The Season Finale of Mad Men Is Tonight! Look Back At the Best Style Moments

By Marianne Mychaskiw
Jun 23, 2013 @ 7:00 am
Courtesy AMC

Season 6 of Mad Men comes to an end tonight! Will you be watching? While we're sad that our quality time with Don Draper will be wrapping up until the next batch of episodes, we're even more excited to tie up the plot lines we've been obsessing over. What is going on with Megan and Don's relationship? Will we ever find out about Joan's potential Avon account? Most importantly, what will Betty, Megan, Peggy, and Joan be wearing? Week after week, we spoke to the show's costume designer Janie Bryant, who gave us all the details on how each look came together. Refresh your memory and click the photo to see every style moment from season 6 -- Bob Benson's printed shorts included!

MORE:
• Why Elisabeth Moss Really Went Blonde
• Bob Benson's Short Shorts: All the Details
• Shop Retro Outfits Inspired by Mad Men

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Episode 13: The New Sexy Side of Peggy

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“It was really important that she be in this totally sexy dress,” said Bryant. “It was about taunting Ted and showing him that she wasn’t going to wait around. That was one of the first moments that we see Peggy have exaggerated decolletage, that’s how we see she is this very sexy girl and she is not waiting around for Ted to take the lead. We never see her in these moments of being sexualized. She doesn’t wear those colors. Everything about that scene was about Peggy being something she is usually not. It was a new side.”
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Episode 13: Peggy's First Dress for Ted

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“This is a very important costume,” explained Bryant. “Ted has confessed his love to her and said he was going to leave his wife for her. This is the same dress she wore to meet Ted in Season 5, Episode 11. That dress was such an incredible moment. When I read that scene, I just saw that dress. She had to wear it. It was intentional in Peggy’s mind. It’s the same reason I had him wear the turtleneck when she slept with him—wearing the turtleneck is how she fell in love with him. In my mind, she was going to wear the same dress she was going to wear when she first met him because she was feeling romantic. It looked strong and she was covered in love—which is why that dress spoke to me for that scene.”

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Episode 13: Peggy's Power Pants

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"I really felt like she should be wearing pants in that scene," Bryant told InStyle.com exclusively. "She has such a progression for the whole season, and the last episode when her whole flirtation with Ted comes to a head, she goes through all of the emotions. At the end, she’s in command and control of her own destiny, and pants spoke to that. It’s the ultimate expression of strength and power. Matthew Weiner (creator) and I had a lot of discussion of what Peggy was going to be wearing for that last scene. It was one of those moments where the costume design spoke perfectly to that particular scene."
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Episode 13: Joan's Autumn Colors

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"Joan loves to wear themed outfits," Bryant said of this look. "Since it's Thanksgiving and autumn, this orange blouse and dark burnt orange skirt goes with that theme. The blouse is vintage and the skirt I designed for her."

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Episode 13: Joan's Femme Fatale Blouse

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"All of the scenes for Joan in the episode really show that she is the queen," said Bryant of this look, which consisted of a vintage leopard blouse and a chocolate brown skirt she designed. "I love that leopard blouse for her for the scene when she is talking with Sterling’s secretary, and the contrast between those two women. The leopard print is so appropriate because it’s that super feminine, femme fatale feeling."

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Episode 13: Joan's Very Serious Suit

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"I really like her to be in colors against the men, but in that scene, it was important for her to be very dark and very serious," said Bryant. "I always loved the suit for the colors of the black and white for that scene. It’s so serious because they are firing Don. I felt like the autumnal colors would not be appropriate for that scene; it needed to be something that was contrasting that with that. You'll see though that she is still being seasonal, though. She is wearing a big dramatic acorn pin."
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Episode 13: Joan's Green "Queen" Dress

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"I designed this green silk chiffon dress for her," said Bryant. "She’s surrounded by Bob and Sterling, so it was important for her to be the queen of the scene. It was also going with the whole autumnal color scheme that can be seen throughout the episode."

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Episode 12: Megan's Tapestry Ensemble

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“I’ve been so obsessed with vintage tapestry garments this year, and this one has this incredible Indian influence,” Bryant said of this dress, jacket, and belt three-piece ensemble. “It’s so pretty. She’s dressier when she goes to work, so it’s the perfect ensemble for her to wear to work. It’s bohemian and artistic. It encompasses all the things I love about Megan’s character.”

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Episode 12: Betty's Paisley Print

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Bryant wanted Betty in something modern but still classic Betty. “I loved this whole idea that Betty went out shopping because she lost all the weight, and this paisley dress is a very modern version of Betty Francis,” said Bryant. “The bohemian print has made it into everyday culture. The paisley is very modern, but I felt Betty would be attracted to it because it still has a classic moment. It’s almost the modern shirtwaist dress.”
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Episode 12: Betty's Perfect Tweed Suit

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“Here, Betty embraced the idea of tweed suits being the perfect style of what a politician’s wife would wear, especially for her to go to present her daughter,” explained Bryant. “It was important for her to be put together and classic and that façade that everything is amazing in her life, even though it’s not. It’s all about the presentation with Betty.”

