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Mad Men Season 6 is set to premiere in the US on April 7th. *squee*

The program’s creator, Matthew Weiner, has confirmed the show will jump ahead in time, but, ever cryptic, he won’t say by how much. Since he had previously stated he wanted to end the show in the present day and he also confirmed this is the second to last season, there’s been even more speculation, with some fans suggesting the new season will be set in the seventies. However, based on the promo photos and episode stills that were “leaked” (c’mon we all know these were intentionally released as teasers to generate interest and build excitement), I feel fairly certain that we’ll stay in the late sixties.

There are some era clues found in the fashion worn in the Mad Men Season 6 “leaked” images.

Look at what people are wearing: their clothing and their hairstyles- not just the main players, but those in the background as well. On the men: Tuxes and sport coats are not as colorful or ruffled as in the seventies and the bowties, collars and lapels are not as jumbo sized. Men’s hair is still fairly short. Sideburns have appeared, but they are small and close-cropped, as opposed to large, bushy chops. On the ladies: The swimsuit cuts are not yet as skimpy as string bikinis and the prints are almost psychedelic- bright, floral, paisley and the sunglasses, no longer catseye, are colorful and round, but not yet as bug-shaped or oversized as the seventies models. The aviator style is not yet in vogue. Hair is getting longer on men and women. Ladies are going naturally wavy and voluminous on top, with the side often clipped up and the back loose in the late sixties. The ends might be flippy, but wings ala Farrah Fawcett are not yet popular. Evening wear is still pretty structured and midlength, still using sateens and tafettas with cinched waists, as opposed to long, flowy goddess style dresses in sheer, gauzy fabrics or, < insert deity here > forbid, polyester.

Not only are there clues in the attire, but also remember that this show likes to incorporate socially significant events from the era. There are too many from just prior to the seventies to ignore (i.e. continuation of the Vietnam War, Martin Luther King assassination, Robert Kennedy assassination, the space exploration race with Russia, civil unrest around the world, nuclear testing, bra burning feminism, the death of Andy Warhol, Hippie movement, Woodstock, desegregation of schools, flight of the Concorde, Pele, Ralph Nader’s consumer advocacy, etc…), just to name a few. This is too vital and volatile of a time to omit. However, with previous interviews indicating Weiner’s intent to end the show in the present day, I wonder what will get glossed over in the remaining episodes in order to put us there.
So, let me go on record as predicting Mad Men will not resume in the seventies this season, but that we’ll only jump a few months to, say, late 1967-early 1968.

We’ll find out in a month…!!!!