Because I'm not a huge Don Draper fan (I'm exhausted by his chronic womanizing story line) these days when I do watch Mad Men, which isn't often, I mainly fast forward to Peggy and Joan. And really, it's all about Joan.
Christina Hendricks is amazing. I could watch that woman read the phone book. She's stunning and hypnotic and brilliant. And the costume mistress on Mad Men knows how to dress her perfectly.
However (you know there was a "however" coming, didn't you?) no one else seems to know how to dress her. She keeps making red carpet attire mistakes. And because she is our current Rack Representative D'jour I feel I must address this matter.
A cross front wrap dress can be a good idea for the Rack, especially if one is both curvy and a little thicker round the middle. But if one is an extreme hourglass shape, it often fails to work. This dress, while lovely, is too much material for her. It's needs to be tailored in under the arms and at the waist and the skirt should be slimmer. The pattern is also overwhelming. Here's a better option.
Speaking of patterns. Here's a red carpet patterned offering:
Meh, it's OK. The pattern is a bit muted. The length of the sleeves and the height of the neckline makes it frumpy.
How about this instead?
The sleeves over the elbow are more elegant. The skirt is narrower and thus slimming. The pattern is prettier, and the scoop neckline more flattering. It's always a good idea with a large Rack to show off slim wrists and a nice collar bone.
This pattern is very bold and she might be able to carry it off but the top of the dress is too small. She needed the next size (or two) up and then the whole rest of it tailored to fit.
Speaking of problems on the top . . .
I almost like this dress. I adore the old Hollywood cut and the color is great on her. I'm meh on the sleeves and the feathers. But again, the top does not fit her. The neckline should be at least two inches higher up, she just looks like she'd in increasing danger of spilling out. Which I am certain many like, but it's hardly elegant. More slutty in a Jessica rabbit kind of way.
So how about a purple outfit that's a little more like this?
I do think redheads can wear black, although Hendricks is so pale she can look a bit undead.
Here are her red carpet black mistakes:
Again, too small on top.
Here we have a high neck ruffled jobby, never good with a large Rack, and then an ill fitted corset. Places exist that can help with that.
Here are a few I am ambivalent about, they don't really work for various reasons but at least they fit OK.
Here, on the other hand, are a couple black looks that really work on her.
Why? The square neckline, the skirt length, the tailored fit.
And here is my personal favorite. I love it so much I went out and found and bought and dress like it.
Neckline shape and details draw attention up to face and away from Rack. Color pattern helps the black from being too stark. Pencil cut very flattering because of the tailoring and lack of excess material (which adds volume).
How about blue?
Again, I'm sure it's a lovely dress, although I object to the tribbles on her shoulder. Doesn't she know how difficult it is to control those things? The top does not fit her properly and I think the color is too muted.
I give you this for contrast . . .
Stunning!
Here she is in a lovely top that fits her perfectly.
Here's one that actually seems to fit her OK, but the placement of the flower makes her look like she's lost her neck.
Here she is in a modern dress, but honey that most certainly is Photoshopped.
And some last sins against this most amazing Rack.
I'm not convinced these red carpet issues are entirely her fault. Firstly, she should fire her stylist and find one who has a figure similar to hers and knows how to dress it, rather than some emaciated plastic blond type. I also think that these modern designers with their stick models try to size up the whole dress for Hendricks and it doesn't work. The very concept of proper tailoring is alien to the Rachel Roys of the world. Coco Channel they are most certainly NOT.
