large, statement jewelry plays a starring role. Everything is modernizing inside Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Everything except Don.

Primary Photo
Style

Mad Men Style Recaps, Episodes 8 and 9

It's been a while since our last Mad Men Style Recap--blame New York, London, and Milan Fashion Week--so this week we're combining the last two episodes into one. Look for the Episode 10 recap tomorrow afternoon. Starting with episode eight, The Summer Man, Mad Men took a turn away from debauchery towards mild mannered manliness. The episode opens with Don diving into a swimming pool in creme trunks, a literal fresh start for Mad Men's tragic hero. Cut to Don sitting in his Waverly Place apartment in a brown plaid shirt and khaki pants writing in his diary about how he's going to get his life back on track. Mad Men has been cheesy before (I'm thinking of the flashbacks that always ended with a stern, troubled, vaguely wistful look on Don's face.), but seeing Don write in a diary was almost too much to believe. But it happened, leaving Don's voiceover to continue throughout the episode. Adding to this episode's cringeworthy moments was the scene of Don leaving the sports club looking more dapper than ever while the Rolling Stone's "Satisfaction" played. Cinematic it was, but it felt more like a scene from a 1960s parody movie than a scene from a serious, detail-oriented drama set in 1965. But there's a lesson to be learned in every scene of Mad Men, this one being if Mick Jagger and Keith Richards can't get no satisfaction on the amount of drugs and alcohol they're using, there's no hope for the rest of us. Don straightens out in slim gray suit pants, and skinny black tie, and gold framed sunglasses, while all types of people pass him by, from sailor to new mother. The rest of Don's plot line, however, is incredibly well done. From his date with Bethany, where he runs into Betty looking like a cross between the neighborhood wives in Edward Scissorhands and Dior Resort 2011 with Oscar SS11 hair in a seafoam green mini dress with accent beading, to his later date with Faye who looks stunning in a bright green patterned dress, Don handles himself calmly and like a proper gentleman. His date with Bethany is a formal affair: Don wears a black suit and Bethany dons a blue-toned, full-skirted floral dress, and crystal earrings and bracelet, until they take a cab home and it gets frisky fast. more Whereas Bethany is a society bred, sexually daring version of Betty, Faye is the mob connected, brainy Betty that Don truly desires. Their date develops quickly into meaningful conversation and is instantly more relaxed form the start. Don gives Faye his creme plaid jacket, the same jacket he gave to Stephanie in a previous episode. Faye doesn't get (give?) the same happy ending that Bethany does, because Don is working on his upstanding gentleman image. It turns out just fine for Faye in the next episode, I now know, but less great for that lamp....