Style in the First Degree

The Series: “Sweet Justice” (NBC, Thursday, 9 p.m.).

The Setup: Intense Kate Delacroy (Melissa Gilbert, pictured left) joins the law firm of wise, seasoned Carrie Grace Battle (Cicely Tyson, pictured right) in fight for justice somewhere in the South.

The Costume Designer: Nanrose Buchman, whose credits include two seasons on the series “Fame,” as well as several movies of the week. (Betsy Cox designed costumes for the pilot.)

The Look: Leslie Abramson and Marcia Clark, are you watching? Authentic trial attorneys could learn a thing or two from this consistently stylish, professional-looking pair. Notice that their legs are never on parade, although young Kate’s knees definitely are; that they never look flashy; that their hairdos are under complete control.

The Details: As the enormously chic elder stateswoman, Carrie favors soft suits--either made from knits or from traditional suit fabrics cut in feminine shapes--and adds very little else, other than quirky, owl-like reading glasses; a Cartier-style tank watch, and a neat Jackie Kennedy bouffant streaked with gray. Even though Kate’s courtroom hairpieces--buns and braids--should be ruled inadmissible, she really can pep up a straightforward jacket, straight skirt and trousers with a strategically placed antique brooch or necklace and “T-shirt” of cashmere, silk or rayon. Oh, and spike-heeled pumps.

You Should Know: Pay attention and you actually see Kate repeat clothing from episode to episode. The character is dressed from a pre-shopped wardrobe of 16 suits (to be worn late summer through fall), which means she dresses pretty much as a real woman does. For instance, she wears the jacket of a pearl gray pantsuit with a black straight skirt. Or she wears the pantsuit with a black T-shirt, a white T-shirt or no shirt.

Hit: The vague Southern locale offers many of the characters radiating around the principals to appear in, if not antebellum, then quaint old picture-frame hats, pearls, upswept Miss America hairdos, floral chiffon dresses and scarves galore. Attorney Ross A. Ross (Jim Antonio) looks properly genteel in bow ties and vests.

Hemline Watch: Two or three inches above the knee for Kate, mid-knee for Carrie.

Quoted: “I tuned in to Court TV. You see a lot of navy suits and shell blouses, pretty much off-the-rack things that aren’t particularly well-tailored,” Buchman says .

Sources: Kate’s suits are mostly Barneys New York private label, Isabel Ardee (at Barneys) and Nik Janik from Neiman Marcus. Some of the antique jewelry belongs to Gilbert. Carrie wears primarily the Armani and Yves Saint Laurent labels; the eyeglasses are Tyson’s. The bow ties are from Brooks Brothers and Nordstrom.