3 Style Lessons from Mad Men’s Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss); How to Get The Look!
I am so excited about Mad Men returning tonight! I’ve previously blogged about the show’s style—see, Style Lessons from Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks (Joan); How to Get the Look! 
See Trudy Campbell’s profile here. However, as we approach tonight’s season premiere, I decided to blog about Peggy’s style evolution over the course of the show. (I can’t believe it’s the final season.) Last season we saw Peggy assume Don Draper’s former position as creative director. In many ways, her evolving fashion represents the changes in her character—a woman who was once an (sometimes) unsure secretary is now ambitious and successful. Peggy defies her mother’s (and society’s) expectations of her.
3 Style Lessons from Peggy Olson:
- Be confident: The most important change in Peggy’s appearance is the way she carries herself. I love how her style evolution was subtle—it happened over the course of six seasons. She didn’t change overnight from her homely schoolgirl look to a sophisticated career woman. When I see Elisabeth Moss smile (especially in that second picture), I am reminded of how far Peggy has come. You can buy nice clothes and makeup but it’s nothing without confidence. If you don’t believe in yourself, why should anybody else? My most important accessory is my smile.
- Match prints with solids: I always recommend solids over prints especially if you’re on a high dose of medications like Prednisone. In fact, I usually avoid prints. However, if you are going to wear prints, they look best when paired with something solid. The first outfit Peggy is wearing is very busy—the all over checkered print does her no favors. Hint: If a dress can double as a picnic blanket, it’s not a good dress. In the second picture, she’s absolutely stunning. I love how the top of the dress is printed but the skirt is a solid. And the pink and green complement each other well. Similarly, in the third photo, blue and orange are complementary colors. Again, Peggy pairs a print with a solid. The second and third outfits highlight her curves successfully.
- Bump up the hair: The character of Peggy Olson is not on Prednisone, a drug used by millions of women with cancer and autoimmune diseases. But I am. Prednisone has a tendency to widen the face creating a bloated look. And it’s sadly not the only drug that has that effect. One way to make the face look less wide is to wear your hair half up, half down with a bump at the crown. I use these affordable Goody Spindle Claw Clips from Target to create my Prednisone bump. I pull hair from the front back with the clip—you can only see the clip from the back.
Where to Get Peggy’s Look
I love vintage clothes! A great place to buy clothes inspired by 1940s, 50s, and 60s styles is www.pinupgirlclothing.com. There you’ll find this outfit, which is a Peggy-esqe look. Notice the dainty lace print on top and solid skirt.
What’s your greatest accessory? Are you a Mad Men fan?
–Your Stylist, Jessica Gimeno
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