1963 Fashion for Mad Men - Hair and Makeup

This will be the final installment in my series on actual fashions from 1963 as inspiration for Mad Men. I'm so glad you've enjoyed it! It's been a lot of fun for me. Mad Men Season 3 premieres Sunday night at 10pm on AMC. Don't miss it!

In 1963, we begin to see "big hair" and a definite change in makeup. Of the three main female characters, I would expect Joan to be the early adapter of these styles.

Jackie Kennedy's bouffant do is the hairstyle of the time. We see all kinds of variations, with pageboy flips, lots of teasing, and height on top of the head. Hairstyles are held in place with lots of aerosol hairspray.


The bubble hairstyle also continues to be popular, but with more height.

For evening, hair becomes very elaborate and tall. Women use rats, falls, and even wigs to accomplish the look.

One has to wonder how much her head weighs with all that hair!

Makeup starts to change radically at this time. Revlon has a brand new product - powder blush. The emphasis moves from a strong brow and lip to a strong eye. Red lipstick is now passé. Lighter pinks rule.

Thick eyeliner and lots of mascara are used on eyes now. False eyelashes start to show up for evening. Light blue eyeshadow is just around the corner.

Brows are still very groomed, but are no longer "drawn on" with heavy brow makeup.

I would like to thank Vix for sharing this wonderful Vanity Fair interview with Mad Men costume designer Janie Bryant. It's a great read, and you'll get some insight into why Janie dresses some of the characters as she does.