‘Desperate Housewives’ at 20: Why Bree Van de Kamp’s style still reigns

The perfectionist redhead was first known for her conservative sartorial sense, a la Nancy Reagan, but quickly became a style icon of the beloved dark comedy.

With her witty one-liners, meticulous style and comically stoic demeanor, it’s easy to see why “Desperate Housewives” Bree Van de Kamp became a fan favorite among viewers when it debuted 20 years ago today. The dark comedy, which focuses on the scandalous secrets of the seemingly ordinary residents of Wisteria Lane, was instantly catapulted to both commercial and critical success. Starring an extensive ensemble cast, most of the series focuses on the lives of the whimsical Susan Mayer (played by Teri Hatcher), former high-powered businesswoman turned mom of five Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman), ex-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 outset, with more than 20 million viewers tuning in for its first episode, before the show went on to be awarded seven Emmys and three Golden Globes over the course of 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 the mom of series creator Marc Cherry. Wardrobe-wise, Bree’s sports sweater sets and knee-length skirts (often teamed with a pearl necklace) were 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 façade to unravel. Over the course of the show’s run, she faces crushing conflict with her children, a battle with alcoholism, three marriages and a scandalous fake pregnancy. “I think perhaps Bree’s evolution was more noticed because she was so tightly wound when we first meet her,” costume designer Catherine Adair told CNN over email. Not only is Cross playing a character, Bree is arguably playing one, too. While Bree’s style could be described as traditional or conservative throughout the first two seasons of Desperate Housewives, things take a slight turn after the sudden death of her first husband, Rex (who once told their marriage counsellor it was “hard to know if she has any” feelings) at the end of the first season. In the immediate aftermath, Bree limits herself to inoffensive black dresses, jumpers and cardigans, before the muted colors of grief eventually give way — over several episodes — to a new vibrant wardrobe signaling an unveiling of sorts.