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Episode 12: Joan's Repeated Blue Suit

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“This is Joan’s the beautiful royal blue wool crepe suit that I designed for her, which she wore once before in the season,” said Bryant. “I love to repeat costumes. I love the idea of the characters repeating the costumes because the audience gets to relive the costume moments, and it roots the characters in reality because we all repeat our clothes. This look is all about Joan standing out, and she always does.”

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Episode 12: Peggy's Flirty Bow Dress

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"I love the colors of that dress - it is very muted, and I like to do more muted colors," said Bryant. "And it has this strong, commanding bow, and the bow is flirty in a way. It’s professional with a little bit of flirt in a sense to it as well. With Ted, they definitely have similar costume palettes. Especially as the flirtations have grown, like in this episode, you can really see them as a pairing."
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Episode 12: Peggy's Super Strong Suit

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“This is my favorite suit of hers for the season, and she wore it in the first episode, so we haven’t seen it for a while,” said Bryant. “For her, when she’s doing the presentation, it was such a strong suit. It had great balance between masculinity and femininity. It was important to wear something super professional and be able to be in the meeting with all the boys and hold her own. I like to make sure she has strong moments when she is presenting her work.”

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Episode 12: Joan's Red Suit

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"This is Joan being Joan," Bryant said of this vintage piece, which she redesigned just for the character. "I loved the fabric and those strong colors, but I wanted to recreate the suit so it was more in later sixties design. I recreated the neck scarf to tie around the neck, and I had the suit re-cut so it fit her shape."

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Episode 12: Betty's Façade of Perfection

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"This is part of the same story of her coming to pick up Sally, and, of course, she would dress immaculately for that occasion," Bryant said of this aqua wool jacket and skirt. "It’s all about appearances. I wanted her to wear another suit and for her to look like the amazing mother that she is, and I mean that sarcastically. It’s about the façade of perfection and presenting herself perfectly to the world. It’s all about Betty."
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Episode 11: Peggy's Strong Green Suit

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"For me, the dress is perfectly Peggy," Bryant said of the jacket and dress two-piece linen ensemble. "She's worn a lot of navy and green this season. These colors are very strong. I wanted her to be in something that was a little more lively and brighter in that scene because she this is when she's with Ted and Pete in the seafood restaurant. I didn’t want her in something subdued. I wanted her in something flirty and lively."

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Episode 11: Betty's Knit Dress

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Bryant felt this dress spoke to the period and to the character. "I’m obsessed with this dress," Bryant said of the knit dress with scalloped edges and covered buttons. "Knits were so important during this period and yellow speaks to me as a Betty color."

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Episode 11: Sally's Non-Plaid Look

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"That is a beautiful little dress, it's so pretty," Bryant said of this look for Sally Draper. "I wanted Sally to be in something different for the scene. She is in plaid a lot of the times, I thought it would be interesting for her to wear a print when she first goes into New York, and then transition back to plaid when she’s there. Sally can be a little dark as well. I love to explore that theme for her."
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Episode 11: Dot Campbell's Romantic Look

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The pink of this look spoke for Dot Campbell's emotions. "That whole scene was really important because it was all about understanding and seeing the incredible change that Dot Campbell has had since she’s had Manolo take care of her," said Bryant. "Her costume was all about Manolo making her feel pretty again. I felt like pink was important for that scene because she’s talking to Peggy about her sexual exploration. Pink was important in the expression of love and romance. She had to look very contrasting from when we saw her last, when she was a total mess. The last time we saw her, she was disoriented and didn’t know where she was. The coat she wore then was old moth eaten coat, and I wanted her to be contrasting from last time we saw her."

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Episode 11: Megan's Bell-Bottoms

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"She is the character who is very modern, hence the bell-bottom jeans," said Bryant. "It was being at home, at ease, being relaxed, not having to dress up to go to work. Her costumes are very different at home than when she goes out. It’s fun to put her in bell-bottoms and explore the design of later sixties."

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Episode 11: Sally's Emotional Red Blouse

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"The whole design for Sally for that episode was about her finding really who her dad was," said Bryant. And this influenced her costumes, including this red blouse and plaid top, a vintage piece Bryant pulled just for Sally. "The dress in the last scene is about the anger and the passion. The red evokes all of the emotions of distress and emergency. I like that it showed stress and emotion, for the character and for the audience."
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Episode 10: Megan's Striped Sweater

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"It’s been so great these past few episodes to see these fantastic moments of Megan Draper at home," said Bryant. "It’s really so different than how we saw her in beginning of season when she was dressed for dinners and parties and such. It’s such a nice switch to see her in different ways."

