Ophelia's Gaze on the Second Life of "Mad Men": I've Got Betty Draper Eyes

Exclusive to NWN, Iris Ophelia's ongoing showcase of all things stylish in SL

I've been a hardcore fan of AMC's "Mad Men" ever since it first premiered, and while other wildly popular series' like "True Blood" and "Glee" also have huge followings among Second Life's fashion community, "Mad Men" is undoubtedly the most iconic as far as style is concerned. Naturally when Hamlet proposed I do a series of articles about taking Mad Men's Kennedy-era aesthetic into SL, I was absolutely thrilled to oblige. I will be covering furniture, settings, and of course how to recreate several of the most iconic characters' looks in SL. First up is Betty Draper the domestic goddess (or demoness, depending on how many seasons you've seen!)

For each character, I've done my best to create a shape fairly close to their appearance. In Betty's case, I built her shape using the fresh-faced, blonde-browed Pearl skin by Mallory Cowen of Laqroki [SLurl].  Ingenue [SLurl] is a must-see for retro fashionistas. Betty Doyle's textures are beautifully vivid, so I've dressed Betty in Ingenue's Hothouse Flower dress even though it doesn't directly imitate a style she's worn on the show. Accessorizing is key in the evening, so I picked up the Margaux draped pearl necklace and Claris pearl earrings by Caliah Lyon of Muse [SLurl], a store which is, as far as I'm concerned, the final word in SL pearls. Another key accessory in this look is the Magda #1 hairclip from Donna Flora [SLurl], tucked up into the immaculate Eleanor hair from Kin [SLurl]. The final touches to this look are a pair of colour-coordinated Vixen II pumps from Tesla [SLurl].

That's not all, though! For each character I've created a day and an evening look, so pour another Tom Collins and keep reading to see what I've got Mrs. Draper in for an afternoon around the house.

Kumii Yoshikawa of SixtyNine [SLurl] recently released an immaculately styled bob named BE that demanded to be used for this look, though it's not quite as sleek and wavy as Betty's usual do. For her house dress, while I'm not terribly wild about the vivid pastel colours or the lack of shading detail around the shoulders, I had to use the Saffia dress by Neferia Abel of Ivalde [SLurl], which has the same pressed collar, rolled sleeves, and fluffy skirt that is so recognizable on Betty-- and it's worth noting that if you want to try a Mad Men ensemble on for yourself, Ivalde is another mandatory shop to visit due to the very broad variety of vintage designs available. I finished this look off with the Khitten pumps released by A-Bomb at the Shoe Fair [SLurl], eyes by L.Fauna [SLurl], prim nails by Pixel Mode [SLurl], and of course a retrolicious vacuum from -RC- Cluster [SLurl].

That's all for now, but keep your Luckies on hand for my next article, when I'll be taking on the smoldering, savvy, and sexy Don Draper.

Iris Ophelia has been featured in the New York Times and has spoken about SL-based design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan.

Comments

[Phoenix Chapman]

This is a great post, Iris! I look forward to seeing the rest in your series.

[Alidar Moxie]

I can't wait to see the rest of this, it is my favorite 'look' and one my favorite all time shows.

[Ignatius Onomatopoeia]

Cannot wait for Don Draper's suit. I'll open my fake wallet for that look.

[Harper Ganesvoort]

Don is smouldering for real when he's smoking (grin). A good start here!