and Grit of a True Lady
"This is why I don't allow crying in the breakroom. It erodes morale. There's a place to do that, like your apartment." - Joan Harris nee Holloway (Christina Hendricks) on Mad Men
Greetings from a steamy mid-August Connecticut!
Greetings from a steamy mid-August Connecticut!
Speaking of the heat, I've finally dragged myself into this sweatbox of a study to address a topic I love: fall dressing. Autumn in New England is a thing of absolutely inexpressible beauty, and so is the gorgeous style that accompanies it every year. Fall 2010 fashion is surging forth with (an even more aggressive than last year) devotion to throw-back lady-like chic - the usual doses of sharp, clean lines, equestrian whimsy, and the "new" power-dressing that appears to borrow heavily from librarian/secretary sartorial sensibilities. Editorials are bursting with wasp waists an
d genteel pumps in the most vivid of colors - celebrating the multitudes of the female form and all of its electrifying curves- and I love this. The look fits anyone, and is like a modern, confident, supremely polished declaration of competence and self-respect: "Not only am I capable and informed, but I know I look good ... and yes, I meant to match my lipstick to my heels, and my earrings to my brooch."
d genteel pumps in the most vivid of colors - celebrating the multitudes of the female form and all of its electrifying curves- and I love this. The look fits anyone, and is like a modern, confident, supremely polished declaration of competence and self-respect: "Not only am I capable and informed, but I know I look good ... and yes, I meant to match my lipstick to my heels, and my earrings to my brooch."
I suppose that, as an idealistic young teacher, the fall season holds a special charm for me - it's a chance to start over fresh, to be efficient, effective, creative, and dynamic. As noted in my last post, I've always clearly enjoyed the rigors of the school year. Because I am a nerd. And I am swooning over these glorified geeky, esoterically empowering, sexy ensembles that imply intelligence and connote charisma - with a dash of pearl accessories. And perhaps a purse with a long chain strap.
Like so many fellow nerds, and for that matter most of the American public, I have developed a passionate obsession with AMC's runaway hit Mad Men, and I worship unabashedly at the shrine of Joan. I won't re-hash the adoring odes of countless blogs, articles, and Mattel Barbie homages (I want one, but am too broke to justify the purchase), but suffice it to say that this 1960s vixen of an office manager is the picture of savvy and cool. Joan is constantly lauded for her no less than swerving curves and her ability to dress with total power and panache. Her body-conscious, structured dresses are usually vibrant or jewel-toned hues - sapphire, emerald, ruby, teal, violet, fuschia - and her separates have been to the tailor's before ever touching her sacrosanct skin. Her fiery updo is always flawless and her makeup is pristine. (I had great success scoring a J-wannabe sapphire shift at Macy's!)
Yet what really draws so many of us to Joan is her swagger - a term that generally drives me crazy (I do teach 7th and 8th grade English at an urban school, and the term invariably works its way into essays on Fitzgerald), but that's just what it is. Joan - all while dropping alarmingly charming bon mots and good-bad advice and referencing Ibsen plays - is a "boss lady" who knows the ins and outs of her office and is adept at reading people. She is organized, highly intelligent, gorgeous, and socially in demand, and she dresses herself with exuberance. She doesn't dwell on, apologize for, or whimper over any possible "faults" of her figure or style, but rather flaunts her assets and enjoys her outfits/coiffure every day. Certainly, Joan can be cutting and nasty, telling men she's dated the cold, hard truth about themselves in her devastatingly feminine and authoritative voice, but as she has said, "What part is wrong?..." This tough-as-nails woman does, however, have a vulnerable humanity that makes her character so intriguing. (She bursts into tears when Sterling Cooper's employees present her with a goodbye cake; she's not immune to falling for an impossible man ... not to mention a brutal secret between herself and her seemingly perfect doctor husband.)
Check out http://whatwouldjoando.tumblr.com/, an awesome blog that celebrates J.
