Women of Mad Men's Hair

Mad Men Season 7, Episode 1- Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson - Photos Photo Credit: Jordin Althaus

The end is coming soon for AMC's long-running, critically-acclaimed "Mad Men", which wraps up the second half of its final season with seven episodes starting in March of 2015.

Although I'll miss the spectacularly complex characters, the eye popping period costumes and complicated plots, I'll miss the women of "Mad Men's" hair the most.

The lives of the fascinating women who played a key part in the ad agency full of  '60s-era movers and shakers were reflected in their various  period hair styles.

Since the award winning series premiered on July 19, 2007, the transition of the hairstyles of all of the "Mad Men" characters, men and women, has been nothing short of magnificent.

List Of Mad Men's Female Stars

Mad Men Season 7 Episode 06 - Christina Hendricks as Joan Harris - Photo Credit: Justina Mintz/AMC

Although there have been guest characters over the years with interesting 60s inspired hair, for me the "Mad Men" women I've been most obsessed with have been:

1.  Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson

3.  January Jones as Betty Draper

5.  Kiernan Shipka as Sally Draper

The women of "Mad Men's" hair has always been one of my favorite sinful obsessions.

Whether you loved or hated particular characters, plot lines or show themes, for me, the hairstyles presented always provided subtle footnotes and hidden messages.

I confess there were moments I would gawk at some of the coifs showcased.

Elisabeth Moss As Peggy Olson

Mad Men Season 1, Episode 9 - Left to Right - Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) and Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks) - Photo Credit: Carin Baer/AMC

Joining Sterling Cooper as the broken Don Draper's naive bouffant styled secretary, Peggy Olson has achieved great success ultimately landing as a head copywriter at Cutler, Gleason and Chaough.

From being a secretary to having one, Peggy Olson has also discovered the intense pressures and searing loneliness at the top.

She's also learned about all the painful rejection and suffering office love affairs could cause for her.

Mad Men - Betty Draper (January Jones) - Photo Credit - Carin Baer/AMC

Peggy's hairstyles transitioned along with her unfolding self-knowledge, career successes and unhappy love life.

Her big teased hair bubble was ultimately replaced by a big chop along with a series of sleek stark bobs appropriate for the period.

As a woman struggling to achieve her career ambitions Peggy struggled with balancing her femininity with being one of the boys.

Her hairstyles perfectly reflected her challenges as she traveled her own private circle of hell.

Christina Hendricks as Joan Harris

The career success of iconic red tressed Joan Harris was equally as impressive as that of Peggy Olson.

Mad Men Season 7 Gallery - Characters/Actors:Betty Francis (January Jones), Sally Draper (Kiernan Shipka), Megan Draper (Jessica Pare), Don Draper (Jon Hamm), Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) and Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks) - Photo Credit: Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC

As  original office manager and head of the secretarial pool at Sterling Cooper, the outspoken Joan showcased a series of intricate updos which towered on top of her gorgeous head.

After a long-term affair with Roger Sterling and a failed marriage to Dr. Harris, Joan won a full partnership in Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce (SCDP).

Megan Calvet (Jessica Pare) - Photo Credit - Michael Yarish/AMC - All Rights Reserved

How did she snag a partnership?  She agreed to sleep with a Jaguar executive.

The fiery red haired Joan showcased both the good and bad aspects of sleeping her way literally to the top of Sterling Cooper.

Regardless of the era the show progressed to, Joan has always been well put together, with a sassy, sexy undercurrent in keeping with the times.

Many fans and hair experts have always consider Don Draper's ex-wife and mother of their three children, Sally, Bobby, and Eugene Scott to be the most beautiful of all the "Mad Men" women.

Jessica Pare as Megan Draper
Photo Credit:Michael Yarish/AMC

She was the classic trophy wife tasked with making her husband look good while staying at home in dull suburbia, raising the children and still managing to keep every hair in place.

Her blonde hair has always been picture perfect whether styled into a classic flip she wore on Season 1 or 2 to the glamorous upswept in Season 7.

Along the way as Betty struggled with her own inner demons she has dyed her hair a range of hues to distract herself from the grinding unhappiness she has struggled with.

Her style and beautiful blonde looks are often compared to Grace Kelly.

Jessica Pare as Megan Draper
Photo Credit - Justina Mintz/AMC

According to "Mad Men" history, Betty Draper was raised in the Philadelphia suburb of Elkins Park, Pennsylvania.

She was a graduate of Bryn Mawr College.

After moving to Manhattan to model,  she met Don who was smitten with her breathtaking beauty.  They  married soon thereafter.

