Mad Men accuracy..

Lizzie, that is so interesting! I guess panty hose, then, is like the nylon zipper. It was being used commercially as far back as the 50s (a lot of Irene Saltern's pieces in my stock have them), but we all would tend to remember them as not being "around" until the mid 60s or even a bit later.

Of course, you and I both growing up in small towns without (I assume same for you as for me) the big-name upscale department stores may have just missed panty hose if they were widely available pre-1967. My "small town" was actually a small city, rather than the "back of beyond" (LOL--great phrase!) but 30 miles or more either way from any "real" shopping.... We did have a couple really upscale private dept. stores, though, and they weren't carrying panty hose earlier.
 
For those who are having a hard time getting interested in the storyline, try jumping ahead to Season 2.

I started watching during Season 2, and really enjoyed it. Then I went back and watched Season 1. It helped fill in some of the backstory but it wasn't that compelling.
 
My mom always said Americans were flashier than Canadians -- we were the land of beige and tweed, stacked leather heels and warm coats. I think subdued, understated fashions can sometimes appear old fashioned or behind the times.

There is a wonderful film that was done in the mid 80s called My American Cousin (based on a true story), which is about a girl growing up in Penticton BC in the 50s and her James Dean like American cousin shows up one day in a convertible Caddy. It turns out the car is stolen from his parents and they show up a few days later to take him home. The American mother wears crinolined polka-dot dresses and wears spike heeled shoes - a complete contrast to the Canadian mother in her shirtwaist dress and walking heels.
 
Jonathan and Bonnie - your discussion reminds me of looking at photo albums with my mom of my family in Western Canada. I was always off about 3-5 years guessing the year the pictures were taken, based on what they were wearing. I'd say, "Late 1940s", and mom replied, "No, that's about 1953," there was a cold pause and she added, "I wasn't even born by 1950".

I was trying to impress my mom with my vintage knowledge, and instead kept getting into deeper and deeper trouble by adding about 5 years to her age with my guesses! I didn't make it much better by implying that since my knowledge of vintage was mostly based on cutting edge/fashionable Americans (not even everyday Americans so much), her family's fashion was about 5 years behind the times... Of course, what it all probably means is that my guessing is only good within a decade or so :BAGUSE:
 
Speaking of mad men, or rather one specific mad woman... here is a photo spread of my ex-bosses house. The Batas moved their HQ to Canada in 1961 and this house was built around that time. It is largely unchanged because they only stayed in that house a couple of weeks per year. It looks a bit like a public school from the outside, but the inside is amazing.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/real-estate/if-something-works-why-change-it/article1268179/
 
What a fab house; I could KILL for the teak dining suite. We have a lot of original homes from the late 50s and early 60s here in York, but even the ones in "mint vintage" condition are sadly unappreciated by the population here....


It's funny how you all are talking about Canadian fashions lagging the U.S. I used to travel to Canada a lot in the 80s and 90s (once or twice/year to Niagara Falls and once every 2 years or so to Toronto), and that is where I would buy most of my trendier clothing! I wish I still had everything I bought there back then--I could resell it at a nice profit, I believe. I recall a hand-tailored "OAK" jacket and slacks set I bought in a Toronto boutique--it was exquisite. Sold it at a consignment shop before we moved down here; it was the only thing that sold out of the pretty nice stuff I had there, and though it brought a decent price, I think I should have kept it.

So, in my neck of the woods, Toronto was where you went to buy trendy and/or high-end fashions (there was good shopping around parts of the Niagara Falls area as well)!
 
season 3? there is a season 3/ where when? I shall have to stream it online, l cannot wait till it reaches here...probaby late next year urghhhhhhh
 
Originally posted by Ookoo
For those who are having a hard time getting interested in the storyline, try jumping ahead to Season 2.

I started watching during Season 2, and really enjoyed it. Then I went back and watched Season 1. It helped fill in some of the backstory but it wasn't that compelling.
Click to expand...

I'm one of those too, will try that and see if it helps.
 
It took me a bit to get 'into' it - but I did. I, too, am totally bored with Don Draper. I finished seasons 1&2 and haven't started watching 3 yet but I plan to download it over the winter.

I really like Peggy's character and she starts getting a little better at dressing in season 2. lol
 
I've found this thread to be so interesting, mainly because it just goes to show how we base what we "know" so much on our own experience.

I "knew" that panyhose went on the market around 1965, and assumed that the Mad men references were incorrect. And then everything I found on the web about the history of pantyhose tended to back up that assumption. Almost all the sources say that Glen Raven developed the product in 1959, but then it gets vague. I never could find any site that actually said Glen Raven marketed and sold pantyhose before 1965. Then the sources say that it was not until they developed a machine that would make a seamless version that the product was successful.

Here is a close-up of my 1960 ad:
<img src=http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e270/fuzzylizzie/ebay/pantyhose.jpg>

Despite what I've read all over the web, there it is in black and white: Seamless.

Something that I could not help but notice while doing all this reading - all the articles said practically the same thing. Even much of the language was the same. And that leads me to think there is a common - and incorrect - source for the pantyhose history info.

So not only were there pantyhose in 1960, there were seamless ones. Unless Glen Raven was paying big bucks for a full page Bazaar ad when they had no product!

I can't help but think that pantyhose took so long to catch on because of the price. $3 was a lot of money in 1960s, especially when a pair of regular stockings cost $1 or even less. And I can remember that my grandmother's big objection to them was that they were wasteful. You run one leg and have to throw away both legs! Women were used to buying stockings by the box, so that when one ran, they still had several matches.

So it was not until women had to switch to pantyhose for modesty's sake that they became popular. Also, the price came down pretty quickly when there was more competition and the makers gave up the pricier full fashioned knitting. When did Leggs come out? They killed the fully-fashioned leg!

I'm beginning to think that the Mad Men people are intentionally choosing products like pantyhose and king sized beds in order to make a point. These products were new, and who was there to always push the new products? The ad men of course. They were always trying out the latest thing in the office, why not at home as well?

And maybe they had the Glen Raven account, and Peggy was testing the product!
 
You make a good case Lizzie! You have convinced me that pantyhose were invented in 1959 and marketed shortly afterwards. I often find that the ads that appear in Vogue or Harpers are for new companies or a new product that they are trying to push. If something is well known and selling well there aren't any ads in fashion magazines for them because they don't have to advertise! Your 1960 advert is probably trying to create interest in the new, expensive product.
 
Oh my gosh, Lizzie, reading that, about the wastefulness factor; I can just hear my grandmother, saying the very same thing! She taught me a great deal about the value of thriftiness.

I just added "The Peggy Olson Dress" to my shop. Getting into it!
il_430xN.92828998.jpg
 
I have seen the show and love it!

I have also seen a increase in Sales since the current season started for "Mad Men Style Clothes". What is interesting is many of my younger Customers are into that look.
 
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