I read a quote by the American author Fran Lebovitz a few years ago, where she said something along the lines of, “I’m only truly happy when I’m watching Law and Order”.

I’m with Fran, although I can hone that down further and say I’m only truly happy when I’m watching Law and Order SVU.

I had a major crush on Christopher Meloni who played the simmering, moralistic hothead Detective Elliot Stabler, and I thought I’d go off the show after he left.

But then I realised that it’s actually Olivia Benson, played by Mariska Hargitay, who is my real crush.

Olivia Benson has to be dressed appropriately for a number of different situations. Photo: NBC

She and I are roughly the same age and I’ve been watching her since the series started in 1999.

A throwback style moment. Photo: NBC

I’ve spent hours studying the nuances of Olivia’s low-key but glamorous detective style. I know her every haircut by heart, from every period.

“Oh, this episode is from early 2000 when her fringe was longer. Ah, her short hair period. Gee, she was super slim and that’s when she wore a slightly darker lip gloss and more mascara than normal.”

Olivia has really perfected that ‘extremely attractive but let’s not sexualise her too much’ style of dressing – especially the utilitarian tailored pants worn by every female detective in every film or television series, cut low on the waist (practical for the gun clip) and displaying just the right amount of taut torso.

Her current sidekick, the sassy Detective Amanda Rollins, wears hers a little lower slung and the women who star in CSI much lower.

Olivia Benson (left) and Amanda Rollins (right) have the sexy but functional look down pat. Photo: NBC

Olivia also favours the low v-neck coloured sweater, worn with a plain white scoop-neck t-shirt underneath. Sexy but covered. Practical layering. I was riveted by this for years.

Because it’s always winter for the NYPD Special Victims Unit, Olivia often puts a leather jacket over the top that was always slightly chunky and a bit cheap, highlighting her modest cop salary – especially when all those hot shot defenders arrived in their camel cashmere overcoats.

Olivia added subtle turquoise earrings after scoring a promotion. Photo: NBC

I noticed she must have had a significant pay rise when she took over as Lieutenant of the 16^th Precinct because, all of a sudden, there were small turquoise earrings added to the mix. And collarless silk shirts in blush, or navy, worn under a soft leather jacket that actually looked expensive.

Olivia also kicked off the trend of wearing just one fine chain necklace with a tiny trinket. I stared at her necklace for seasons, trying to understand the significance, until one day she added another one. Two at once. I copied the look immediately but they kept getting tangled.

Every female detective on film, if you look, has one simple necklace, that hints at her femininity, but won’t get in her way when she pulls someone into a choke hold.

Olivia’s single strand necklace – pretty but not too fussy. Photo: NBC

Olivia has shown us her more sexy side too, turning up in a sleeveless knee-length cocktail dress on one or two occasions, but normally someone gets inconveniently murdered and she has to hurriedly throw any old coat over the top and get to the crime scene.

She also invested in a black double-breasted knee-length trench, which she wears tightly belted when she’s in a cranky mood.

Sharon Stone made a fabulous guest appearance a while back and nearly blew Olivia out of the water in the style stakes, but then again Sharon has had some very, very good surgery.

I respect the fact that Olivia is ageing like the rest of us – real women who are trying to balance home, family and crimes that are especially heinous.

Olivia’s trademark tightly belted black trench. Photo: NBC