A Little Italy

The Mini-Series: “Bella Mafia” (CBS, 9 p.m. Sunday and Tuesday.)

The Setup: Four attractive Mafia widows, led by matriarch Graziella Luciano (Vanessa Redgrave) and her daughter-in-law Sophia (Nastassja Kinski), unite to seek revenge for their husbands’ murders.

The Costume Supervisor: Rob Saduski, who has been both costume supervisor for Madonna’s world tours and a costumer at Western Costume.

The Look: Italian, naturally. Gangster territory, complete with hit men, guns, knives and blood galore--and classic Italian style from ‘70s Palermo to ‘90s Manhattan. Familiar Mafia fashion cliches have been obliterated, from men’s pinky rings to big-haired women. (In fact, women’s hair is refreshingly natural with strands askew [Kinski], the odd headband [Redgrave] and long, loose tresses on in-law Teresa [Illeana Douglas]. Mafia boss Don Roberto Luciano (Dennis Farina) wears quiet Valentino suits and understated John Smedley cotton polo shirts, while Emporio Armani and Alberta Ferretti get credit for the most elegant women’s looks. And since filming--and shopping--started this summer and ended in early October, the styles are so current that many are in stores now.

Scene Stealer: Redgrave had a big say in her character’s image and clothing, and her influence paid off. “She doesn’t go for gimmicks,” Saduski said. “She loved very simple lines. She loved the cashmere cardigans on the shoulders. She wanted her dresses above or a little below her knee, nothing too short or too conservative. And she has a great body to dress--she’s 5-foot-9 and slender with long legs.” For early scenes in Italy, that meant conservatively cut dresses in the style of Fontana, the famed Roman sisters’ company that dressed Italian society women in the 1940s. Saduski interpreted the look with vintage-inspired floral frocks from Donna Karan and DKNY. In modern times, Redgrave wears simple Emporio Armani sheaths, N. Peal cashmere sweaters and her own oval eyeglasses, gold chains and St. Christopher medallion.

Shoe Fetish: Television cameras rarely focus on feet, but director David Greene must enjoy a beautiful pair of shoes as much as the rest of us. Very visible are the Guccis worn by Luka (James Marsden) and the women’s shoes--including Kinski’s high-heeled sling-backs by Armani and Richard Tyler, Douglas’ Prada pumps and Manolo Blahnik sling-backs, the Gucci boots with silver stiletto heels worn by Moyra (Jennifer Tilly) and Redgrave’s black silk sling-back Ferragamos.

Hemline Watch: All over the map, though Kinski’s hemlines were the freshest--ranging from knee-length to mid-calf to ankle--and Tilly’s mid-thigh level the oldest.

Inspiration: “Book Soup has a whole wall of mob stories,” raved Saduski. One of his favorite illustrated volumes is “Mob Star: The Story of John Gotti” (Dell) by Gene Mustain. “It’s sensational.” And the “Godfather” movies were required viewing. All three? “Not the third.”

Quoted: “Things from real life don’t always translate to film. If I had really dressed someone up like Gotti in gray sharkskin suits and pink shirts, it would have become a caricature,” Saduski said.

You Should Know: The actresses really appreciated their wardrobes. “They all bought some, even Vanessa,” Saduski said.