ge.Ok, the season finale of Mad Men  aired last night and I already can’t stand the thought of having to wait until next summer for next season’s episodes. Though I am ecstatic that there will actually be a next season. There are not many television shows I watch. As a matter of fact, beside The Daily Show  and The Colbert Report , Mad Men is the only show that has piqued my interest in years!

Of course, the fact that it takes place in 1960, and the clothing is drop dead gorgeous, definitely has something to do with its appeal to me.

But that’s just scratching the surface.  The show, based on the personal and business  lives of a bunch of very overprivileged,  egotistical executives at, Sterling Cooper,  a big  Madison Ave ad agency, is a fascinating portrayal of the dark side of what  we usually refer to as "the good old days".

Sexual harrassment and racism are rampant. The secretaries get their bottoms patted on a regular basis, while the morally bankrupt ad execs hang out and drink and smoke all day in their Brooks Brothers suits.  Their desperate suburban housewives stay at home, lying to themselves that life is perfect and their husbands really are spending the night at the office, instead of with their mistresses.  The characters run the gamut from deliciously depraved to sentimentally sweet.   This show easily could have been named "Bad Men".  But it’s so cleverly written, visually mesmerizing and full of darkly comedic moments, that once you start watching, it’s almost impossible not to become hooked.

Heck, it’s worth tuning in just to see  hunky creative director, Don Draper , played by Jon Hamm . Now that is one fine speciman of mid-century manliness! So needless to say, I was quite thrilled when I picked up the fall issue of Classic Style Magazine  and there was a whole article on Mad Men, including some great photos of the  yummy Mr. Hamm.

The article quotes the show’s writer, Matthew Weiner , as saying "sex and power are the driving forces of Mad Men. Sterling Cooper is a testosterone soaked snake pit where women venture at their own risk. Beneath the beautifully polished veneer of good manners, formality and layers of preppy clothing, the atmosphere is seethingly carnal." 

There’s no way I could have said it better!

And a quote from Jon Hamm about the clothing. "Some of the clothes are pretty uncomfortable. And thank God I’m not one of the women! I feel sorry for them. The undergarments alone that they have to wear fill a trailer truck. But they look gorgeous."

There is also a good bit of interesting information about costume designer, Janie Bryant, and what inspired her choices for the show. For the men, she says she drew inspiration from movies like "The Apartment", "Le Bonne Femme" and "The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit", wanting to evoke images of Cary Grant, Gregory Peck and Tony Curtis.

The ladies, according to Janie, had to be dressed from the inside out, including bullet bras and girdles, which were pretty much mandatory back then. Like your American Express card,  you didn’t leave home with out them.  She looked to the styles of Gracy Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Sohpia Loren and Anne Margaret to capture the unique style of each female character.

All in all, a great article about a great new show.  You can pick up Classic Style magazine at Barnes and Noble bookstores and Mad Men will, thankfully, reappear next summer on the AMC network. Can’t wait to see what mischieveous machinations those bad boys have cooked up for next season!