Mystery Solved

 In April 2012, I shared with you a post about a dress that was worn on Mad Men during season 5.

I had the identical dress for sale at Couture Allure at the time.  I knew it was a high end dress, but it only had a label from the store that sold it, Galosy's.

This morning, the mystery is solved.  The dress was designed by Malcolm Starr in 1967.  "Dress for dreams: royal blue cuffed in a rainbow of paillettes, wooden beads, crystals. By Malcolm Starr, in William Rose fabric of Celanese rayon, worsted and silk.  $265."  That's about $1,848 in today's dollar and the dress would be worth every penny if you could find anything remotely as well made today.  Stockings by Dior, shoes by Julianelli.

Photo by Neal Barr for Harper's Bazaar, 1967.

Some of My Favorite Mad Men Season 5 Fashions

Some of my favorite looks from Season 5 of "Mad Men."  I'll miss the 1966-67 story arc, but I can't wait to see what comes next!

 Megan's Mod looks.

Peggy's transformation from schlump....

....to swank.

Power to the Peggy!

Joan, icy and controlled in black velvet.

Jane's bare midriff surrounded by rhinestones.

There were two dresses on screen that I actually had in my inventory (both now sold.)  

LSD party girl in blue silk with color sequin and mylar borders....

...and Sally in silver.

The best moment for the men?  Mad for plaid.  Hilarious!

And by far, one of my favorite looks that showed up for just a few seconds in the last scene of the finale.  

"My friend over there was wondering.....are you alone?"

Yay Peggy!

As Peggy moves on from under Don's wing, all I can say is, "You GO, Girl!"  At a time in history when women struggled to step up the ladder and out of the secretarial pool, Peggy had the guts to do it with integrity and a single-minded sense of purpose.  While I know all will not be roses and sunshine at her new job, Peggy has my utmost respect for her courage to take this leap of faith.  If you haven't watched this week's episode of "Mad Men", be sure to catch it, as it was one of the best ever.

Mad Men - Oh The (60s) Clothes!

I always love a good party scene on Mad Men, as it affords us an opportunity to see some fabulous vintage clothing.  Episode 7 of Season 5 aired this past Sunday and not only did we have a formal gala, we had a client dinner, Megan's French mother Marie (played to perfection by Julia Ormond), and shopping!

For the Heinz client dinner, Megan wore this fabulous silver and gold cocktail dress with a beaded collar.

It wasn't until she and Don get into the car after dinner that we see a glimpse of the matching coat with beading on the sleeves!!!!!  I've always had a thing for these 60s dress and coat sets and grab them for the website whenever I can. 

Right now, I have this gorgeous 1960s silver, gold and copper metallic dress and coat set available for purchase at Couture Allure.  It is very similar to the set Megan wore on the show.

In this scene, we see Megan, Marie and Sally returning from a day of shopping.  I think this is the first time we've seen Megan wearing a hat.  Both Megan and her mother wear gorgeous dress/coat ensembles in wool plaids.  Love, love, love!

I sold a very similar 1960s dress/coat set last year to a very lucky customer!

In the past, I've bemoaned the demise of the evening coat.  Here we see two fabulous examples as everyone prepares to leave for the American Cancer Society gala.  Marie wears a black brocade full length coat with a huge portrait collar that floats away from her neckline.  Megan is wearing a velvet coat in a rich coral red that has beading at the sleeves.  It matches her gown which you'll see in a second.  Everyone has turned to look at......

....Sally!  Sally looks so grown up in her silver mini dress and white go-go boots!  It's hard to tell from this photo, but she is also wearing fishnet tights. Check out her silver evening bag.  Don says "no" to the boots and make-up before they leave for the gala.

Finally, a look at the evening gowns.  Megan's has a velvet beaded bodice and the skirt is chiffon with floating drapes at the sides.  Marie's gown is black velvet with a sheer nude color inset at the yoke topped by a band of silver beading.  Oh, I do love a good party scene. 

My Mad Men Moment

If you watched this week's episode of "Mad Men", you saw Roger and Jane attend a dinner party.  After dinner everyone retired to the living room where they proceeded to "turn on" by taking LSD.  The young blonde woman is wearing a blue dress with beaded decorations on the sleeves.  When I first saw her sitting at the dinner table, the deep blue silk and the peek of the sleeve immediately got my attention.  Could it be?

Then, as the scene continues the dress is shown very clearly as the actress stands to say goodbye to another couple and then as she crawls around on the floor high as a kite saying, "I wish I could die."  And that is my Mad Men Moment, a moment I've been waiting for for 5 seasons of the show.

I have the identical dress for sale on my website!  Well, I did until I posted about it on my Facebook page.  The dress sold last night to a very lucky gal who will have her own "Mad Men" moment when she wears it.  She has promised to send photos when she does wear it and I'll be sure to post them here for you.  But if you'd like to see photos of the details of the decorations on the sleeve and hem, click on into the listing.  This dress is amazing!

I love my job.

