Every 5 years or so a television show goes beyond the realm of basic entertainment, blurring the line between fantasy and reality and infusing popular culture with its catchphrases and sense of style. At least one out of every three women you know has at one time or another (naively) convinced themselves they could dress like a downmarket Carrie Bradshaw or rock a 'Rachel'.
For men, however, the self-obsessed, narcissistic and, frankly, pretty damn cool anti-hero of Mad Men is the latest television character to have such an impact. It’s also somewhat ironic that the part of Don Draper was written by women.
Not only has the show spawned its own line of don't-fuck-with-me-I-work-in-advertising suits in the US, but an increasing number of gents are quiffing their barnets in homage to the execs of early 60s Madison Avenue.
The problem is that quiffed hairstyles aren't particularly easy to achieve without the right know-how. Rather than ask creepy Morrissey fans how to style the perfect quiff, we quizzed celebrity stylist Oliver Woods:
"I’m currently using this look on Robbie Williams; but bringing it more over to one side for a modern twist on the classic. I would start by applying a lot of gel spray, such as Garnier Fructis Style Hard Gel Spray, and then add a little mousse, to give the hair more texture. [Blow] dry the hair with a comb, lifting up from the root to create volume. Then use the comb to dry the hair into the middle from either side, creating a circle effect. To finish, smooth the quiff over."
Complete the look with an aggressive ad-exec mentality and some lightweight sexual harassment by the photocopier to keep the Mad Men aesthetic truly authentic.
