Mad Men Style Recaps, Episodes 8 and 9” y 1 mas

Posted: 26 Sep 2010 08:33 PM PDT

It’s been a while since our last Mad Men Style Recap–blame New York, London, and Milan Fashion Week–so this week we’re combining the last two episodes into one. Look for the Episode 10 recap tomorrow afternoon.

Starting with episode eight, The Summer Man, Mad Men took a turn away from debauchery towards mild mannered manliness. The episode opens with Don diving into a swimming pool in creme trunks, a literal fresh start for Mad Men’s tragic hero. Cut to Don sitting in his Waverly Place apartment in a brown plaid shirt and khaki pants writing in his diary about how he’s going to get his life back on track. Mad Men has been cheesy before (I’m thinking of the flashbacks that always ended with a stern, troubled, vaguely wistful look on Don’s face.), but seeing Don write in a diary was almost too much to believe. But it happened, leaving Don’s voiceover to continue throughout the episode.

Adding to this episode’s cringeworthy moments was the scene of Don leaving the sports club looking more dapper than ever while the Rolling Stone’s “Satisfaction” played. Cinematic it was, but it felt more like a scene from a 1960s parody movie than a scene from a serious, detail-oriented drama set in 1965. But there’s a lesson to be learned in every scene of Mad Men, this one being if Mick Jagger and Keith Richards can’t get no satisfaction on the amount of drugs and alcohol they’re using, there’s no hope for the rest of us. Don straightens out in slim gray suit pants, and skinny black tie, and gold framed sunglasses, while all types of people pass him by, from sailor to new mother.

The rest of Don’s plot line, however, is incredibly well done. From his date with Bethany, where he runs into Betty looking like a cross between the neighborhood wives in Edward Scissorhands and Dior Resort 2011 with Oscar SS11 hair in a seafoam green mini dress with accent beading, to his later date with Faye who looks stunning in a bright green patterned dress, Don handles himself calmly and like a proper gentleman. His date with Bethany is a formal affair: Don wears a black suit and Bethany dons a blue-toned, full-skirted floral dress, and crystal earrings and bracelet, until they take a cab home and it gets frisky fast.

Whereas Bethany is a society bred, sexually daring version of Betty, Faye is the mob connected, brainy Betty that Don truly desires. Their date develops quickly into meaningful conversation and is instantly more relaxed form the start. Don gives Faye his creme plaid jacket, the same jacket he gave to Stephanie in a previous episode. Faye doesn’t get (give?) the same happy ending that Bethany does, because Don is working on his upstanding gentleman image. It turns out just fine for Faye in the next episode, I now know, but less great for that lamp….

Finally, Don squares things off with Betty and Henry at Gene’s birthday party. While it’s obvious to the viewers and to Henry that Betty is not over Don, and may never be able to let him go, Don arrives at his son’s party with the sole intention of showing his care for his children. Henry and Betty look purely old guard, he in a red gingham shirt and her in a lilac full skirted dress with embroidery. Don walks in looking overwhelmingly cool in an ivory blazer, black polo, and gray pants, a giant stuffed elephant swung under his arm. The final shots of Don smiling and playing with Gene are heartwarming even to the most jaded Mad Men watcher. It’s finally looking like Don is starting to become the man he aspires to be.

While Don is working on behaving better, the rest of the boys at SCDP are still behaving badly. The ruckus around the newly installed vending machine is the catalyst for a war between Joey and Joan. Joey, whose outfits must be sourced from an American Apparel window display, is in a yellow shirt, green pants, and a brown tie, while Joan looks perfect in a shocking pink dress with light pink trim. Stan is in yet another blue polo, while Ken Cosgrove and Harry Crane are both in suits, but jacket-less, since it is snack time. Peggy watches the initial debate unfold in a gray plaid dress that I am completely certain is identical to one produced by Marc by Marc Jacobs in Fall 2007, and brown, heeled mary-janes. Another thing I’m completely certain of is that Ken’s line “You know what Harry, I think this is a show.” It’s a blatant Seinfeld reference, and if it’s not, should be. Why Jason Alexander hasn’t been cast as a cranky client yet evades me.

Joey’s disrespect starts with a few sharp words, and escalates to a crude drawing and accusing Joan of “walking around here trying to get raped.” Finally Joan stands up to him and the rest of the chauvinist men with a eerie speech about Vietnam. While she looks stunning in a teal dress with a ruffle adorning the neck, it’s her husband that gets sent to Vietnam in the next episode. Joan’s harsh words aren’t enough for Peggy, however, who asserts her dominance by firing Joey. Peggy’s navy blue ensemble with flashes of red in the pleats of her skirt makes her look more youthful than normal, although the hint of red is a warning of her power. Joey’s closing ensemble is a pink shirt with gray pants, definitely not the way you’d want to go out. The confrontation between Joan and Peggy in the elevator puts Peggy in her place, as Joan, as always, is right about what happened.

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Max Mara’s Sporty Minimalism

Posted: 26 Sep 2010 02:13 PM PDT

MILAN–Max Mara pared down to their very essence for Spring/Summer 2011. The collection was sleek, clean, and sought to embody something they called “new purism.” The first looks out were minimalist to the extreme: A camel trench, a mod beige coat with a sharp collar, a putty-colored blazer over a pencil skirt, and a white duster coat (modeled by Karolina Kurkova).

After a neutral-colored start, Max Mara punched up the color, pairing skin tight open-backed body suits in lemon yellow, reflector-bright orange, and magenta with matching tailored shorts or exaggerated palazzo pants with slits up the side. Striped dresses and blazers infused the collection with a nautical vibe.

Max Mara described their collection as “athletic chic” in their line sheets. And it would suit the wearer to be an athlete (or at least avoid a carbohydrate-heavy meal) before stepping into one of these awesome color blocked long-sleeved body suits because every little curve will show.

**All photos from Style.com
Click through for more looks.