”Desperate” guys: The anatomy of a look
Before she shops for the clothing, “Desperate Housewives” costume designer Cate Adair imagines a real man behind each male character – and takes pleasure in the task.
“Let’s be honest: They’re a pretty good-looking bunch of guys,” she said. “It’s not very hard to come to work.”
Here are some of the labels behind the looks.
Carlos Solis, Gabrielle’s husband
Profile: “He’s newer money – the story has told us that. He has a lot of taste. He’s always coordinated and cares about how he looks.”
The labels: Ted Baker and Hugo Boss. “Those lines have some splash to them, but they’re still very elegant,” Adair said. “I suspect the character, if I was to do more of back story, probably has a specific salesman and walks into the best stores and says ‘I need six suits,’ and they put it together for him head to toe. My interpretation would be Gabrielle supplements that.” His jeans are designer, mainly True Religion. “They’re just a great men’s jean,” Adair said.
Mike Delfino, hunky plumber
Profile: Low-key. “The character isn’t drawing attention to himself, but he’s still incredibly sexy.”
The labels: Button-front Levi’s and, “if anyone thought that a T-shirt is just a T-shirt, it’s not, believe me,” Adair said. “We’ve been through a lot. There’s one particular cut of Banana Republic T-shirt that works beautifully on him – the fitted cotton stretch, not quite so thick (as some), and it comes in beautiful heather tones, which look gorgeous with (his) eyes. I love him in those sort of heathered greens and moss colors. We’re also introducing some Carhartts (work clothes). You’ll find them in uniform shops – real service people wear them. But they can be a fashion statement.”
Tom Scavo, father of a brood
Profile: “He really is the fabulous all-American guy, a working guy who likes to play ball with the kids in the front yard. He and his wife, Lynette, are the couple on the street who are very happy. They can’t keep their hands off each other. So it seemed natural that she’d steal his baseball jerseys and shirts. He’ll wear a striped Nordstrom shirt in one episode, and then she’ll have it on over J. Crew jeans in another.”
The labels: Lots of Nordstrom’s private label. “He’s a good Nordstrom character. And some J. Crew. We figure he probably doesn’t spend a lot of time in stores shopping. Lynette probably does a lot through catalogs for more casual stuff because they’re not going to take four kids around the mall on the weekend.”
John, lawn boy and boy toy
Profile: “The biggest challenge is making him look a little younger.” He’s supposed to be a teenager, but the actor is in his mid-20s. So Adair opts for polos, rugbys with stripes or tank tops, for an “earnest” look.
The labels: True Religion jeans, Gap cargo pants, striped Penguin polos. “When he’s looking more hip, Le Tigre T-shirts are always good. If you’re really careful, you can get those little tigers off.” (ABC is careful about product endorsement.)
Rex Van De Kamp, Bree’s husband
Profile: “He’s a doctor. We know his wife is a Republican – not that I don’t have friends who are trendy Republicans. But he’s a little more country-club careful.”
The labels: “I use a lot of Nordstrom on him – the nice private label. He also looks good in Hugo Boss – it’s cut beautifully for him. I’ve used some Armani, the more classic cuts, on him.”