It's a Whole New Mad Men Fashion World

I first fell in love with Mad Men because of the fabulous early 60s fashions worn by Betty, Joan and Peggy.  So did the rest of the world.  I finally got to watch the Season 5 premiere yesterday and I'm in love again, this time with the bright, young fashions of 1966.  Watch out, Betty, there's a new girl in town!  Her name is Megan and she is set to take over our imaginations and become newest fashion inspiration for vintage fashionistas everywhere.

Here, Megan wears a black mini dress with sheer angel sleeves and a high neckline adorned with rhinestones.  She wore the dress with black fishnets and looked incredibly sexy as she sang "Zou Bisou" to Don.

And here is Megan's stand out ensemble worn to work.  Her simple bright orange shift is worn with a coordinating  coat in a bold and modern zig-zag print.

We'll see bold prints galore this season.  Jane Sterling looked perfect in this printed evening gown with long dangle earrings and big hairdo.

There was even a party attendee wearing what looked like Pucci.  Evidently, these women have $$$$$$!

 That orange and yellow checkered dress worn by Cynthia Cosgrove was actually bands of silk chiffon woven in and out to make the boldly patterned fabric.  Trudy Campbell's dress looks matronly in comparison, although her big hair was really well done.

 Peggy looked her usual awkward self.  She just doesn't care about clothes, although I really liked this navy dress she wore when presenting an ad campaign to clients.

The dress Peggy wore to Don's birthday party was 5 years out-of-date and could have been worn by Betty in Season 1 or 2.  But that's OK.  It's Peggy.
 

And then there is new mother Joan.  She looked jarringly out of fashion in this pink sheath she wore to visit the office.  She even wore little white gloves while pushing the baby's perambulator.  Joan's curvy figure is not compatible with the new younger styles and she knows it.  I think we'll continue to see her wear what suits her body, and her fashion choices will start to look out of place among the staff that works for her.

What was your favorite look from the show?

How to Dress for a "Mad Men" Party

If you've been invited to a Mad Men themed party, you'll probably want to dress in a style based upon the show's first season or two, which were set in 1960 and 1962.  Clothes from those years were so glamorous, and are lots of fun.  Sorry guys, but this post is just for the gals!

What should you wear? A glamourous full skirted dress in an evening fabric will do. Here are pictures of several styles in brocade, chiffon, satin, and taffeta. Colors are clear and bright, black, white, or metallic brocades.


A skirt with a bit less flair, or a fitted sheath also works. A fitted dress should be jazzed up with lots of jewelry.


Beaded sweaters or cropped jackets, sometimes with fur trim, can be worn over the dress if it is a cool evening. Swing coats and fur stoles are also appropriate.

Lots of sparkly rhinestone jewelry is appropriate, in necklaces, bracelets, brooches and earrings.


Shoes should be spike or kitten heels with pointed toes.


In makeup, go for a strong defined brow line, black eyeliner and heavy mascara, and a strong lip color. Hair is either pulled back tight to the head with a chignon, or teased high with a flip at the ends.

Most of all, have fun, and have a martini!

Mad Men Season 4 Fashion Prediction

Season 4 of Mad Men starts this Sunday, July 25 on AMC!!! If you love Mad Men as much as I do, you've been dying for any and all details, but this year AMC is keeping a tight lid on things. I guess even the cast doesn't know what will happen until they show up for rehearsal. If we assume that things will pick up right where they left off with Don starting his own agency, then the show will be set in 1964 this year. Mon dieu, I only have 2 magazines from 1964 in my collection. That is a situation I must correct! In the meantime, I thought I'd give you a taste of what was going on in fashion in 1964, so you have an idea of what to expect from Betty, Joan, and all the gals.


In 1964, the sheath dress reigns supreme. Full skirted styles are completely gone from fashion magazines, and I think they will play less of a role on the show this year. Even though fashion magazines don't show them, it takes a couple of years for real women to catch up, so I'm sure we'll see one or two, especially on Betty.

You may see some pleated styles, but those skirts will not be worn with crinolines.

The look is simple and elegant with less emphasis on the waist. Expect to see dresses that skim the body from shoulder to hem. Blouson bodices over fitted skirts are also popular.

Architectural seaming was made popular by Jackie Kennedy. Expect to see influences from her fashion sense on the show this year, especially on Betty.

Tailored garments with simple lines will also point to Jackie's ongoing influence.

Cowl necklines, stand-away collars, and rolled collars are very popular, as are abstract prints. Keep in mind, however, that you probably wont' see many hats on the show this year. Even though magazines are still showing them, younger women like Betty, Joan, and Peggy consider them old fashioned by 1964.

Suits are important, with boxy jackets over slim skirts.

Expect to see lots of pretty blouses worn with skirts or slim pants...

....and kitten heeled shoes!

Evening gowns will have simple cuts with empire or raised waistlines. Hair is becoming pouffier and we might see some blue eyeshadow or pale lipstick.....maybe.

Be patient through the commercial at the beginning. It's worth it!