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, winning in 1995 for Outstanding Costume Design — 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
Fran Drescher in “The Nanny” pilot episode in 1993.
©CBS/Courtesy Everett Collection
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
Benjamin Salisbury and Fran Drescher in “The Nanny” in 1994.
©CBS/Courtesy Everett Collection
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.
