SCREEN STYLE : The Picture of Modesty The Movie: “Sommersby”

The Setup: In 1867, Jack Sommersby (Richard Gere, pictured), returns from the Civil War to his rural Tennessee town; his wife, Laurel (Jodie Foster, pictured), and child. After his long absence, however, his true identity is uncertain.

The Costume Designer: Marilyn Vance-Straker, whose previous films include “Used People,” “The Untouchables,” “Pretty Woman,” “The Rocketeer,” “Die Hard,” “Die Hard 2,” “Romancing the Stone” and “48 Hours.”

The Look: Vance-Straker’s gorgeous palette of musty, deep colors--wines and aubergines, coppers and rusty browns--mirrors the peeling paint on the Sommersbys’ Greek Revival house. These are good clothes but, like the people wearing them, they have seen better days. They may be the town’s biggest landowners, but the Sommersbys are simple, country folk now struggling for survival. Vance-Straker says she scaled down Laurel’s hoop skirts to drive home the point.

Textiles are particularly pretty. Laurel’s wardrobe includes velvets, wool paisleys and damasks that aren’t showy but do have a sense of importance, and Jack’s frock coats are made of velvet-like corduroy. Notice the antique buttons of glass, jet and elk horn; hand-crocheted edges on nightgowns, and even hand-worked snoods and mitts.

The Sex Appeal Factor: Thankfully, Foster isn’t dressed in gratuitous decollete numbers. Even when she’s stripped down to her corset, you don’t feel like it’s peekaboo time. Likewise, Gere doesn’t work the fields bare-chested; instead, he wears billowing white shirts that are romantic but virile.

Quoted: “You remember the opening of ‘Gone With the Wind?’ We wanted to avoid anything shiny, brightly colored or elaborate like that. This is a modest family,” says Vance-Straker.

Hit: The courtroom scene showing a collection of male characters sporting different shirt and tie styles. The fashion options included wing collars of varying heights, turn-down collars, small to enormously large floppy bow ties, cravats and knotted ties. Some of these could be tried at home, but not the super floppies.

Miss: Foster’s precision-coiffed hair and hairpieces don’t ring true to her circumstances.

Sources: Most costumes were made in Los Angeles and Hot Springs, Va., at the production company’s home base. Western Costume and Sylvia’s Costumes did much of the local work, as did L.A.’s John Hayles. Harry Hatz made many of Gere’s and Foster’s hats, while Studio Metal Arts fashioned her ruby brooch.