With the return of “Mad Men” to AMC this Sunday, Sterling Cooper’s attractive staff will raise the bar for contemporary cubicle-dwellers for the fifth season in a row. Along with the show’s cast, we’ll be thrown into the turbulence of 1966, when neon-colored plastic and the ubiquitous Twiggy kicked Mid-Century Modern to the curb. No doubt the characters will weather radically shifting social norms, a polarizing foreign war, and all kinds of inappropriate office politics with the grace of dapper, blueblood New Yorkers, martinis always in hand.
We don’t necessarily recommend boozing on the job, but here are 10 Mod essentials, circa 1966-ish, to smarten up your workday and make you feel worthy of Roger Sterling’s approval.
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The Beatles were never square and although skirts were short, you were still expected to wear nylons which were held with garter snaps.
The recommendation for lighter should have been a Zippo.
The Madison AVE culture tolerate “hot-pants” Fridays at the workplace yet, to go along with the Nancy Sinatra go-go boots?
This is a wonderful collection. You have to love this era and to see THE WHO included made my day! Great article Hunter
Having lived through that era I’d have to say that hosiery was not out but pantyhose was the latest thing and in, in, in. Pantyhose was the coolest – matching either your shoes or your dress (or skirt).
Hot pants weren’t in until about 1970. And, yes, I wore them to my office job at that time.
The portable typewriter more likely was in someone’s bedroom or dorm room – not in any office. My folks gave me one for my senior year in HS.
Agree that the Beatles were popular with teeny-boppers and did have some older fan base but I lost interest after age 13. The Rolling Stones and The Who were definitely my g-g-g-generation!
Thanks for the trip down memory lane, Hunter.
DD@Phila