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The season 7 premiere of Mad Men is upon us, and just thinking about the chauvinism, sexism, and gender stereotypes I am squirming. It’s a love hate relationship really. On one hand I love the beautiful costumes the ladies wear, accentuating every curve and every feminine characteristic is wonderful. On the other hand- quotes such as, “it looks really complicated, but a man made this simple enough for a woman to use” (in regards to the typewriter) I find rather disgusting…yet… also very funny. Like I said, it’s a love hate relationship, don’t judge!
If you haven’t gotten to enjoy a season, or seven, of Man Men you should know that it takes place in the late 50’s, early 60’s in uptown New York. This show is a must see drama that highlights a past culture of excessive drinking, smoking, adultery, anti-Antisemitism, racism and homophobia. And the best part, as you can probably guess, are the curve enhancing feminine costumes from the 50’s and 60’s. So today I am going to show you what it is about those costumes that highlight the stated gender roles in Mad Men, and often times in society.
The upper echelon society in the early 60’s was all about status. What you drank, what you smoked, and certainly what you wore all were symbols of your status.
“Men like scarves, and it wouldn’t hurt to show your ankles”- Jone Holloway-Harris
This fashion advice is stated time and again throughout the show. What it really means is that the fashions of these days were very gender specific. Women wore things that were feminine and that men liked. If the man you work for liked legs, show your ankles (remember, class was key) and show off your feminine figure whenever possible. These include belts to cinch the waist, a strategically placed brooch to draw attention to your best assets, a tea length dress, and always, a pair of heels. Accessories were also important to each outfit, always over accentuating the femininity of an outfit. This includes neck scarves, pearls, and other statement jewelry.
Hair and Makeup
Hair, much like a good housewife was always neat, tidy, and tame. Hair scarves, bows, and waves were more than acceptable. Evidently sleeping in hot-rolls is the go to for this look. The makeup was a little less tame. Although the eye makeup is rather limited, mainly eyeliner, a hot lip was a must. Red, pink, and nude are all acceptable, but always in matte. Make sure to also focus on bolder eye brows a bit of mascara for that doe eye look.
We live in such a wonderful time, most often free from gender roles and oppressions but I do love the outfits from the late fifties. So, any chances I get I dress up like Betty Draper! Enjoy the season premiere on April 13th, and don’t forget to have an old fashioned with me!