mad style is just that

i love the tv series Mad Men. This is not news. One of the reasons for my affection is the impeccable set design and the award-winning costuming by Janie Bryant. i, of course, have absolutely zero knowledge of life in 1960s Manhattan, not even peripherally, so it's all very foreign to me in a strange way that Americana can be foreign to an American. (i don't know if that makes sense, but do me a favor and pretend it does.)

Mad Men is packed with subtext and nuance and the costuming is no exception. i didn't realize just how thoroughly realized the show is until some of my favorite bloggers, Tom and Lorenzo, took on the mammoth task of analyzing the costuming of a range of characters on an episode-by-episode basis. Tom and Lorenzo ("TLo" to their followers) entered the blogosphere via their affection for Project Runway and fashion in general. Lucky for me, they also developed bloggy obsessions for Lost and Mad Men and they introduced me to the marvels of RuPaul and the wonderful world of drag.

Their Mad Men recaps and analyses consistently expose me to entire levels of meaning both in the writing of the show and in a cultural history i would otherwise know very little about. To say i am a devoted fan of theirs would be an understatement. i thought my affection was complete, and THEN they started doing 'Mad Style', the aforementioned analyses of the costuming, and my brain exploded. They notice EVERYTHING about a given character's outfit in a given scene: how it clashes or blends with the set, how the fabrics, fit, colors, prints, shape and accessories clash or coordinate with the other characters in the scene, how it falls in the arc of the character's development, how it fits or doesn't fit into the character's social standing, etc, etc. EXHAUSTIVE and FASCINATING. Here's a tidbit example:

We LOVE this dress, which is a bit of a herald for the mod styles that will come in only a few years. Joan would never wear the mod styles and truth be told, such a graphic dress is a bit unusual for Joan, but she'll wear a dress that forces men to look at her and this one fits the bill nicely.
The graphic quality helps to highlight some of the emotional turmoil she's feeling regarding Roger. She's normally a solid column of color or tone on tone and every now and then breaks out a high contrast skirt and blouse combo, but this is entirely outside her wheelhouse as we've come to understand it. Bottom line: the relationship with Roger is getting dangerous from an emotional standpoint (something she's normally good about avoiding) and it's reflected in this dress.

Obviously, TLo's series of posts is a must for any Mad Men fan, but it would also be of interest to anyone with experience with or curiosity about 1960's fashions and customs, or the arts of set design and costuming and how those work together with writing and casting a film or television show. Before you go devour the (15 and counting) posts, be advised that they contain plot spoilers. If you ever plan on watching Mad Men from the beginning, you should start now and wait to do Mad Style until you have S1 under your belt. Season 4 starts next month (July 25, i think), so if you want to jump in midstream now (totally doable, by the way- it's not one of those shows you MUST watch from the beginning), and you want a good analysis/recap of the first 3 seasons along with some excellent insight into costuming, you should totally tackle Mad Style.

Do you trust me? You should, and if you do, you will take up Mad Style (and Mad Men, if you don't already watch. Which...if you don't, i don't understand whyyyyyyy)