Talking Mad "The Strategy"

After what many perceived to be a lackluster episode 5, this past week Mad Men responded with what could very well be one of the best episode the series has ever aired.  "The Strategy" provided so much interaction between so many characters, delving into story lines that had gone quiet and giving us some of the most heartfelt scenes  the series has ever produced.  Needless to say, I am so pumped for 10pm!

Need to catch up before then?  Listen to "The Strategy" Podcast

This week had some really great looks, but my favorite had to be Megan's purple crochet dress set.  I loved everything about this look; from the bag and shoes, to the hair fall and all the rings.  Say what you will about the likeness of Megan, but Janie Bryant sure does dress her to the nines each week.  hands down, the look of the week.

Speaking of which, many people, including Tom and Lorenzo, weren't big fans of Joan's blue look above.  I personally love this "relaxed" type look for Joan.  It's very period correct for a woman of her age and situation.  Plus, it's the perfect 1969 option for a woman who still wanted to accentuate her hourglass shape -- something Joan has always been conscious of.

Here's a few fashion features I really enjoyed this week:

- Christina Hendricks on her favorite Joan looks

- The Mad Men Fashion File had some really great insights this week, but I do believe that Barbie has made an appearance before, in Season Three when Sally gets a present from Baby Gene.

- Check out the real Burger Chef they used to shoot the scenes

- And I will leave you with this, my favorite scene from last week:

Talking Mad: "The Monolith" and "The Runaways"

| Mona making a return in "The Monolith."  She wins best look of the week for Episode 4 |

Sorry I missed last week's Talking Mad.  But to make up for it, I have not one, but two podcasts to share with you guys this week!  Tobi (of Space Lion) and I shared our thoughts on both "The Monolith and "The Runaways" respectively.

LISTEN TO "THE MONOLITH" PODCAST

| Megan in an amazing vintage Pucci dress which Janie Bryant temporarily shortened (it can be seen tucked up).  She wins best dressed this week |

In just two episode's time, a lot has happened.

-Peggy got a big raise
-Don's back at the office
-Pete might have gotten SC&P Burger Chef
-the office gets a computer
-Roger spends the night on a commune
-said computer turns Ginsberg crazy
-Ginsberg visits Peggy at home
-Don visits Megan and has a threesome
-Betty stands up to Henry, she speaks Italian, you know!
-Stephanie is back with a bun in the oven
-Sally sword fights with golf clubs
-Lou and Cutler do some scheming in the computer room
-Harry spills the beans to Don about Commander cigarettes
-Don interrupts a meeting
-And Peggy, poor Peggy, gets an unexpected gift in a box

LISTEN TO "THE RUNAWAYS" PODCAST

| I love everything about the way Bryant styled Megan here.  The fall, the eccentric collection of rings, all mixed with the high end Pucci dress |

I have to say, from a fashion standpoint, the last two episodes have been slightly lacking (with the exception of Megan's vintage Pucci dress).  Now, that isn't to say that the costuming hasn't been good, we just haven't gotten a chance to see any of the characters really dress up in some major standout pieces (again with the expiation of the Pucci dress).  It feels like this season has been a bit more on a casual front.  It could be the changing of the times at play, but somehow I remember these characters have a lot more formal events to go to in past seasons.  At least SC&P's secretary pool is making up for some of the other character's slack.

A couple things that didn't make it into the podcasts:

-Tom & Lorenzo point out how many women are wearing pink in "The Runaways" and what this signifies.  Did I mention these guys are genius when it comes to breaking down the fashion meaning in MM?  Check out their "Monolith" recap too.

-It was brought to my attention that Ginsberg's shirt in his final shot resembles a hospital gown -- interesting!

-I believe it was also T&L that pointed out Don's brown suit at the Commander Cigarettes meeting, signaling "tobacco" brown as a way to connect him with the potential clients.  I'd like to add that the last time (and possibly the first time) we saw Don wearing brown was in "Field Trip" when he came back to the office and agreed to play second fiddle to Lou in order to attempt to preserve his position at SC&P.  Might Don's new power color be brown?  I am seeing a possible trend here!

-Get the behind the scenes look at the costumes in "The Monolith" and "The Runaways" 

Talking Mad "Field Trip"

If "Field Trip" proved anything about this season of Mad Men so far is it's clearly all about sandwiches and powerful peter pan collars.  Who knew Don Draper liked such a dull sandwich?  

And Betty?  Well, she's back and pretty pissed about Bobby trading away her sandwich.  Why can't he just love her?  Little does Betty know, Bobby longs for her attention and this is a crushing blow to him. 

Tobi and I had a lot to say about this episode, especially how for both of us it demonstrates Mad Men's commitment to excellence in television. 

