Lucy Spiller from 'Dirt'

Truth is often stranger than fiction, but rarely is it more fashionable. Case in point: For all of the tabloid editors we know, none come close to the style and sleekness of editor-in-chief Lucy Spiller on Dirt, airing Sundays on FX. The raven-haired beauty, played by the gorgeous Courteney Cox, is back and better than ever this season -- well, with the exception of those knife wounds.

One reason why is new costume designer Kimberly Tillman (10 Things I Hate About You, Fools Rush In), who has turned Lucy sleek, sexy and sensuous -- and far more appealing than any of the celebs she hunts.

"It's serious sexy," Tillman says, "not party sexy."

Last season Lucy tended to look a little more Midwest corporate boardroom, belying her L.A. surroundings. But this season brings a new set and new style -- not to mention a new set of wheels in the form of the very sexy Audi R8 sports coupe (the perfect accessory for any outfit) -- and Lucy looks ready to dish more dirt than ever.

"My feeling was that in L.A. you can be a woman in charge and still show cleavage," Tillman says, laughing. "Especially with her job. You get to be fashionable. ... And people are finally catching on to that 'California style.' Barney's now has an entire section devoted to it."

While we tend to think of California style as being overly casual and, perhaps, haphazard, Tillman tweaks that concept by utilizing skin exposure with very tailored pieces.

"We never go head to toe in the same designer," Tillman says. "Lucy's arrived and is secure with her look. She is not experimenting anymore."

The look is unnervingly sleek and dark -- ultimately creating what amounts to an editorial panther.

Though Lucy does embrace color, it always has a vibe of dark luxury -- leather, velvet, cashmere -- in purples, maroons or midnight blue. Shimmering dresses by Marc Jacobs, Costume National, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace and Roberto Cavalli fill her closet. But her signature style mixes strength and comfort by pairing dark jeans from Earnest Sewn or Juicy Couture with a tank or camisole from Marni or Moschino under a fitted blazer or jacket by Helmut Lang, Bottega Veneta or Balenciaga.

"She likes to take her jackets off and put them back on again," Tillman says. And when she does, we see the sun-kissed bare arms and decolletage that Cox brings to the table.

"We are going to show her legs or her cleavage in every outfit," Tillman says. And with strategically placed necklaces, "she dares people to look at her cleavage."

Not surprisingly, it makes us feel a little dirty, but in the best way possible.

Her footwear includes a number of short boots and shoes with thicker heels from Fendi, Prada and Manolo Blahnik.

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