The Good, Bad and to Die For

The end of the year is almost here, and we can’t stop thinking about Diane Keaton’s wardrobe in “Manhattan Murder Mystery.� We want every last layer of it. Here are a few other highlights--and low points--of ’93.

Most Successful Overhaul: David Letterman, remodeled when his show moved to an earlier time slot on a different network. Twenty pounds lighter, the talk-show host proved that he could maintain his weird edge even while dressed in suits with a chairman-of-the-board feeling, white dress shirts and quiet ties.

Still Needs an Overhaul: “Today� co-host Katie Couric, who has yet to locate her personal style. Perpetually glued to dangling little earrings that swing irritatingly during interviews, she’s stuck in a youth mode that doesn’t suit her position.

Most Impressive Research: For “Remains of the Day,� the story of a butler and housekeeper in 1930s England, Academy Award-winning English costume designers Jenny Beavan and John Bright checked out servant style--i.e. when to wear tail coats versus tuxedos--with a former royal servant, Cyril Dickman.

We Could Live Without: Ever seeing another ‘50s bowling shirt.

All Pumped Up With Nowhere to Go: Built-up biceps may look great at the gym, but not sticking out of period sleeveless costumes. Guilty were Ellen Barkin, playing a ‘50s mom in “This Boy’s Life�; Angela Bassett, re-creating the ‘70s Tina Turner in “What’s Love Got to Do With It,� and Joanna Pacula as a saloon worker in 1880s “Tombstone.�

Characters Whose Wardrobes We Want: Carol Lipton (Diane Keaton), the affluent West Side New Yorker in “Manhattan Murder Mystery,� with layers of vintage jackets and sweaters, and contemporary tailored jackets, sweaters, baggy trousers and skirts; Ouisa Kittredge (Stockard Channing), an affluent Upper East Side New Yorker in “Six Degrees of Separation,� with elegant and impeccable suits for every occasion.