For six seasons on CBS, from 1993 to 1999, Fran Drescher played one of TV‘s most endearing characters, Nanny Fran Fine on “The Nanny.” The show was nominated for 12 Emmy Awards, with the show’s costume designer Brenda Cooper winning in 1995 for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Costume Design for a Series. “The Nanny” managed to capture the ’90s Upper East Side style of the Sheffields, but it was Nanny Fine’s outfits that stood out as a cut above the rest.
Nanny Fine had no fear of bright patterns, bold colors or accessorizing. She wore dresses from Versace, Moschino and Betsey Johnson. The character’s style is still the subject of YouTube Shorts and TikTok videos today.
Drescher, who is the president of SAG-AFTRA since 2021, served not only as the title character of the show but as a producer as well. Here, WWD takes a closer look at her style in “The Nanny.”
Leopard print
When Nanny Fine first arrived at the Sheffields home in the pilot episode of “The Nanny,” viewers already got a taste for her eclectic style. Her introductory outfit to Mr. Sheffield included black stockings, a black miniskirt and a black jacket with statement buttons and a leopard-print collar and cuffs. Leopard would become one of Nanny Fine’s signature patterns throughout the series.
The lady in red
The Nanny’s opening theme song referred to Nanny Fine as “the lady in red when everyone else is wearing tan.” For all six seasons of the show, red was one of Nanny Fine’s signature colors, sometimes as the color of her whole outfit, and other times finding its way as a piece as part of her ensembles.
Newspaper print
Before Dior popularized the newspaper print in 2022, Moschino had a pink newspaper-print jacket with matching trousers in the mid-’90s. Moschino was one of the go-to brands for Nanny Fine’s costume choices throughout the series.
Black and white
While the ’90s were dominated by sportswear and jersey material in American fashion, Nanny Fine always kept it a cut above the rest. As more cocktail dresses were mixed with jersey material, her idea of a cocktail outfit was worthy of the Kentucky Derby. In this look, she incorporated her signature color of red, and while she wasn’t always big on hats, she accessorized with a glorious fascinator.
Even when Nanny Fine took a minimalist approach to color, she did it with a twist. In a season four episode of the show, she wore a black-and-white speckle pattern tweed skirt suit set accessorized with a white headband to pull her hair back. The outfit contrasted well with Mr. Sheffield’s more classic black and white suiting look.
Tart
When Jason Alexander of “Seinfeld” guest starred on “The Nanny” for the episode “Tart With Heart,” the color title helped inform some of the fashion choices. Nanny Fine opted for a green minidress with a zip on the skirt, statement pockets and gold statement buttons, paired with black, green and white striped cardigan.
The wedding gown
Celeste of Beverly Hills designed the gown for the long-awaited wedding episode of “The Nanny.” After five seasons of their slow-burning endgame romance, viewers of the series finally got to watch Nanny Fine and Mr. Sheffield’s wedding. The gown was white with gold lace trim and floral embroidery complementing Ms. Fine’s bouquet of yellow and gold flowers.
