Business Casual Superstar
I hate AMC with the power of 1000 suns. But who could hate Christina Hendricks and her hot early-60s vibe?
How many of you Heave readers watch AMC's "Mad Men?" I have to admit
that I do not. I have a long-standing beef with AMC. I used to watch
that channel all the time, and then one day I turned it on and AMC was
trying to convince me that "Speed" (Sandra Bullock, Keanu Reeves) was
an "American movie classic." Really, AMC? Really? It's like that?
Well, fine.
>:(
I have not returned to AMC
since. I heard a while back that AMC was trying to further anger me
(and get my attention) by putting forth the 2000 film "Troy" (Brad
Pitt, Peter O'Toole) as another "American movie classic." I heard that
and realized how fortunate I was to have truly washed my hands of AMC,
and I've never looked back. I've found a new movie channel, TCM, that
doesn't lie to me about the scope of the term "classic" in relation to
American cinema. TCM treats me right, and we're very happy together.
Anyway, AMC has a hit show called "Mad Men" about advertising
executives, and one of the show's breakaway stars is Christina
Hendricks, who plays secretary Joan. "Mad Men" is known for its classic
vintage fashion, and Joan is no schlub in the wardrobe department.
She wears fitted pencil skirts and tight sweaters, and lovely
boatneck dresses and the like, all in pretty jeweltones. Christina
Hendricks recently gave out fashion advice for women built like her and
said that she always tries to show off her waist. When you're that
curvy, it's important to accentuate those curves the right way, like
cinching in the waist for that flattering hourglass silhouette.
Observe:
Knocking off Joan's signature style is not at all difficult. There are three things you need to always be aware of:
- jeweltones
- accentuating curves (neck, shoulder, waist and hips, particularly)
- flowery vintage accessories
Let's see what I came up with (with jewelry to follow):
Belted Drape Shift Dress .......... $24.99 Nellie Pumps .......... $39 Lulu Townsend Clutch in Black .......... $34.95
This dress from Chadwick's comes in a pretty, bright purple. It's got full sleeves, like a lot of Joan's dresses, an interesting wrap at the neck that extends downward through the bodice, and comes with a patent-like wide belt to cinch in the waist and pull the outfit together. Plus, it's knee-length, which is important for dresses and skirts worn to the office. Skirts ride up when you sit (obviously) so you never want to go for anything more than an inch or two above your knee.
You know, just to err on the side of being a prude. Like me.
I matched the belt with the shoes and the clutch, which used to be a time-honored fashion rule. (Not so much anymore, but after all, we're channeling the vintage look, right?) I picked a pair of patent Mary-Jane-esque shoes with a very simple black clutch that Joan would easily dangle from her fingers or tuck high under her arm as she left the ad agency offices.
The look wouldn't be complete, however, without the jewelry. Joan often carries a golden pen on a chain around her neck, so if I'm using necklaces, I'll often pick golden ones with long capsular pendants made of interesting things, to kind of add a modern twist to that whole pen-around-the-neck thing that I never really got.
A necklace would hardly be appropriate with this dress, though. Here, I'm thinking you'll want to go with pretty earrings, or a delicate bracelet (even though I'm personally given to cuffs; it's just that thin, delicate little bracelets are more in keeping with the time period), and a shiny little brooch between the sweater puppy and the shoulder, kind of hovering around in there somewhere. When she's not wearing her pen around her neck, Joan usually opts for jewelry with a flowery motif.
Here are several examples, because I am all about giving you nerds options. Click to purchase.
There we are! We've got a nice selection of flowery jewelry that complements the bright color of the dress and channels the vintage feel of the 1940s. (Or is the show set in the 1960s? Anything that happened before 1986 is kind of a blur, you guys. I mean, I know it happened, but it's like...so what?)
So there's a mini-course in dressing like Joan Holloway of "Mad Men." Tune in next week for an outfit inspired by Kelly Kapoor of NBC's "The Office."
(And remember, if you have a request for a character or celebrity whose style you'd like me to imitate for under $1000, email me at hrashid24@gmail.com.)
Posted by Huma Rashid on Mar 31, 2010 @ 12:00 am
