'Desperate Housewives' at 20: Why Bree Van de Kamp's Style Still Reigns | CNN

With her witty one-liners, subtle style and humorous mannerisms, it's easy to see why “Desperate Housewives” Bree Van de Kamp became a fan favorite among audiences when she debuted 20 years ago today.

The dark comedy, which focuses on the scandalous secrets of Wisteria Lane's seemingly ordinary residents, was an immediate commercial and critical success. Starring a wide-ranging ensemble cast, the series focuses mostly on the lives of whimsical Susan Mayer (played by Teri Hatcher), former high-powered businesswoman turned mother of five Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman), former fashion model Gabrielle Solis (Eva Longoria), and perfectionist homemaker. Bree Van de Kamp (played by Marcia Cross).

The show was loved by both audiences and critics from the start, with over 20 million viewers tuning in for its first episode, before the show was awarded seven Emmys and three Golden Globes during its eight-year run.

Viewers first meet Bree, with her sleek red bob and perfectly tweezed eyebrows, as a stay-at-home wife and mother, a character heavily inspired by series creator Mark Cherry's mother. Wardrobe-wise, Bree sports sweater sets and knee-length skirts (often accessorized with pearl necklaces) seemingly inspired by both former first lady Nancy Reagan and “Sex and the City's” Charlotte York. However, it doesn't take long for Bree's Stepford Wives facade to unravel. Over the course of the show, she faced disastrous conflicts with her children, a battle with alcoholism, three marriages and a scandalous fake pregnancy.

“I think maybe Bree's evolution is more noticed because she's so wound up when we first meet her,” costume designer Catherine Adair told CNN via email. Not only is Cross playing a character, Brie is arguably playing a character.

While Bree's style could be described as traditional or conservative in the first two seasons of Desperate Housewives, things took a turn for the worse after the sudden death of her first husband, Rex (who once told their marriage counselor that “it was hard to know if she had any” feelings). At the end of the first season. Immediately, Bree confines herself to black dresses, jumpers and cardigans, before the muted colors of sadness eventually give way — over several episodes — to a new vibrant outfit that hints at a variety of exposure.

According to Adair, the cross was involved in Brie's style; A collaboration he describes as “rich and supportive”. When death knocks on Bree's love life again, this time for her ex-fiancé George in season two, she wears a flowing chiffon white dress designed by Dina Bar-El that Cross describes in promotional interviews as radiating an “angel of death.”

As the show continues, Bree's feisty personality loosens up. Her neat shoulder-length flip-out bob, initially synonymous with her character, gradually loosened. She tries on causal blouses with jeans, along with the occasional revealing gown—one of which, in season seven, stands out as one of Adair's favorite sartorial moments for the character.

“I designed it and made it in a weekend,” says Adair of the bold low-back dress, which Brie flips into a plunging neckline while out with new housewife Renee (played by Vanessa Williams). “We realized we actually needed two dresses to fit it,” Adair continues. “But I hope you believe it's only one.”

There was also one color in particular that Adair liked to decorate all the housewives with, sometimes to Cross's playful rage.

“I love her in pink,” Adair said. “She (Marcia) would bother me about it.”

But each character had their own shade of pink, Adair explained. The pastel hue Bree often wears was “quite different” to the bold or smoky pink Adair chose for Gabrielle and Susan, the costume designer added.

Mixing high-end streetwear and luxury fashion, Adair collected clothes from all over Los Angeles, where “Desperate Housewives” was shot — cutting up existing clothes to create new ones. No look was “retired,” explained Adair, as the series would need clothes for flashbacks.

Towards the end of the show, Bree moves away from the mystical state where Wisteria Lane is located, to live in Kentucky. She's now a politician, elected to the state legislature, and both her career and clothes reflect that she's no longer desperate — or housewife. Gone are the sweater sets, but the knee-length skirts remain, an improved version of her early style with her dresses.

“We all change and develop our style in real life, influenced by our circumstances, and so did the women of Wisteria Lane,” says Adair. “That's something I love about designing costumes for the show. No one 'stands still' or is stuck in time.