Mad Men cast (credit: AMC)
Member and Academy of Handmade Award nominee Christine Haynes is a master of sewing and all things mid-century modern. So who better to help us with getting our outfits just right for the Mad Men party that we will be hosting at Craftcation this year? If you haven't bought your tickets yet, there are few more tickets left for the conference that is a must for handmade businesses!
Every year at Craftcation, the lovely ladies in charge throw a dance party. This year’s theme is Mad Men! I think I speak for everyone when I say, oh hell yeah! The great thing about a theme like Mad Men is that there is a huge range of options to choose from. If you aren’t familiar with the show, here’s a bit of history.
The first episode of the first season opens in March 1960, so fashion-wise, there is still a huge amount of 1950s influence. The last episode of the next-to-last sixth season, the Nixon election was mentioned, making it 1968, bringing us loads of late-60s and early 70s style influence. So think about it; you can draw just as much influence from a 50s housewife outfit as you could a counter-culture late-60s radical! Talk about open-ended fashion inspiration!
Joan (credit: AMC)
Since most of the people attending Craftcation are ladies, I’m going to stick to the fashion influences from the female characters (sorry men!). I made a Pinterest board (here) with images from the show, as well as images of great vintage dresses, and vintage sewing patterns that one could use to sew up their party dress. Check it out for loads of inspiration!
Let’s look at the major female characters of the show and how they might influence what you choose to wear. First we have Joan. Joan is a voluptuous single mother who wears anything and everything fitted. In the early episodes, Joan wears mostly wiggle dresses, but in the later episodes, she’s a more important figure at the firm and wears late 60s style polyester skirt suits. Not the most glamorous, but a realistic wardrobe for the time.
Betty Draper (credit: AMC)
Betty has maintained her housewife status throughout her run on the show, and has gone from high end fit and flare dresses, to slightly more streamlined 60s versions of the same thing. She has been seen in capri pants and in one episode wore shorts! I know, shocking!
Megan Draper party girl.
Megan splits her outfits between casual modern young woman of the 60s, to glamorous rich wife date dresses. She had a brief stint where she worked at Don’s firm, and wore sensible office attire, but those days are now gone. She rocks some of the most outrageous party dresses that would make Pricilla Presley proud!
Peggy has had quite a transformation over the years, starting out looking like a 50s little girl, moving to 60s secretary, and now to late 60s power office attire. She still rocks a good party dress though when the time calls for it.
Peggy Olsen (credit: AMC)
So, looking at these ladies, what is one to wear? If you are considering making your outfit, check out the vintage patterns I pinned to the Mad Men board. There is no shortage of amazing vintage sewing patterns out there. The one main trick is finding one in your size. So if that doesn’t work for you, how about getting a new pattern?
Colette Patterns has quite a few options that would fit the bill. First up, the Laurel Dress is a classic 1960s inspired shift dress that could easily be made up in fancy or casual fabric. The Peony Dress is also very 60s inspired, and can be very Jackie O if you want a classy look. The Hawthorn Dress could also go 1960s, but in a floral print, could also swing to the 1950s with ease.
Christine Haynes' Emory Dress, the Mortmain from Gather Kits and Sewaholic's Cambie Dress patterns.
My pattern, the Emery Dress, is also 1960s inspired, but again, could go 50s with the right print and styling. Similar to my pattern, the Mortmain from Gather Kits has a sweet 50s feeling to it. And one more fit and flare version for you to choose from, Sewaholic’s Cambie Dress is another fine 1950s – 1960s inspired dress that would be perfect for the party!
Of course, there’s always simply buying your dress, so check out the vintage dresses I pinned from Etsy, and then search for one for yourself! Check out local thrift shops or vintage clothing stores, as well as your local antique mall! Some of those booths can have hidden treasures.
See you at the Mad Men party, cocktail in hand!
