Simple Clothes, Complex Hairdos

The Movie: “Sleepless in Seattle”

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The Setup: Fairy-tale romance concerning Baltimore journalist Annie Reed (Meg Ryan, pictured) and a lonely widower in Seattle, Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks, pictured), whom she hears on a call-in radio show.

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The Costume Designer: Judy Ruskin, whose work appeared in “Born on the Fourth of July,” “City Slickers” and “Man Trouble.”

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The Look: Ryan is this summer’s second fashion conservative among female leads. (“Dave” first lady Sigourney Weaver was the other.) Ryan looks pleasant, not original. But fashion traditionalists deserve movies, too, and they should enjoy Ryan’s add-a-pearl necklace, gored mid-calf skirts with jackets, shawl-collar coats, burgundy velvet party dress at Christmas and puffy off-the-shoulder evening dress for New Year’s Eve.

Hanks’ wardrobe is mostly rumpled catalogue basics--hooded sweat shirts, sweat pants, waffle-weave polo shirts and an ocher rain jacket--a look both time-honored and comfortable.

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Hair Watch: Ryan’s quiet wardrobe is topped by a mind-boggling succession of gravity-defying ponytails and twists similar to those worn by brides. The ‘dos are so complex (and so out of character for a down-to-Earth newspaper reporter) that you can almost hear the director shouting, ‘ ‘HAIRDRESSER!” to mend falling strands on the set.

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Hit: Ryan’s cashmere sweater set with loose trousers, a 20th-Century classic.

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Miss: Her knee-length white slip (no teddy for her) is just plain dowdy.

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Hemline Watch: Gradations from mid-knee down to the ankle for Ryan.

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Quoted: “Nora (director Ephron) wanted Meg to be a timeless, classic figure. The idea was, she’s a girl who’s pure of heart. We didn’t want her to show up in a black miniskirt and low-cut tight sweater,” said Ruskin.

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Sources: Ruskin designed most of Ryan’s clothes. The Christmas dress was modified from a dress from Patina on La Brea. The cashmere sweaters are by TSE Cashmere. Hanks’ clothes only looked like they came by mail order. “Nothing was ordered from a catalogue,” assured Ruskin. His rain jacket is from C. P. Co. in New York.