Ophelia's Gaze on the Second Life of "Mad Men": The Ill-Fated Faye Miller

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

Dr. Faye Miller has become a point of some contention among Mad Men fans. She represents the kind of savvy working woman archetype that was emerging in the 60s in a way that Joan and Peggy couldn't, and while this is beneficial she often comes off at rather frigid as a result. That's why, for my Faye Miller avatar, I'm starting off with a more warm and approachable evening look.

• I've made Faye's base avatar using Laqroki's new Nellie skin by Mallory Cowen [SLurl], which is a little more mature looking than Mallory's other skins. The lips in particular are less glossy and have more texture, which is very appropriate for Dr. Miller.
• Her formal hairstyle, Zoe by Truth Hawks of TRUTH [SLurl], is a slightly older style, but nearly identical to a formal updo Faye wears.
• Like most of my Mad Men avatars, she is also wearing the Charm eyes by Launa Fauna of L.Fauna [SLurl], which have a lot of depth to them. I've also once again included the oval Posing Nails from Love Soul [SLurl] by BlueStarRUI Villota to add a litle extra accuracy to the avatar.
• For Faye's formal dress, I chose the Estelle dress from Prelude [SLurl] by Polaire Aeghin. While it's not an exact match to anything she's worn in the series, it's a very sweet and modest look in a warm muted rose colour that I think suits her quite nicely.
• Her necklace and earrings are from Caroline's Jewelry's Kennedy Black Pearl set [SLurl], and her shoes are another new release from Shiny Things [SLurl], the Kelseys t-strap pumps. I've included a close up of these shoes to show off the exceptional stitching and leather detail –- there's a reason that Shiny Things shoes have been a Second Life wardrobe staple for years, their quality is completely through the roof.

Now that you've hopefully warmed up to the spurned Faye Miller, keep reading to see how I've dressed her for a buttoned-down day at the office!

Perhaps it a slightly more striking look than Faye would typically wear, but the opportunity to dress a chic and sexy retro professional woman wasn't something I would ever swap out for a subtler look.

• I've switched Faye's hair out for Bubbles Clawtooth's Shaken not Stirred from Clawtooth [SLurl], which has a pouf at the top and a bun in the back. I've edited the style to lower the pouf, and to tidy up the bun slightly.
• Faye's suit is the Lorenza suit from Donna Flora [SLurl] by Squinternet Larnia, and I've layered it over the Claven Lace Blouse from Whippet & Buck [SLurl] by Dakota Buck (which I in turn layered black over antique to keep the blouse from looking too sheer). This blouse was a limited release, so if you want to recreate this look, you may want to substitute a solid coloured top from Whippet & Buck, or try a blouse from *G Field* [SLurl] instead.
• For shoes, Faye is wearing the Steelettos by Lissa Maertens of Cattiva e Cattivo [SLurl]. With the steel heel and sharp toes, these shoes are incredibly fierce and a slight break from the classic aesthetic, but the oxford-esque detailing on the toe keeps them in the realm of office-appropriate.
• The final touches to this outfit are the Kennedy Diamond Flower Brooch by Caroline's Jewelry, and the oversized Pearl Earrings and Necklace from The Wrigglesworths [SLurl] in Tableau.

This season of Mad Men may be done, but I'm not quite finished yet. Look for my Mad Metaverse Men finale coming soon! Until then, catch up on the rest of the series:

• Megan Makes her Move
• The Precocious Peggy Olson
• The Legendary Roger Sterling
• Joan Holloway by day and by night
• Donning Don Draper!
• I've Got Betty Draper Eyes

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

[mryddds]

This is your best avatar so far. Beautiful!

[Tracy]

This is were reality and virtual world being to get mix and realness is lost

[CronoCloud Creeggan]

I have to thank you, I had forgotten that I owned that Estelle dress in a few colors, until I saw it in the picture, and yes, I have the Lorenza suit as well.

Not that it's much of a surprise. :-)

Great work, and taste, as usual.