Mad Men's Joan Holloway inspires hourglass dressing
Kate? Angelina? Agyness? Darlings, it's all about Joan. Donald Draper might be the macho heart of BBC4's hit series Mad Men, which returned to our screens this week, but Joan Holloway is its pulse.
To borrow a quote from PG Wodehouse, she looks as if she has been poured into her dress and has forgotten to say "when". Everything about Joan spilleth over.
No matter that the show is set in the Sixties and Joan's style is the hallmark of an era when what you looked like bought you far more currency than how you thought. Suddenly, that style seems right for now. Which is hardly surprising in today's economic climate, for which female employee, faced with the spectre of redundancy, hasn't thought about smartening up her act?
As I sit here in a paint-splattered T-shirt dress from Topshop, how do I know my boss wouldn't pass me over for an über-groomed Joan-a-like? Yesterday in the ladies loos I had never seen so many women fixing their make-up. It's as though a fresh coat of lipstick can ward off the P45 - a philosophy with which Joan would undoubtedly agree.
Happily for all Joan fans, the new spring season provides ample opportunities to embrace the hourglass shape. Roland Mouret has done most to modernise the classic Fifties day dress, adding origami-like twists and folds.
Hot on his heels (too hot, some might feel) is Victoria Beckham, a woman who you might imagine knows as much about curves as Fred Goodwin knows about poverty. Yet her first complete collection has a raft of clingy dresses tailor-made for Joan-esque curves.
On the high street, Banana Republic does a nice line in fitted shift dresses, while dear old M&S has a good selection, too.
For maximum impact, opt for a self-coloured dress (prints will detract from that all-important silhouette), swing a cardie over your shoulders and you're good to go.
