All hail Frasier Crane, the most stylish man in sitcom history

“Hey baby I hear the blues a-callin, tossed salad and scrambled eggs…quite stylish.” So begins Kelsey Grammer’s famously throaty growl in the opening credits of Frasier, the witty, ironic, hugely comforting sitcom from the 1990s, which is set to be re-booted for the 21st century. Quite stylish indeed, because Frasier Crane and his equally prissy brother, Niles, remain two of the most elegantly dressed characters in sitcom history. Snobbish, charming and always elegant.

The show’s costume designer Audrey Bansmer curated a wardrobe for our oh-so-cultured connoisseurs that was full of Giorgio Armani, Donna Karan, Hugo Boss and Calvin Klein. Fashion plays a huge role; the type of cuff or correct way to carry a blazer are the stuff of Frasier’s neuroses.

Understandably there’s a degree of angst about bringing back a series that finished in 2004. But with the original cast rumoured to be in the line-up – bar the late John Mahoney who played Frasier’s father Martin Crane, the plain speaking foil to Frasier’s fripperies – it’s worth taking note of just how modern our dashing Seattle psychiatrists’ style feels today.

Perfect polos

Frasier and his little brother took the stuffiness out of suits effortlessly. A suit with a polo shirt wasn’t a revolutionary concept in the 1990s – it first evolved in the 1950s – but the show was a reminder of how the combination is the perfect meeting point between casual and smart. Frasier was also rather fond of the polo neck in a neutral colour. He never wore black – too Milk Tray Man.

Louche suits

Armani steered the way with a more fluid interpretation of tailoring in the 1990s, and those soft-structure suits found their way from Milan into the mahogany wardrobes of Messrs Crane. Yes, the proportions are pretty voluminous by today’s standards but there’s a lot to be said for letting the seams out a touch. Looser proportions don’t have to translate as sloppy and swamping; the trick is a suit that applies the rules of tailoring – nipped in waist, sleeve lengths that sit right – but with airier cuts. Frasier would never be seen in today’s snug variants.

Brown is smart for town

Another artefact from the 1990s, brown in all its variants – spice shades, caramel tones – dominates the Crane brothers’ wardrobes. While the old edict insists that brown should never be seen in town, it’s worth considering – especially as we segue into autumn. The suits look far less corporate in a subtle cinnamon or latte than standard old grey or black.

The knits at Cafe Nervosa

“That’s a 100 per cent cashmere pull-over,” shrieks Frasier as Eddie the dog is shrouded in a handsome knit. “It should be worn collar-up.” The Crane brothers loved impeccable knitwear, whether it was Frasier’s neat sweater vests or Niles’s cosy cable-knit cardigans. The former was also fond of a fine cardigan underneath a blazer, a top, a shirt and tie. Those are some top tier layering skills.

The finer things

As expected from Seattle’s most finicky savants, the mere suggestion of French cuffs with a button-down collar has Frasier tearing to the tailor to correct such sartorial mayhem. Obviously the characters’ exacting standards are part of their jolly pomposity, but it’s worth taking a cue from their knowledge of the little details. French cuffs, for example, are designed for cufflinks, likewise the difference between brogues, Derbys and Oxfords. Cartier cufflinks – as sported by our fussy frères – are entirely optional but very much encouraged.

Get the Dr Crane look

• Wool and cashmere suit, £549, suitsupply.com

• Cotton long sleeved polo shirt, £22, marksandspencer.com

• Slim fit sweater vest, £10, riverisland.com

• Jasper brass cufflinks, £95, alicemadethis.com