The Real Secret Of Well Dressed Women

Every week I watch Mad Men on AMC and marvel at office manager Joan Holloway's wardrobe. 


Not because a size 12 woman can look fabulously chic while the audience is obsessed with being a size 2 (although, admittedly, that is part of it), but because she's always, hands-down, the best dressed female at the agency.


Joan, you see, is smart in picking colours.


And that's probably the best kept secret of well dressed women. They own fewer clothes but each garment suits them perfectly, from cut to colour.


What colours suit you? You'd be surprised that not everyone can carry off head-to-toe black, the go-to uniform of most women. Below are some basics, courtesy of a really useful Colour Me Beautiful course I took two years ago. And since we're talking Mad Men, let's use their characters to illustrate the six colour types.

If you're a Light like Betty Draper (left), you've got blonde or very light hair, pale coloured eyes, pale lashes and brows, porcelain skin. You're made for dusty rose, sky blue, apple green and pastels. Investment buys for you are taupe, cocoa and pewter which can take the place of black. Avoid wearing two dark colours together; wear a light-coloured scarf over a black coat in winter.

Joan is a Warm. You too are a Warm if you've got red-toned hair from strawberry blonde to auburn, reddish or blonde lashes, red to brown brows and green, brown or blue eyes. You'd look great in teal, chocolate, tangerine and lime. Your dominant undertone is yellow, so steer clear of icy pastels. Investment buys for you are moss, bronze and grey green.

Remember Sally Draper's teacher, Suzanne Farrell (left)? She's a Deep. Deeps are brunettes with dark eyes, dark brows and lashes and skin that ranges from porcelain to black. Strong, vibrant colours like turquoise and emerald green were made for you; avoid pastels which can wash you out. Investment buys for you include dark navy, black-brown and charcoal.

Jennifer Crane (right), Harry's wife, is a Soft. You share the same qualities if you've got dark blonde or light brown hair, eyes that are soft and muted like hazel and little contrast between your hair, eyes and skin. Look for light periwinkles, taupe, mint and blush pink. You're made for monochromatic looks -- tone on tone -- with little contrast. Investment buys for you would be rose brown, stone and pewter.

Jane Sterling (right), Don Draper's former secretary and Roger Sterling's young wife, is a Clear. Clears are characterised by high contrast: Dark hair, bright eyes which are the most striking feature, dark brows and lashes. A true red would look good on you, mint and black. A contrast of light and dark colours is always your safest bet. Investment buys would be black, purple and royal blue.

It was a challenge finding a photo of her, but Dorothy Campbell (right), Pete Campbell's mother, is a Cool. Cools have ash tones to their hair, whether it's dark brown, blonde, white or grey. They also have grey, blue or clear brown eyes and blondish to dark brown brows and eyes. If you're a Cool, your undertones are pink and you'd look best in colours such as icy green, blue-red and light aqua. Investment buys include spruce, teal and grey.


The above are master palettes. Each type has secondary colours based on skin tone to further whittle down the choices and ensure a perfect match. 


Knowing your colours will help you make the right choices, whether it's picking an interview outfit, purging your closet or deciding between t-shirt hues at a shop. And with the economy the way it is, who needs to waste money on clothes that don't look good? 


So take a page out of Joan's book. Take the guesswork out of your colours; look like a million bucks always. Getting to the well dressed list can be that dead simple.