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Episode 10: Joan's Floral Dress

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This was a vintage dress that Bryant re-cut and re-designed for Joan. "It was so floral and summertime, and perfect for a date, which she thought she was going on," said Bryant. "Because it was a possible date, I wanted it to seem a little different than what she would normally wear to the office. I love the romance of the floral chiffon. So pretty and she looked so beautiful."

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Episode 10: Peggy's Repeat Mustard Dress

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Peggy wore this same look when she went shopping for her Upper East Side apartment. "I love opportunities to repeat costumes," said Bryant. It was also important for her to show how different Peggy is from Joan. "I wanted Peggy to be in something solid for that scene because she has to contrast from Joan," explained Bryant. "The silhouettes are completely opposite. I love when I see those two characters together."
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Episode 10: Joan's Standout Suit for Avon

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"I always see Joan as the character who stands out," said Bryant. "I used two things to do that, color and silhouette. Joan is a character whose costumes are always cut to fit her perfectly to enhance her figure. It’s always a flattering hourglass silhouette. She knows that about herself. It was a professional meeting and this is her power suit."

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Episode 10: Peggy's Checked Ensemble

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"Peggy’s palette is opposite Joan’s," said Bryant. "The checked linen is a dress and jacket two-piece ensemble. I always love to use checks and patterns and textures for Peggy because I think that illustrates the multi-layers of her character. I always say that Peggy is that character who we’ve seen go through so many changes, that’s why the checks and plaids and polka dots illustrate that for me."

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Episode 10: Joan's Secretary Look Returns

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"This is the first time we see Joan in a dress that really hearkens back to her old days of being office manager and being in a secretarial position," said Bryant. "I wanted to do that for the scene because of her being reprimanded by Pete Campbell. For her to be in a power suit didn’t really have that same feeling. She had to look traditional Joan look for that scene."
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Episode 10: Peggy's Two-Tone Dress

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"I love that costume. It has a geometric pattern on the top and the skirt and the skirt has the inverted pleats. Everything about it screams Peggy," said Bryant.

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Episode 10: Meredith's Babydoll Dress

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Bryant found this vintage dress and rebuilt it for Meredith. "During this period the baby doll was so popular, and it was the perfect moment for Meredith to be able to wear that dress," said Bryant. "It seems so crazy that the silhouette was so popular. Meredith was the perfect character to show the silhouette for the period. She has this little girl quality. I love that purple, the floral print, the puff sleeve, and the little bow."

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Episode 9: Betty's Yellow Gown

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"This is almost like a coming-out party for Betty Francis, and I wanted her to seem like the queen in that moment," explained Bryant of the scene where the character wore a beaded gown with dramatic wings. "And actually I bought that dress from Shareen, a vintage shop in downtown L.A. She looked so beautiful. It was so exquisite and perfect for this perfect scene, where she had this whole flirting session."
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Episode 9: Betty's Camp-Friendly Look

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Betty Francis caught the eyes of the gas station attendant and Don Draper when she wore this look. "It was very important that it showed off her body. But I also wanted it to be a moment where Don sees her in something that he saw her in a lot before, like the button-down shirts and the Bermuda shorts," said Bryant. "For Don, it’s bringing back those memories of his formal life when he sees her. The silhouette is classic Betty Draper."

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Episode 9: Megan's Striped Tank

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"This look is about Megan being herself and being relaxed at home," said Bryant. "It’s a little bohemian. It speaks to her as being an actress. We see her dressed up at these galas and affairs, and then you see the ease of her being at ease at home. It's so casual."

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Episode 9: Megan's Bell-bottom Jeans and Zig-Zag Top

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"When we see Megan Draper at home, I want her to have this ease about her," said Bryant. "She doesn’t wear shoes and she's always relaxed. That’s really the intention of how Megan is at home."
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Episode 9: Joan's Nautical Beach Look

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"This is so what Joan would wear to the beach," said Bryant. "There’s still the practicality of going through the city to get to Long Island. It was her being not so overtly sexy, but about being dressed appropriately to going to the beach." Of course, it still had classic Joan elements. "I wanted her to have the perfect scarf in her hair and this nautical theme sweater. It’s knitwear and shapely and sexy. Then, I designed and built her Capri pants. She wore espadrilles. You can't see it, but she had a very sexy one-piece bathing suit underneath."

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Episode 9: Joan's Blue and Green Suit

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Janie Bryant rebuilt this vintage suit just for Joan's character. "The jacket was square and not Joan at all, but the colors were because they were strong, vibrant, and jewel-tone," explained Bryant. "I loved the pattern for her. It was strong for when she had to talk to Sterling, but it still had a gentleness to it. It was perfect for that scene."

