Reese Witherspoon wasn't allowed to wear black until she was 15.

The 'Hot Pursuit' actress revealed that people in Southern America rarely wore dark clothing and she only got her first pair of black trousers when she was in her mid-teens and so the garments she is selling in her Draper James clothing collection will mainly consist of more vibrant and rich colours and patterns.

She revealed: ''We don't do black. Our black is navy. People wear black to funerals. I didn't wear black at all when I was young and was only allowed to buy my first pair of black pants when I was 15.''

And talking about her fashion line and the cultural differences in the South, she told The Wall Street Journal newspaper: ''Matching items, like matching your shoes to you handbag, is not a bad thing in the South. It's a return to pretty clothes. We also do a lot with bright colours and patterns.''

The Louisiana-born actress also revealed some strict rules about dressing that she has been brought up on, including wearing jogging pants which are a definite no-go at the dinner table.

She added: ''There are rules of dressing. You put your clothes and face on like a suit of armour to start the day. You're always dressed before 10am. We dress to sit on airplanes and to sit at the theatre. Nobody wears sweatpants to go to dinner.''