TOWN AND COUNTRY
December 2006

Fashion & Style: Crystal McCrary Anthony

Does your home style affect your fashion sense?

OCCUPATIONS: Mother of two; lawyer; novelist (cowrote Homecourt Advantage and Gotham Diaries, both best sellers); film and television producer; TV host for BET J; board member of Jumpstart, a children's-literacy nonprofit.

BACKGROUND: A longtime New Yorker who was raised in Detroit, Anthony majored in English Literature in college and graduated from New York University law school.

SIGNATURE STYLE: Clean lines, classic elements, feminine touches. "I try to steer clear of trendy items. I don't try to make a piece work just because every other person is wearing it."

ROLE MODEL: Her mother, Thelma McCrary, "who did it all and made it look easy."

FAVORITE DESIGNERS: "Dolce & Gabbana, because their dresses make me feel sexy and sophisticated; b. michael, because he respects a woman's being a woman; and Valentino, because of his continued excellence and respect for the classics."

PRIZED POSSESSION: Canary-yellow-pearl and diamond earrings by Ortman & Sheff.

HOLIDAY WISH LIST: A dressy watch.

FAVORITE GIFT TO GIVE: Exactly what she loves to receive from others--family photographs. "Nothing captures the holiday spirit better than seeing how a child has grown and developed each year."

WHAT SHE'S WEARING: A sunburst-pleated chocolate gown from b. michael Signature ($6,000), 212-703-9494. Julie Baker Design earrings ($6,360) and cuff ($3,790), 212-966-6771.