There's something so charismatic about stunningly beautiful female characters who exude sometimes-offputting strength and vanity, yet have undeniable capacities for love and passion. (Perhaps they're all Scorpios.) Scarlett O'Hara, the quintessential belle of the ball, never had an antebellum ribbon or curl out of place, and prided herself on minimum inches (waist in corset) and maximum layers (ruffles over hoop skirt). Yet when wartime hit Tara and the South with the force of a hurricane, she got her hands dirty, stole herself a man with a viable business, shot a scavenger soldier, and fashioned an iconic gown out of some dusty curtains. I'd venture to say that, while many, many scholars, academics, stuff-shirts and haters at large (you know the type I mean) tend to judge/scorn girlish preening and self-adornment, no one can deny the incendiary force of a lady. A lady who loves, desires, schemes, thinks, feels deeply, revels in fabrics, colors, silhouettes, trinkets, and is always aware of the powerful combinations she can create. No matter that I'm not personally a terribly nasty person (my husband would probably be able to construct a decent case against that statement), I am - we all are - like moths to the flame when it comes to to these glamorous, often emotionally and mentally hard-core ladies. Hell on heels, indeed.
Traditonally, this persona is often a calculating sort, like my beloved Blair Waldorf, who could probably give Scarlett a run for her money in terms of dreaming, scheming, and style. Here's B on her first day of college, decked out in a garnet garment and Alexis Bittar jewels. Blair's mix of hardness (she can be really mean), passion and vulnerability is totally winning on-screen. Her fashion skills, though, are 100% formidable, straight no chaser. Here's a girl who never gets caught with dirty hair, snot-nosed allergies and a pit-stained wifebeater, squinting through her hours-old weed-high at an ex-boyfriend she's run into at a local CVS. (Just a random scenario .)
Although I began this entry eager to ramble about a specific, supremely confident, sometimes self-aggrandizing, ego-driven, and occasionally villainous vixen of a lady, my tongue is in my cheek, friends. Of course the true adulation goes to real-life class acts - like our First Lady Michelle Obama, whose poise and altruism and joyful personal style have earned her tons of accolades. She's always beautiful and ready to take care of business. Examples: vibrant jewel-toned shift: check; buttoned-up blazer, check; amazing camel coat and matching skirt, che-heck!....
All of this inspires me as a new school year begins. My lovely friend and fellow teacher S, a willowy, model-esque stunner and over-achiever, observed the other day that no
amount of ambition, drive, or killer clothing means a thing without grace. Grace, to me, means living with purpose and compassion, treating others kindly, and following your heart at all times. In my line of work, that means trying to faciliate rich conversations about literature with tweens, exhaustively red-penning kids' writing, grading ad nauseum and drilling for standardized test material. With coffee-breath and, once in a while, a Tuna-In-A-Bag snack exploding into the face during lunch. Not terribly glamorous stuff, but the modus operandi of the New Lady is to take pride in her work and her role at all times - whether it's ruling the secretarial pool, tackling the State Department of Labor, or yapping about the difference between your and you're.
amount of ambition, drive, or killer clothing means a thing without grace. Grace, to me, means living with purpose and compassion, treating others kindly, and following your heart at all times. In my line of work, that means trying to faciliate rich conversations about literature with tweens, exhaustively red-penning kids' writing, grading ad nauseum and drilling for standardized test material. With coffee-breath and, once in a while, a Tuna-In-A-Bag snack exploding into the face during lunch. Not terribly glamorous stuff, but the modus operandi of the New Lady is to take pride in her work and her role at all times - whether it's ruling the secretarial pool, tackling the State Department of Labor, or yapping about the difference between your and you're.
So I'm leaping into fall with Joan's work ethic and Michelle's generosity of spirit, hoping to be my strongest, most powerful self .
But if you wanted more snarkiness, here's a Bitchy Lady How-To, inspired by the more villainous of the lady-like chicks.
