Mad Men: the (style) story so far
<p class="BasicParagraph">Betty's frocks. Megan's miniskirts. As
Mad Men slides into the first half of the final season,
costume designer Janie Bryant salutes the '60s style that still
makes us swoon.
When Mad Men hit our screens in 2007, it was hard to pinpoint just one reason this show about a ’60s advertising exec was so addictive. From Jon Hamm’s sexy anti-hero Don Draper, to the first sproutings of feminism in the workplace, we were hooked. Even the costumes have taken on a life of their own. The show’s award-winning costume designer, Janie Bryant, agrees there’s more to it than just being era-appropriate. “A costume designer is about telling the story of the character through clothing. Different jobs, different motivations.” And a hell of a lot of clothes. “During Season Four, we counted how many costumes there were per episode,” says Janie. “It was 78 costumes for the principal cast, guest cast and day players. Then 400 for the extras alone.” Yep, that’s over 30,000 costumes to date. We know our favourites, but who better than Janie to pick her greatest hits?
Megan Draper - Season 5
“This was an important moment, not only for Megan, but for the show, because it moved it along to the later ’60s. This was the first time we saw a character wear a minidress."
Megan Draper - Season 5
"I wanted it to be a black cocktail dress as I wanted Megan to stand out against the Drapers’ apartment. Plus, black spoke to me as the ultimate expression of French culture. She was singing [Zou Bisou Bisou] and dancing, so the accordion sleeve gave her movement – it just all worked so well together.”
Joan Harris - Season 6
“This is one of my favourite costumes of all time. This season for Joan was really interesting because she has now totally arrived in her career. I talked to Matthew Weiner [Mad Men creator] about it, as I felt this was the season that Joan could progress and move forward in time, because she would have the money and the access to buying things that were more modern."
Joan Harris - Season 6
"Christina [Hendricks] and I joke that Joan always buys her clothes two sizes too small and she’s always accentuating the hourglass, even though ’60s fashion wasn’t about that, it’s more late ’50s period. Joan’s costumes are always very fitted and the menswear-style vest [waistcoat] and skirt combination was very popular in the ’60s. With the ruffles, it’s still feminine and flirty – very Joany – but with the vest and skirt, there’s authority behind that silhouette. With Joan, it’s about jewel tones. I love designing for her with a strong palette, because I see her as a character of strength”
Don Draper - Season 1
“This is definitely the classic Don Draper look. He hides behind the façade of his suit – it’s like a suit of armour, shielding him from the outside world and himself. I like his palette to be minimal, very masculine, and never ostentatious. There’s a subtlety to his costume, and it’s always well tailored. I’ve designed and made all of Don’s suits and sport coats throughout the seasons.”
Don Draper - Season 1
“The characters repeat costumes, which I like, as it’s realistic”
Peggy Olsen - Seasons 2 & 3
“This is one of my favourites. It’s so modestly Peggy. I always saw her as a very textured and layered character, so I loved the idea of her having some kind of print or texture to her fabric that mimics the complexity of her character. The pleated skirt, the high collar, it’s all about her modest nature, and it’s very professional. This is the iconic Peggy dress.”
Peggy Olsen - Seasons 2 & 3
“I LOVED the change that Peggy went through in the first season – like the changes in weight gain, the pregnancy – and how to deal with that in the costume design”
Betty Francis (then Draper) - Season 2
“For this scene, I wanted to shift her palette from very pale blues, greys, beiges, yellows and whites into a stronger colour, because this is when she has the realisation that Don has been cheating on her with Bobbie Barrett."
Betty Francis (then Draper) - Season 2
"The colour of her gown had to be very strong in the moment. I loved using the insets of pearls and the rhinestones, and having the detail across the bust on the under-dress.”
Roger Sterling - Seasons 1, 2 & 3
“The idea behind this suit is that Roger Sterling comes from old money. The three-piece suit is refined and elite. I saw him as a character that had his suits made for him, and would go to Paul Stuart [high-end menswear store], who would have known him since he was a little boy."
Roger Sterling - Seasons 1, 2 & 3
"I designed this suit and found a vintage lining with printed crests on the fabric and an ‘S’. It was a fluke, but I loved the idea that he’d have everything monogrammed.”
[i]Mad Men returns on Wednesday April 16 at 10pm on Sky Atlantic HD
