5 Fashion Lessons We Learnt From Sex and the City
Who said SATC wasn’t educational?
While Carrie and co. made some pretty questionable choices when it came to love, (we’ll never get over Carrie dumping Aiden for Mr Big) the ladies rarely put a Manolo Blahnik-clad foot wrong when it comes to style.
So to celebrate their return to the small screen, let’s look back at the top five fashion lessons we learned from Sex and the City.
Anything can be an occasion
If you’re anything like us, it’s been a hot minute since you wore anything other than sweatpants and uggs. Our social calendars aren’t exactly what they used to be since Covid put the kibosh on large gatherings, and there’s not much point dressing up for no-one but the grocery store clerk.
But you know who’d never stand for that? Carrie Bradshaw. No, she never lived through a mass pandemic (imagine the designer facemasks though) but Carrie always mastered the art of dressing up for the sheer joy of it, as evidenced by a multitude of scenes showing the style icon wearing head to toe couture while, say, walking the dog, or ducking to the bakery. She taught us that self-expression is an event of its own, and that there’s no such thing as being overdressed. Amen, Queen.
Don’t let anyone tell you to dress your age
This one applies to all the ladies, but particularly smooth-talking PR exec Samantha Jones. Never phased by the slight age gap between Samantha and her girlfriends and the, umm, not-so-slight gap between Samantha and her main squeeze Smith, she was known to rock outfits that would make a twenty-year-old blush- and looked fucking fabulous in the process. Just don’t suggest that a certain outfit is too “young” for her, as an ill-advised store assistant did in the franchise’s first film. As they say, you’re only as old as the man you feel.
Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and put one more thing on
Yes, upon a re-watch some of the show’s early episode outfits appear more cringe than couture. Mainly because the ladies always seem to be looking extra AF. Think layered tops, jewellery, skirts (well, it was the 2000s)- our four protagonists seemed to live by the rule that more is more.
And you know what? We don’t hate it. Can’t decide what to wear on a night out? Wear it all! You’ll never be accused of being boring. And just think- in only a few more years this will be the height of fashion again.
Dress for fun, not functionality
Perhaps you’re sensing somewhat of a theme. The truth is, most of the reason the ladies looked great is because they felt great. And you feel great when you’re having fun.
So take a leaf out of Carrie’s book and wear impractical stilettos when schlepping around the city on public transport. Or like Samantha, wear an entirely futile belt around your bare midriff. Hey- we never said SATC’s fashion was for the faint hearted.
NEVER take off your $485 Manolos at a baby shower
It was the episode that divided a nation. Carrie Bradshaw was asked by the host of a baby shower to take off her shoes on the carpet- only to have said shoes stolen by another guest. Was it the host’s responsibility to compensate Carrie, given the amount she had shelled out on wedding and baby gifts over the years? Or was Carrie frivolous to even own such expensive heels? Neither- Carrie should have put her $485-worthy foot down and refused to take them off in the first place. After all, they were her baby.
All in all, we’re all in style debt to Darren Star and his creations. And we couldn’t help but wonder what they’ll teach us next.
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