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Episode 9: Bob Benson's Short Shorts

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It was hard not to stare at the legs of Bob Benson (played by James Wolk) in these fish-covered short shorts. And that was Bryant's intent. ”They were a vintage pair that we found at one of the costume shops and we rented them,” Bryant told InStyle.com. “Bob is whimsical in his own way, and I always wanted him to wear colors that were always just a little off. I felt like that was just part of his personality. He’s always saying these funny quirky lines and has this funny way about him, so I loved the idea of him having colors that were just a tad… off. You do get a sense about him that he’s very much the overt the people-pleaser. He’s really fun to dress.”
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Episode 9: Joan's Strong Purple Two-Piece

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Bryant designed this two-piece purple top and skirt for Joan. "I design and build a lot of things for Joan because I am very specific about what her color palette is," explained Bryant. "The colors she wears speak to the strength of her character. This is one of my favorites. I love the delicate sweetheart shape on her and the open neckline is so beautiful. We are in the middle of summer in Mad Men time, so it was fun to designe something for her that was not just a suit."

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Episode 9: Peggy's Happy Polka Dots

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"I wanted her to look so pretty in that scene where Ted tells her he loves her, and she really did," said Bryant. "She looked pretty and also professional. She looked strong and gorgeous."

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Episode 9: Peggy's Depressed Polka Dots

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"The pretty polka dots before contrasts the terrible pale, awful, sickly green polka dot dress at the end where she looks such a mess," said Bryant. "There is such a dramatic contrast between the two for the way she looks. There is also contrast in the emotions you have for that character in both those scenes. It’s so devastating the reaction that Ted has to her in that moment. They were depressed polka dots."
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Episode 8: Peggy's Orange Stripe Dress

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"I always love to portray all the different seasons, and it’s summertime now in the show," said Bryant, who put Peggy in this summer-ready A-line shift with a pleated skirt. "That dress is a perfect dress for Peggy because I love using textures for her. It signifies the complexities of Peggy’s character. It’s also very professional and done in that authoritative way. It shows her professional growth."

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Episode 8: Peggy's Funeral Outfit

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"I wanted her to have an ensemble for that scene because I felt Peggy would go to a funeral in all the pieces-the hat, the jacket, and the dress," said Bryant. "There is such a sense of formality to her and there is that respect level that she has as well. She comes from a Catholic upbringing, so she had all of those strict rules growing up. I also love that she came into the office in her funeral get-up and all the guys are such a mess. She’s like the Catholic nun standing there."

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Episode 8: Megan's Groovy Casting Couch Outfit

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"I wanted to use something more psychedelic nature to speak to the wild and erratic nature of the episode for Megan's look," said Bryant. "It’s so contrasting from Betty in the scene when the whole family is there when the cop is there. I wanted that. At one point Betty says ‘She was on the casting couch,’ and then there is Megan in her groovy dress. It’s about how different they are."
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Episode 8: Betty's Red and White Knit

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"I loved this costume for that scene," Bryant said of this two-piece double-knit. "She is reprimanding Sally and I loved the strength of the red and pink very thin stripes. It’s perfectly conservative and the perfect politician’s wife outfit. Betty is always maintaining that façade of perfection." The look also showed the contrast between her and Sally. "You can see that gap widening culturally and what is happening with the youth culture contrasting from older generation," Bryant noted.

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Episode 7: Joan's Commanding Blue Suit

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“Because of her having to organize and orchestrate everybody new coming in from the other agency, I wanted her to be in something that was professional and commanding,” Bryant said of this look, which she designed herself. “The colors also showed the contrast between her and Peggy. Joan is super strong in that scene.”

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Episode 7: Peggy's Three-Piece Suit

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Bryant wanted to create a perfect look for Peggy's return to the office where she started, which is why she chose this three-piece suit. “I felt like she should be in something professional, but quieter in a way,” explained Bryant. “I wanted her to be in something more subtle and pale, so it shows how she is standing back, looking on, and observing throughout the entire episode.”
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Episode 7: Sylvia's Sexy Red Dress

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“Mad Men creator Matt Weiner had requested a red dress that would make Sylvia think she’s going out, so we wanted it to really be sexy,” said Bryant. “Red is all about passion and their flame and their affair. Red has all of these different meanings and emotions.” Bryant had only one solution—make it herself. “I found this beautiful silk embroidered with red pearls. It’s super textural. I loved the idea of the fabric being textured because it shows the meaning of their relationship and how layered it is.”

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Episode 7: Peggy's Strong Suit

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“I felt it was such a strong suit for Peggy because she’s reprimanding Don,” Janie Bryant said. “If you look closely, there are watches on the print of the skirt. I love the whole idea of keeping time with Peggy. She’s like that. The print is so perfect for her.”

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