The Show: Murphy Brown / “Over 40...

The Show: Murphy Brown / “Over 40 and Fabulous.”

The look: Having established her style last season, Murphy (Candice Bergen, at left) adds lively animal prints, perky plaids, textured tweeds, leggy dresses and increased amounts of dramatic jewelry to her new, fall wardrobe. As before, the over-age-40 newscaster shuns power suits for corporate sexy looks. Eye-catching colors are key--red, teal and fuchsia. Mismatched jackets (on the long side), body-hugger skirts and pants replace monochrome combos. The hair is still the same--a teased blond mane. Costumer Bill Hargate built the look, and that earned him an Emmy nomination in the show’s first season.

The labels: Staples in Murphy’s working wardrobe are by Ralph Lauren, Anne Klein and one of Bergen’s personal favorites, Donna Karan. An occasional European name--Gianfranco Ferre or Patrick Kelly--infiltrates her closet, but Hargate favors the New York designer look, because Murph is based in Washington.

The stores: Barney’s New York, Mr. Frank’s in Hollywood (particularly for pants), Saks and Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills, are Hargate’s stomping grounds for the basics. He haunts Repeat Performance on Melrose for Bergen’s vintage jewelry.

The personal-style dial: Hargate chalks up points in the credibility department for Brown’s dressing-down approach on weekends. Funky kimonos, jeans and big, comfortable sweaters and even unkempt hair (she shoves it into a baseball cap) are typical of Brown’s schleppy off-time look. Hargate says viewers “enjoy seeing the other side of a glamorous movie star like Candice.”

The payoff: Though Hargate might spent $1,500 on one outfit (excluding shoes) for the Brown character, her trademark, vintage lapel and collar pins, run Hargate as little as $12 at his favorite resale shops.