Anything but Expensive

The Show: Anything But Love, ABC, 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays.

The Setup: Hannah Miller (Jamie Lee Curtis) weasels her way onto the staff of a Chicago city magazine where the boss lady, Catherine Hughes (Ann Magnuson) keeps the neophyte journalist double-checking her facts. Veteran staffer offers Miller helpful Ps and Qs , while viewers wait for romance to bloom between them.

The Look: For Curtis, last season’s bizarre fashion combos (mannish fedoras and feminine floral skirts, for instance) have been replaced by very classic sportswear. Red, a favorite color of hers, seems to be the color of choice this season. (Ever notice how often TV anchorwomen wear it? The color stands out on camera.)

Working women climbing the corporate ladder will relate to the Miller character’s wardrobe. “We don’t dress Jamie in expensive designer clothing every week, she couldn’t afford it,” says Williams, though she admits there is one Armani jacket hanging in the cub reporter’s “closet.” Williams says she budgeted carefully to be able to afford it, “just like Miller herself would have to do.”

Magnuson sports a ho-hum, high-ticket “fashion victim” look. But Lewis makes an untypical fashion statement, for a man, by straddling the line between corporate and romantic with his dress-for-success vests and his sensual, silk poet shirts worn without a necktie.

The Sources: Surprisingly, Williams shops mail-order catalogues for Miller’s wardrobe basics. Favorites include J. Crew, Tweeds and Clifford & Willis. When she goes shopping, the costumer categories her stores according to her characters. She relies on Nordstrom, Bullock’s, Maxfield, Ecru and Greta for Magnuson’s tony togs. Lewis’ wardrobe warrants trips to contemporary-minded shops such as Fred Segal and Traffic at Beverly Center. For Miller, Williams pops in on The Gap, The Limited and California designer Mark Eisen’s showroom.

The Payoff: Williams’ greatest challenge by far is dressing the boss, Catherine the Clotheshorse. Executive producers Robert Myman and Peter Noah mandate a “no repeats” on her outfits. Williams says she tries to keep Magnuson’s cost per ensemble around $800.