From Slicker to Sleeker

The Movie: “Two If by Sea.”

The Setup: Bookstore cashier Roz (Sandra Bullock, pictured) and her petty thief boyfriend, Frank (Denis Leary), steal a Matisse painting and hide out in a posh, and fortuitously vacant, East Coast beach house.

The Costume Designer: Olga Dimitrov, a theater, film and television designer in Czechoslovakia whose American credits include “Johnny Mnemonic,” “Dead Zone,” “Silence of the North” and “In Praise of Older Women.”

The Look: Much like our heroine in “Sabrina,” Roz undergoes a fashion transformation. At first, her wardrobe consists of cute but faddish items, such as a vinyl trench, that type her as an average mall rat. When she finds a closet full of preppy classics in the house she temporarily inhabits, Roz blossoms into a Town & Country cover girl, wearing wheat-colored riding breeches and a sweater for a romantic romp on the beach. How convenient that these beautiful clothes are just her size--a vibrant red, Chanel-style suit; a yachting ensemble (full white sailor pants, red Nautica jacket); and a red sweater set, matching red capri pants and even red sneakers. (The olive-skinned actress looks particularly good in strong colors, Dimitrov says.)

Bad Hair Day: Yes, it’s part of the script, but America’s favorite brunet appearing as a purposely botched bleached blond doesn’t fly. When her hair’s twisted into ringlets, it’s a new coif low. But Leary, who co-wrote the script, disagrees: “She’s Sandra Bullock. If her hair was green, she’d still be sexy. If she were bald, she’d still be sexy,” he says.

Hemline Watch: Whatever else critics have to say about the movie, this should register as the film where Sandra Bullock shows off her body without sacrificing her wholesome attractiveness. Her legs are on view in lots of very short miniskirts; tight pants and cropped tops reveal the waist.

Quoted: “Sandra looks good in everything that follows her form. Everything that was bought was altered to fit her. She is very athletic with a small waist, well-developed thighs and buttocks. I had seen her only in jeans or long skirts and pants, pants, pants. But her legs are beautiful and really, really long,” Dimitrov says.

You Should Know: Roz’s adorable red capris with a happy face-and-sun motif by Moschino belonged to the actress. “She loved them,” Dimitrov says. “The problem was we couldn’t find another pair. We needed three of everything [for filming], but we had to live only with one. One day, my heart just sank when Sandra sat on a pier and there was tar on the wood.” (The pants were quickly dispatched to the cleaners--and saved.)

Trivia: Roz clings to an odd pink chiffon scarf like a kid to a teddy bear, wearing it on her head, in her pocket, around a braid. Its significance? It’s the actress’ private tribute to Katharine Hepburn, who had a way with scarves.

Sources: Dimitrov designed the Chanel-inspired suit and all the jewelry, including a chain belt and choker with charms. Bullock’s riding breeches and sailor pants are from Banana Republic. Her rubber gardening boots (worn also for horseback riding) were found at Safety Supply in Nova Scotia, Canada, where the movie was made.