A Fashion Statement to Call Her Very Own

The Series: “The Susan Powter Show” (weekday mornings at 11 on KCAL, Channel 9).

The Setup: The nouveau-thin “Stop the Insanity” infomercial czarina chats it up on talk show.

The Look: Compared to Powter, Sally Jessy Raphael looks like Ivana Trump. But the nice thing about her potent concoction of white buzz cut, acrylic nails and incessant pairings of slacks and spike heels is that there’s no confusing her with Marilu Henner or anyone else on the dial.

In That Case, Vogue Won’t Be Calling: “I was desperately afraid of the ‘Talk Show Hostess Syndrome,’ where you put on the Chanel suit and have that look ,” Powter says . “I look like a transsexual in that look anyway. Why do I have to have a look? I don’t put on a blouse and go, ‘Oh, oh, oh, I wonder if anyone else is doing it?’ If there is any look or style at all--and I don’t presume there is ever--it isn’t contrived. It just is. I don’t spend that much time thinking about it.”

On Those Nails: “So fake, don’t ask. You have a fashion exclusive--all my life, I have been the worst nail-biter ever. I don’t have pretty nails. I don’t have pretty hands. I was never going to put on acrylic nails, but now I do. Fake, fake, fake, fake, fake.”

On That Hair: “It’s not platinum, it’s white. And it’s very simple. I can’t wear fluffy stuff around the neck real well. In big prints I look like a clown without the wig, and I don’t look good with big earrings--I look like I came from a drag show.”

On Shoes: “I have a real foot thing--I broke both of my feet. The shoes I have on right now I stole from my manager’s closet.”

On Comfort: “I do care about fashion. I don’t do ugly comfortable. But I can’t be binded. The comfort thing is important. People don’t get up and dress to the nines every day. If a skirt works, yeah. I don’t do a skirt just to wear a skirt.”

On Places to Shop: “I wear anything that works. I’m on my way to a discount mall. If I find something, I’ll buy it.”