At the start of the iconic "Mad Men" series, Don and Betty had been married for seven years (1953–1960) and were living in Ossining, New York.

Over the course of the first two seasons, Betty gradually becomes aware of her husband's constant womanizing.

Description - Mad Men Season 1, Episode 2
Characters/Actors:Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and Kiernan Shipka (Sally Draper)
Photo Credit - Doug Hyun/AMC

From the outside looking in, Betty seems to have it all.

She's blonde and beautiful with a handsome husband and lovely family.

As "Mad Men" viewers glimpsed the truth about how imperfect Betty's life really was, her hair changed to reflect her inner angst.

Her chronic unhappiness grew as she went through a divorce from the unfaithful Don, a remarriage to Henry Francis and a strained relationship with her children.

Mad Men Season 7, Episode 7 - Like Mother - Like Daughter - Kiernan Shipka as Sally Draper and January Jones as Betty Francis - Photo Credit: Michael Yarish/AMC

After her marriage to Henry, Betty dyed her hair to distract herself from the realization she's slowly becoming like Henry's waspish dowdy coiffed mother, Pauline Francis.

When Jessica Paré made her first appearance on "Mad Men" in Season 4 as Don Draper's new secretary she became an instant media sensation.

If Megan Draper reminded you of someone famous, maybe it was 1960s supermodel Veruschka famous for her sexy voluminous hair during the "Mad Men" era.

Big sixties hair full of raw sexiness has never really gone out of style.

Mad Men Season 4 - Betty Draper (January Jones) and Sally Draper (Kiernan Shipka) - Photo Credit - Ron Jaffe/AMC

Hairstylists love big hair, the bigger the better, since it gives them so many options to fashion unique hair creations.

Everyone from Megan Draper to Angelina Jolie and Beyoncé have had their big 60s hair moments directly or indirectly inspired by Veruschka's hairstyles.

Big hair in the sixties was often achieved with lots of backcombing, hidden ratts, wiglets or a combination of big hair building tricks.

Ironically the perpetually clueless Don Draper's marriage to the beautiful Megan wasn't any more successful or emotionally fulfilling than his union with former model Betty Draper.

Mad Men - Season 5, Episode 7 - Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and Sally Draper (Kiernan Shipka) - Photo - Credit: Ron Jaffe/AMC

Megan Draper's movie star good looks ultimately motivated her to seek fame and fortune as an actress.

Eventually landing in Hollywood  her hair perfectly transitioned to enhance her career goals and distance from her decaying marriage to Don.

One of the biggest overall hair transformations for Megan has been her transition from wearing professional secretary hair to the unchained cool, mod Megan after her marriage to Don.

Fans and critics of the show have noted how Megan's hair and fashions have changed her into a Sharon Tate replica during Season 7.

Kiernan Shipka as Sally Draper

Mad Men Season 6
Henry Francis (Christopher Stanley), Bobby Draper (Mason Vale Cotton), Betty Francis (January Jones), Gene Draper (Evan and Ryder Londo), Sally Draper (Kiernan Shipka), Megan Draper (Jessica Pare) and Don Draper (Jon Hamm)
Photo Credit - Frank Ockenfels/AMC

Mad Men viewers have watched Sally Draper grow up right onscreen. 

As Sally transitioned their different ages she tried out different personas and identities along with different hair colors, lengths and styles.

Mad Men_Season 6, Episode 4 - Megan Draper (Jessica Pare) and Don Draper (Jon Hamm)
Photo Credit - Jordin Althaus/AMC

From the first time she appeared in Season 1 as a fragile little girl to Season 7 when a wary Sally transformed into a beautiful swan we've watched her change.

Don and Betty's daughter has experienced her own share of life's struggles inherited from two terminally broken parents.

In some respects she's assumed some of their baggage.

Sally has long struggled with a difficult to watch icy relationship with her mother.

Ironically Betty's sullen outspoken daughter has grown up to be a perfect Betty mini-me.

Description: Mad Men Season 4 Gallery
Don Draper (Jon Hamm)
Photo Credit:Frank Ockenfels/AMC

Don and Betty's daughter has been manipulated by her mother in a number of scenarios resulting in Sally becoming just as manipulative and mean as her creator.

Along the way Sally's childlike hairstyles have morphed along with her character resulting in some serious hair helmets in Season 7.

Big hair has certainly been noteworthy throughout the entire "Mad Men" run.

Summary - Women of Mad Men's Hair

When studying the key women of "Mad Men" over the course of the seven seasons their hairstyle transitions matched the character's evolutions.

Nothing on "Mad Men" ever happens by accident.

That includes the evolution of the various hairstyles worn by the primary "Mad Men" female characters which has been magnificent.