SPORT SOME MAD MEN STYLE THIS HALLOWEEN!


It's time to start putting together your Halloween costume, and what better way to turn all the makeup-laden heads at the big party than to arrive in full Mad Men style? Imagine sauntering into the room as a suave Don Draper or swaying into the party as a voluptuous Joan Holloway. Better still: get a large group together and hit the town as the whole Sterling Cooper gang! Not only will you be the best-dressed revelers at the party, you'll also get to pull it off without all the fake blood and gore!*

Ready to go suit shopping? Here are some ideas to help you get started:

* On the other hand, if gore's your thing, we can accommodate that as well. See suggestion #9 below...

Costume ideas

Costume #1: Don Draper Can't go wrong with the classic! Get yourself a dark suit (navy or gray), a thin tie and thin black belt, and plenty of pomade. Invest in a nice lighter and make a point of being there whenever a lady pulls out a smoke. Hint: Study and master Don's punctuated style of handling a lighter, a cigarette, and a drink.		Costume #2: Joan Holloway Show up as Joan, and no one will remember what anyone else was wearing! You'll need the red hair, bright red lipstick, Marilyn Monroe curves, and of course, a dress with loaded with va-voom! And learn Joan's classic walk. Hint: Joan always wears a strong, bright color: usually red, green, blue, or purple.		Costume #3: Roger Sterling Roger's trademarks are his three-piece suit (usually gray), silk tie, and white hair. Like Don, drinks and smokes are de rigueur. The constant leering is optional; the groping and blackface are highly inadvisable. Hint: Change the gray suit to brown and the white hair to black, and you're Sal Romano.
Costume #4: Peggy Olson For the girl who's just a little bit Happy Days. Start with bangs and a ponytail, then pick a stylish-but-conservative dress in more subdued colors (Peggy likes collars and plaid). A skirt- sweater-scarf combo works, too. Hint: Have your date dress as a young Catholic priest and come as Father Gill.		Costume #5: Pete Campbell The trick to becoming Pete Campbell is to find a suit in that very specific shade of blue that he always wears. You might also want to learn to Charleston. And don't forget that Pete's the Mad Man who doesn't smoke. Hint: Ken Cosgrove is just Pete Campbell in a brown suit with lighter hair.		Costume #6: Betty Draper Grace Kelly all the way. Betty gives you lots of options: the homemaker's dress, the English riding outfit, the white nightgown, the gorgeous cocktail dress, and of course, the gone-to-the-bad- place Betty (PJs, no makeup). Hint: You'll want to get her hair just right. Consult this tutorial on perfecting the Betty hairdo.
Costume #7: Paul Kinsey For the Mad Man who doesn't want to wear a suit. Yes, Paul usually wears a brown suit to the office, but the office beatnik is also known for his tweed jackets, mohair sweaters, and the occasional scarf. Hint: The two most important details are Paul's pipe and his beard. Maybe throw in a guitar.		Costume #8: Harry Crane Look at old photos and it's clear that more men dressed like Harry than Don in the 60s. And Harry's trademark horn-rimmed glasses and bow tie make this one of the easier Mad Men costumes to put together. Hint: You can add a little humor to Harry by sporting a bright yellow baby bonnet as well.		Costume #9: Guy McKendrick You knew we couldn't leave him out! For those who can't resist a more humorous (and gory) costume, come as the ill-fated Brit with the mangled foot. You'll need a light suit, a sliced-up wingtip, and lots of fake blood. Hint: Major bonus points if you engineer a way to have your foot mangled during the party!

Ladies: Looking for the perfect Mad Men dress? Check out these great posts on the Matters of Style blog!

Tips for your Mad Men Halloween party

Planning to take it beyond a simple costume and host a Mad Men-themed party? Here are some tips to putting your Sterling Cooper soiree together!

Pick the right music. Can't go wrong with the Rat Pack. Pick up a vintage typewriter and an old telephone and set up a Sterling Cooper-style secretary's desk as a snack table or buffet. Order a cake to make it look like you're throwing an office party (Bon Voyage Joan, Congrats Pete & Trudy, Get Well Soon Guy, etc.). Include champagne in plastic cups. It doesn't really need to be said, but offer the right kind of booze. Bourbon, scotch, gin, and brandy are ideal. Popular cocktails of the era (other than the requisite Martinis, Manhattans, and Gibsons) include Grasshoppers, Stingers, Sidecars and Gimlets. Wine and champagne also work. Avoid beer if you can. Rent a John Deer riding mower. (But hide the keys!) Track down some jai alai gear and an ant farm. If you're showing movies, Billy Wilder's The Apartment and Jean Negulesco's The Best of Everything are two perfect choices. Other good options include Bye Bye Birdie, Desk Set, North by North-West, Lover Come Back, and Madison Avenue. Of course, the best Halloween movie of the Mad Men era has to be Psycho!

Carve your own Mad Men "Don-o-Lantern"

Add an extra touch of Mad Men to your Halloween this year by carving your own Don-o-Lantern! It's surprisingly easy:

• Resize this Mad Men logo to fit your seasonal gourd of choice, print it out, and tape it to your pumpkin canvas.
• Use a pencil to trace the contours of the the logo. Press hard into the paper so that you leave a score in the pumpkin's skin.
• Remove the paper, take your carving knife, and carve away the pumpkin skin from the parts of the logo you want to "glow."
• Use a large spoon to scrape away the interior of the pumpkin until it's the right thickness for the glow you want.
• As a final touch, puncture the pumpkin along Don's cigarette to make it look like it's "lit."
  

And be sure to share photos of your Mad Men pumpkin, costume, and party in our photo galleries!