Goodbye Betty Draper-Francis - A Look Back at Her 7 Most Iconic 'Mad Men' Fashion Moments!
With Mad Men's series finale just a few days away, it's time to say goodbye to one of television's most fashionable females.
For the past seven seasons we've watched January Jones transform into Betty Draper/Francis, Don icy ex-wife whose emotional roller-coaster of a life never stopped her from always looking fabulous. We've seen her in high-end couture, camping glam, and plus-sized perfection, and now we've realized that the secret to her epic wardrobe is thanks to behind-the-scenes favoritism.
"I think consistently throughout all the seasons, it's been Betty for me," Janie Bryant, the head costume designer for Mad Men, told ETonline when asked to name her favorite character to design for.
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"Her character always inspired me and January always inspired me too," Bryant explained. "She's so beautiful and also January is so completely opposite of Betty, personality wise. January is one of the funniest people I have ever met in my whole entire life and Betty is so not funny."
Regardless of her sense of humor (or should we say, lack thereof) fashion fans could always count on Betty to step into a scene looking gorgeous. "It doesn't matter if she's fat or thin or anything in between, her main goal is still to be beautiful," Bryant spilled.
To celebrate the end of an era, we're taking a look back with Bryant at seven of Betty most iconic fashion moments.
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1. The Saddest Clown:
Although it was rare, Betty hasn't always looked effortlessly chic on the AMC series. Bryant recalled one scene in season two where Betty's emotional wreck turned into a fashion train wreck. "I loved the episode -- I think it's "A Night to Remember" -- when Betty wears, what I call, her sad clown dress," Bryant remembered.
"It was just so tragic with the big polka dots. She really comes to terms with Don having these affairs and the dress just crumples -- just like Betty's emotional state," she said
2. Galas Galore:
Each and every time Betty got all dolled up for some lavish event, Bryant got a special thrill when designing her gowns. "I love all the gala scenes," she said. "I love all the formal wear. I love it when all the men and women are dressed to the nines. That is totally what I get off on -- I love it."
3. Fat Betty:
Fans were shocked and amused in season five to find that Betty had gained a much fuller figure and Bryant was elated by the character change as well. "It was amazing! I loved it," the costume designer recalled. "It was incredible. I always say to January and tease her a bit, 'Don’t you remember in season [five] when you were Fat Betty? We had the best time and we laughed so hard!' and she always says to me, 'Well Janie you were laughing I don’t know if I was laughing as much.'"
Bryan explained that designing for Jones in a fat suit proved to be a fun and unique challenge. "I loved it because it was like creating costumes for a whole different character and I totally respected January's fearlessness," she said.
4. Betty's Coming Out Party:
"One of my favorite costume moments of all time is when we see Betty after she's lost the weight," Bryant gushed. "She's thin with that yellow formal gown at the political ball with Henry and that man makes a pass at her. That was like Betty's coming out party and it was fantastic."
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5. Season 2 Stunner:
When it comes to Betty's closest, it's hard to pin-point which season was best, but Bryant said the series sophomore year, which took place in 1962, has a special place in her heart. "I loved season two for story I think that was my favorite," she explained. "I just loved the costumes for season two -- Betty was stunning that whole season."
6. Barbie Betty:
In 2010, Mattel immortalized four of our favorite Man Men characters in Barbie and Ken form as part of their fashion-model collection and Bryant was instrumental in the design process of all four dolls – including Barbie Betty.
"It was actually one of the first times I was ever star struck when I went to Mattel to see how Barbies were made," she said. "That was my first love, designing clothes for Barbie, so I couldn't believe that I was there. It was like an out-of-body experience since I'm obsessed with Barbie."
7. Every Where's a Runway:
It doesn't matter if Betty's at the grocery store slapping her neighbors, or fuming at a camp picnic after her son traded away her sandwich, Betty's main goal is to always look fabulous. "She really is this superficial character, but it always inspired me in terms of her costume designs because it was all about creating the costumes for her that [makes it look like] she's untouchable."
Mad Men's series finale airs Sunday at 10 p.m. on AMC.
What was your favorite Betty ensemble? Are you sad to see Mad Men go? Sound off in the comments below or chat with @LeanneAguilera on Twitter!
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