Andrea Belladonna from 'Samantha Who?'

There's something about dimples that seems to both condemn and compliment. And when you're an attorney with the looks of Andrea Belladonna from Samantha Who? -- airing Mondays on ABC -- you can bet those dimples are up to no good. But it's the action that takes place decidedly south that makes Andrea, played by Jennifer Esposito, truly unforgettable.

And for costume designer Susan Michalek, making Andrea look good is virtually effortless. As a high-level attorney, Andrea can afford to spend a buck or two on clothing. Couple her checkbook with being man-crazy and slightly narcissistic, and you can imagine her wardrobe has been chosen to make a statement. That statement being, "All aboard -- after I've looked over your financials."

But to her credit, Michalek (Less Than Perfect, Married to the Kellys) hasn't allowed the character to go completely off the deep end -- sartorially speaking -- and dress like an acquaintance of Eliot Spitzer. In fact, while we'd be hard-pressed to call Andrea subdued, she's quietly gorgeous, with Michalek using vibrant hues to compliment her skin tone and make her stand out in a crowd.

"There's a lot more color on Andrea, and we use a lot of interesting color combinations," Michalek says during a recent buying trip. "Her clothes stand out in her world -- and she really is in a world of her own with bold colorful combinations but in sleek styles."

Lawyers can get away with that on television, and we embrace it. Andrea is every bit the devil on Samantha's shoulder wearing a selection of pieces from Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Etro, Alexander McQueen and Robert Rodriguez.

"She's always sexy and almost never casual," Michalek says. "(Esposito) has really great style so I will bring in a bunch of wacky stuff, and she'll pick out what she likes."

That turns out to be a lot of separates. Andrea tends to like skirts in a variety of lengths paired with curve-hugging tops that feature a bit of artistic style and, of course, color.

"She's always pushing the edge -- fashionwise," Michalek says. "We might put her in a green low-cut Gucci top and a hot pink Moschino pencil skirt or an Etro jacket in fuchsia with a solid tank with beads and a black Gucci skirt."

And since spring has arrived, cutaway dresses, one-shoulder dresses and tops that expose the shoulders are another favorite of Michalek on Andrea.

"She has beautiful shoulders, so we try to show them off," she adds.

And speaking of skin, her golden coloring is the perfect backdrop for reworked vintage jewelry -- and a lot of it. Hey, even if your best friend does suffer from amnesia, it doesn't mean you can't be memorable.

E-mail

• Digg
• Facebook
• Fark
• Yahoo Buzz
• Stumbleupon