LISTEN TO THE "FIELD TRIP" PODCAST

Can we take a moment to talk about Joan?  This outfit is may be the best thing Joan has ever worn -- or at least within the last two season.  Finally, Joan is dressed in something much more trendy and fashion forward while still be conscious of her hourglass shape.  This my friends, is how you do polyester!  I'd love to know if this dress is a vintage piece or something Janie created for Joan.  Unfortunately its origin isn't really mentioned in the fashion file released by AMC.

Also, take note of the use of the peter pan collar.  Bryant has been using this style of collar to signify power within different female characters.  Here, Joan is expressing her stake in SC&P as partner; giving firm orders to Don and citing the financial loss the company would take buying Don out.  If you recall back to last week, Dawn sported a peter pan collar when she stood up to Lou, resulting in an elaborate shuffling of the secretaries, and ultimately giving Dawn a promotion.

Hands down, Joan wins best dressed this week.

All Things Mad Elsewhere

-Need a trip down memory lane?  Esquire breaks down the Madcappiest Moments in Mad Men's History

-Take a look inside some of the MM sets

-Ever wonder how many of SC&P's clients are real companies and which ones are made up?  FiveThirtyEight maps out ever client that Don and the boys have signed

-Ad Age shares some of the real headlines from early 1969

-Have you guys been reading Tom and Lorenzo's fashion break down each week?  If not, I highly recommend it!  Each week they give us a closer look at everyone's getup while also breaking down the meaning behind each look.

And I will leave you with this:

Talking Mad "A Day's Work"

With the second (and third!) episode under its belt, Mad Men is proving that it is just as good as it ever was.  Tobi and I are back to discuss last week's episode, "A Day's Work," in which it was Valentine's Day at the office, although neither Peggy nor Don really seem to get the memo on that one.

Peggy is faced with what seems to her as another slap in the face that she is no longer with Ted, or really with anyone for that matter.  Poor Peggy, last season you stabbed your boyfriend and got dumped in an ambulance and this season your fighting for better work against the awful Lou and mixing up your secretary's flowers for ones from Ted.  Hopefully Peggy will get a break soon!  Also, Shirley gets the outfit of the week award this episode, she had on my favorite outfit in this episode and is clearly a front runner for best dressed in the office.

LISTEN TO "A DAY'S WORK" PODCAST

Meanwhile, Don comes clean to Sally and they share some seriously bonding moments over the last half of the episode.  As a viewer who has always been rooting for Don to have a closer relationship with Sally, this episode was a really treat.

As always, Tobi does an excellent job of linking up to all the pertinent articles and reviews, so head on over to Space Lion to see more about our collective thoughts on episode 2. 

Talking All Things Mad is Back!!

| Tobi (Space Lion Creator) and I all Mad Men yourself-ed |

That's right!  With the seventh season of Mad Men back on that air, I'm back to my weekly podcasts with Tobi of Space Lion.

Listen to the "Time Zones" Podcast

Overall, I really enjoyed the season opener, although I think part of my excitement was induced by the Purple Wedding earlier that evening on Game of Thrones. I like that this season picks up a lot sooner than pervious seasons, eliminating the need for a lot of necessary catch up/back story in the season opener.

Tobi links to most of the relevant articles circling on the web, but here are two I recommend if you are looking to get a breakdown on the fashion in "Time Zones."

Mad Men's Fashion and Style: Episode 701

Elle's Mad Men Fashion Recap: On Pleats and Plaids

I thought it would be fun to choose one "outfit of the week," spotlighting my favorite look from each episode.  This week, the honor goes to Miss Bonnie Whiteside in her fabulous pink and white floral jumpsuit, large ivory bag, and mod white sunglasses.  Now this is a look I'd definitely rock!

So how are you liking season 7 so far?!

3 Hairstyle How To's from 1969

I just adore late 60s hairstyles, so I am really excited to see what direction Mad Men moves this season in regards to hairstyles.  From all the studio stills that have been released, it seems that Peggy's character is moving towards less big bouffant hair and more straighter, flatter styles.  Conversely, Megan and Betty, seem to still be rocking the big hair, both wearing some of my favorite looks from the era.

Here are three 1969 hair setting patterns sure to make even the most modern girl look her swinging' 60s best.

Get Megan's Look

I think this setting pattern work work well with hot rollers too!

Get Betty's Look

This is one of my absolute favorite 60s hairstyles and January Jones wears it SO well!  It's a perfectly polished late 60s politician wife look.

 Plus! A Super Easy Late 60s Look

While she wasn't in much of last season, this is a style I could totally see Trudy wearing during Season 7.  Her character tends to wear her hair half up and this is a much more updated look compared to last season.  This is look I could also see Sally wearing.  Regardless, it's a great simple style that is easy to accomplish with either a hot or cold set.

I'm most looking forward to seeing where they go with Joan's hair.  From the beginning, we see her look dominated by a classic up do, and while I don't think much will change, I am hoping for some more winks and nudges to late 60s up dos this season.