How to Be a Modern, Powerful Lady, a la Joan, Blair, et al:
(with some key wish-list items for Fall '10)
1. Be passionate - and honest - about your goals. Know what you want so you can go about getting it. Relentlessly.
(Black leather opera gloves, perfect for a film-noir night out)http://www.comparestoreprices.co.uk/images/as/aspinal-of-london-ladies-opera-gloves.jpg
2. Do not venture into bohemian/crunchy/art-groupie-wannabe territory. Nobody wants to smell your head-grease. Ever. Be constantly clean and meticulously groomed. (Uhh, again, aforementioned CVS/ex-boyfriend scenario is purely hypothetical.)
3. Put your best assets forward. Know what hairstyle, makeup, and clothing work for you - and make them your signature.
4. Don't ever apologize for being yourself - and don't take shit. The day is too short and the night is for fun.
5. Know. How. To. Flirt.
(Beautifully constructed, structured black day-bag with just enough hardware - Dolce and Gabanna) http://www.pursepage.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dolce-and-gabbana-miss-sicily-quilted-handbag.jpg
6. Know your work inside out and push yourself to excel. Competence is beautiful.
7. ... Seriously though ... although MSW loves a bitchy gal ... try to be gracious and kind. Most of us aren't starring in an epic drama or a splashy soap series. Don't take it all so seriously - pursue your passions with humor, love, and your beautiful smile.
(Keira Knightley in the season's ubiquitous, wear-it-and-be-happy camel coat: http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/0/3987/44_2008/972b1a5a794660ba_Keira_Knightley.jpg )
8. ... Oh, and I suppose a gold-plated pen necklace - to keep you punctual and organized - can't hurt. Remember to write down any glib one-liners that might come in handy when vanquishing the rare adversary you encounter.
Tally-ho: into the fall I go, hoping to take just a little of my own jocular advice - because a true lady knows that no matter what, she is always following her dreams.
xo - MSW
once again amy, you blow me away with your blog! now i understand where your inspiration came from for your rehearsal dinner outfit :) you should have included a pic of that!!
ReplyDeleteI love this blog!!!!
ReplyDeleteI spent an entire lonely hour on the plane thinking over Joan's devastating 2-minute take-down of poser Paul and still find it flawless. I think what makes Joan a great character is that despite her dominance in the office, in her social relations, and in her flings, her strength evaporates when it comes to her marriage and her professional ambitions. Why did she marry Rapist, MD and why is she still with him? And for someone so linguistically gifted, why hasn't she ever asked for more responsibility in an agency all about writing clever copy? I love Peggy, but c'mon, Joan could field-dress her.
I like to think Joan represents the absolute maximum authority a woman of her class could wield within the boundaries set for her. Joan uses every tool at her disposal to master her territory: her intellect, her wit, her beauty, and hell yes, her fashion. There are at least five mad women I would choose to sleep with over Joan, but none of them would grab my attention like her.
Though Joan commands her territory, her territorial ambitions are limited. Joan may be the head secretary, but she's still a secretary and doesn't appear to aspire to anything greater. She was in complete control in her flings with Paul and Roger, but as wife she accepts a traditionally subordinate role. When her husband is being a selfish dick, Joan fails to dissect him with the verbal sword-play we all know she's capable of. Instead, she hits him with a vase, cries, and runs away. She lets her husband get away with FAR MORE than anyone else. If Paul so much as placed a stray hand on Joan at work does anyone really believe he'd get it back?
It's always interesting to consider the weaknesses of strong figures and I think one of the most poignant scenes was when Peggy got her own office and Joan had to play secretary to a woman she used to advise and boss around. Despite her relative timidity, Peggy is acquiring authority in areas Joan never imagined. Just why a lioness like Joan doesn't even look longingly through the cage that holds her is the most fascinating feature of her character. Is she jealous of Peggy? Indignant at the site of a woman playing with the boys? I prefer to think it's a mix of jealousy and acceptance. We know Joan is sensitive about her age and I think she believes (falsely) that she is too old to leave the cage. A part of her is jealous of Peggy's promotion, but a much, much larger part tells her that her opportunity for such things has flown by and that she should hurry up and settle into married life - even if her husband is an incompetent, dickish rapist.
Anyway, looking forward to more posts!!!!!