Whizzing around the fictional town of Cabot Cove in Maine in neat but mundane beige trousers, a blue blouse and gold earrings, Angela Lansbury first appeared on American television screens in 1984 as the author-turned-detective Jessica Fletcher in Murder She Wrote. Back then, no one imagined that nearly 40 years later her character’s wardrobe would still be influencing how TV crime detectives dress. For 12 seasons and over 200 episodes, shoulder-padded blazers, button-down shirts and oversized spectacles formed the cornerstone of Lansbury’s vast on-screen wardrobe.
Just days before her 97th birthday, the grande dame of television died. Her role as the warm but astute Fletcher garnered Lansbury generations of fans – reruns of the show are continually shown. In 2012, Lansbury even appeared on the cover of acclaimed fashion magazine the Gentlewoman wearing Fletcher-esque spectacles.