Click on any of the images to enlarge.  All setting pattern images found here.

1969 Mens Fashions via JC Penny's

Season 7, more so than any other season, I see Janie Bryant really taking some risks with the mens costumes, especially with characters like Harry and Stan, who have already shown during Season 6 that they are moving along with the times, wearing more of the up-to-date trends while many of the other man slowly eased into the end of the decade.

I'm really pulling for one last shot of Pete in shorts -- maybe in a pair like G (yellow and green floral print) above -- allowing his character to come full circle fashion-wise.

    

As you can see from the press release above, it seems that Bryant is sticking with the tight tapered leg pants that have really dominated the series.  And while this look is prominent in the JC Penny's catalog, I am hoping that the closer the season gets to 1970, the wider the mens pants legs get. 

 Roger is really one of the only "older" men on the show that is pushing outside the normal limits of his character this season and has possibly come the furthest (fashion-wise) from Season 1 (although a just as good argument can be made for Harry as well).  It looks as though he could trade places with the JC Penny's model on the left, demonstrating his ability to keep up with the times.  Roger's transformation seems the most fitting between the lead men on the show.  Whereas Don is classic, I see Roger as being more trendy, especially after his relationship with Jane.  I predict Roger being one of the firsts to exhibit flared bottom pants.

Where do you see the men of Mad Men going this season?

1969 Women's Fashion via JC Penny's Catalog

I see Season 7 of Mad Men being one of the most playful seasons yet when it comes to fashion.  When we entered Matt Weiner's world seven years ago, traces of the 1950s could be found woven into the tightly constructed 1960 New York.  Now that we are at the end of both the show and the decade, there's no better time to really push the envelope when it comes to what viewers are used to seeing each character wear.  From the press photos, it seems that shorter hemlines, boxed purses, and patterned hosiery will be all the rage for the females of the show this season.

Here's a look at where I think the show could be headed via a 1969 Spring JC Penny's catalog:

BETTY

The series has found Betty in her fair share of both pants and shorts, so I am looking forward to seeing how/where Janie Bryant takes Betty this season.  The yellow paisley print dress has the same feel as the purple one she wears in the press photo, so I'm predicting more prints in Betty's closet this season.

JOAN

Joan is hands down my favorite character and last season I found myself feeling that many of her looks were down right frumpy.  The straight lines of late 60s fashion doesn't do much for Mrs. Harris' figure, but I am hopeful that this season we might see her in some more fashion forward looks that also flatter her curves.

The blue dress above is reminiscent of the pink dress she is wearing in the press photos -- that pink is a great color for Joanie.  The pink center dress is so curve friendly as is the awesome white shift to the right.  I love that this dress (dress c) has a scarf neckline -- very Joan -- while using the big graphic print to create some shape to the otherwise shapeless dress.

I had to include these two looks -- the second I saw them, they felt so Joan to me.  I hope we continue to see Joan in pants this season; I'd love to see a similar look as the one on the left.  Janie Bryant has put Joan in a lot of ruffles over the course of the show, so this dress would be a prefect office look for Joan this season.

MEGAN

Out of all the characters in the show, I think Megan might be the hardest to predict where she will go fashion-wise.  The press photos have her in a psychedelic print dress with colored tights, but I have a feeling this might change the longer her character is out in California.  I like that dress a on the left has a nod to last season with the head kerchief and the lacing detail on the bodice.  Ultimately, I see Megan moving towards a more bohemian aesthetic by the end of the season. 

PEGGY

When we left Peggy last season, she was standing in Don's office wearing a fabulous plaid pants suit, signally some seriously changes for the following season.  The recent press photos have Peggy back in a skirt, a drop waisted mini skirt!  This is a fun look for Peggy, however, I can't help but feel it is slight more juvenile than some of her previous outfits, especially the one we are left with at the end of Season 6.

Peggy's character has always been big on separates, a trend I see continued into Season 7.  I also am hopeful for more pants in her life.  It's a good look for Peggy and a way to outwardly express her desire to be considered an equal in the workplace.

I have to say, just based on the press photos, I am a bit surprised to see where the women's fashion is at so far this season -- it still feels very Season 6 to me.  However, as with every season, I am thoroughly excited to see where Janie Bryant takes us.  She is truly one of the most talented costume designers working in the industry right now.

Check back on Friday for more 1969 women's fashion!

Mad Men Season 7 Fashion Week

The wait is nearly over for Mad Man fans -- season 7 is almost here!!  

Until the big season premiere on Sunday, I'll sharing TONS of 1969 fashion inspiration from fashion magazines, catalogs, and the like; as a way to forecast where Mad Men is going and to get into a swingin' 60s mood.

Check back tomorrow for a look into 1969 via the Spring Penny's Catalog.