The son of a sheet-metal worker and a registered nurse, California-bred Benjamin Bratt used to feel most comfortable in baggy jeans and sandals. Now, after four years of playing the suave Rey Curtis on

The pants: "I've been wearing other colors instead of denim. I used to think khaki was too preppy, but as I get older, I prefer a more mature look. Khaki is versatile."

the New York-based TV series Law & Order, the 35-year-old actor feels just as much at ease in designer duds. "Rey taught me to wear a suit," says Bratt, alluding to his elegant screen persona. He's quick to add, "People always ask me, 'How can a detective afford to wear a Hugo Boss suit?' My response is, 'Well, he must be married to a woman whose family is nouveau riche.'" When it comes to discussing his own personal life, Bratt is hyper-discreet—unless the conversation is about his favorite pair of shoes, given to him by his girlfriend of a year and half, Julia Roberts.

How has your style changed since you came to New York? In college, my friends teased me about being a "drama geek," and my retort was, "Well, at least I won't have to wear a suit like all you engineers and doctors." Of course, the irony is I now have to wear a suit every day—and not just one; sometimes I have to change six or seven times. I've come to really love wearing a suit; that's when I feel the most together. The only other time I'm that confident and comfortable is when I'm naked.

How do you get ready for a night out? Always with a shower first. A very good friend of mine once told me that as long as you have a good haircut and a nice pair of shoes you can wear anything. But even when I follow those rules I still fail. So I really like to be clean. I take an average of three showers a day. I think it's very important to smell nice.

The tie: "I'm not too label-conscious but I do know my colors. I avoid yellows, but I always feel good in lavender. And against the earth tones of this suit, it really pops."
The cut: "I fancy the four-button suit. I have a long torso, so the [Wilke- Rodriguez] suit really fits. I don't like the boxiness of a double-breasted suit. I prefer a more tapered look."

Do you have a favorite cologne? I don't really like perfume on women and I don't like cologne on myself. I like subtler scents on a person—their own natural body scent. For me one of the biggest turn-ons is the way my girlfriend smells.

What's the best gift you've ever received? A pair of chocolate-brown Gucci mules from [Julia]. No one had ever given me shoes as a gift before, so I was touched by that. At first I looked at them as some strange foreign object. I didn't really know how I felt about them. But [now] I can bust 'em with a breezy linen suit or a pair of jeans.

Any lingering California style in your wardrobe? There is a line of men's work pants I used to wear in seventh grade that I still wear today: Ben Davis. They're the choice of the Chicano set in the Bay Area. We used to wear them with the really starched crease and shoes called winos, which had a black canvas top and rubber sole. I still sport that look here in New York. We would wear those pants with a white tank top. Now that's a cool look.

Do you have anything in your closet that you keep for sentimental reasons? I have a three-quarter-length black leather jacket from the Shaft era that my brother Stephen bought in 1972 when he was in high school. Honestly, it's poorly made, the quality of the leather is not good, but I'm so attached to it that I've had it relined twice. I wear it less and less, but I can't see throwing it out. It reminds me of my big brother.

Hats: I love looking at old black- and-white movies that show every man with a fedora, a trench coat and a nice suit. I'll wear any kind of hat—a baseball hat to a driving cap."

Did anyone else in your family influence your style? My mom, an activist for Native American causes, gave me my experimental side. When we were kids she would pack us into the car and drive us all over the South­west to different powwows. She was a very freewheeling, free-spirited woman, and that's a gift she gave to all us kids. We did a lot of our shopping at thrift stores and garage sales. It's taken me a while to accept that it's OK to buy myself something nice.

What do you like to see women wear? I'm a big fan of lingerie. The [female] body is one of the most beautiful forms in the world, but the right kind of lingerie can make it a little more beautiful.

Do you buy lingerie for Julia? There's a great lingerie store in the Village that's very small, very private. I've shopped there for her. It's not easy for a man to walk into a lingerie store, so I went with one of my best friends, Paolo, who dates Jill Hennessy, my former co-star [on Law & Order]. He ended up buying something for Jill. Actually, it's not a bad place for a guy to hang out.