Pizza Girl from ‘October Road’

Style is not something relegated to the rich, the young or the beautiful. Nor is it the sole dominion of TV’s main characters. Case in point, the very stylish Pizza Girl from ABC’s Monday drama October Road.

Quirky, artsy and creative – with a bunch of other adjectives on the side – Pizza Girl, played by Lindy Booth, dresses like someone who understands a lot more than the traditional mushroom and pepperoni topping choices, even though she isn’t important enough to garner an actual name.

After Sept. 11, Physical Phil (Jay Paulson) became a shut-in, and Pizza Girl began delivering him pizzas; now they’re an item.

“She’s very much like him,” costume designer Vicki Sanchez (Commander in Chief, Blow Out) says. “She is a creative, talented person who is bewildered by life and is trying to find her way. It’s clear that she’s got the talents and that as soon as she straightens out her problems … .”

It’s her artistic temperament that Sanchez wanted to reflect in her clothing.

“Because it’s a relationship show set in a smallish town in Massachusetts,” Sanchez says, “we wanted to give her the look of someone who lives in a small town – no Goth, no piercings.”

In fact, Sanchez, who won an Emmy Award for her work on the 1985 miniseries North and South, went in the opposite direction: Pizza Girl’s wardrobe is filled with cute, colorful little outfits – a creative optimist rather than an angst-ridden artist.

“We wanted her to appeal to a general audience rather than be off-putting,” Sanchez says.

To that end she discovered a new clothing line called Free People.

“It’s in all the malls, all of the department stores,” she adds. “I just about bought up everything in their line.”

The line suits Pizza Girl to a T. Funky retro dresses, blouses and skirts that have a hint of bohemia tempered by a smart fit. The line features everything you could ever want, from camisoles and tanks to outerwear and intimates (that’s underwear to you and me).

“It’s just the sweetest stuff you ever saw,” Sanchez says. “What a great, great line. Free People was our starting-off point for Pizza Girl.”

In a nod to intelligence, Sanchez has purposely kept Pizza Girl out of pants and jeans, so that it appears she’s taken some time dressing herself, something too few of us tend to do. So how do you replicate the style of a New England pizza delivery girl?

“Start with one piece, maybe a top,” says Sanchez, who is quick to warn that this is not a look for everyone. “Color and texture are really important. You should be drawn to it by the color and texture. Then, to make it more fun, add from there – some jewelry, funky hose, a pair of boots. Take all the steps but don’t get lost in the details – you’re building an entire look. Then, get yourself a full-length mirror and use it.”