French Joan Holloway

 

While I suspect that some of the consumer culture bombardment of 1960s silhouettes and aesthetics will subside once Mad Men concludes its series and trails off into televised fiction oblivion, for women like me, fuller hips and smaller waists, that style embracing curves will forever be a classic. I will unabashedly admit I owe much of my professional office flair to the character Joan Holloway, then Joan Harris. Though I have no concrete foundation for supposing she is still a Ms. Holloway, she is now divorced and has always struck me as more modern and forward thinking in some ways, so maybe she returned to her maiden name. The beauty of this type of speculation, naturally, is the facts cannot really be confirmed and ultimately mean nothing.

Modern though she may be in her notions of feminine sexual identity, sexual empowerment, and professional empowerment, Joan was not a character to adopt the stereotypical 1960s Mod designs of the past few seasons, unlike her younger foil, Megan Draper. Clearly, she understands her figure intimately, and knows what works well, and what does not. Tunics and shifts emblazoned with bright patterns and neons, not the most flattering option for the classic hourglass. Tried and true, Joan continues to flaunt her curves, donning pieces that accentuate the waist and follow smoothly the arc of her hips and bust.

I found this vintage navy wool Lanvin skirt, featuring a very subtle almost pinstripe, in consignment. It is flagrantly high-waisted and a-line, fabric extending just to the top of the knee; like a few other of my favorite skirts, in the front there is a sort of folded, hidden pleat, lending the skirt a more straight look until a few steps are taken and some motion is added. Though the golden belt Lanvin embellishment is a bit much, overall, when paired with a simple white blouse, it is a perfect proportion of gilded flair.