What’s more iconic thanSex and the City’sstory spanning over two decades? Carrie Bradshaw’s glamorous wardrobe and the trends the show created.
With six seasons of a flagship series, two movies, a prequel series and a sequel series, the title spans two decades worth of fashions and has more than enough fans to speak on its overall impact on style.
“I think that if I were to raid Carrie’s closet, I would be a lucky gal because she just makes the weirdest things work,” says country superstarMaren Morris.
“After watchingSex and the City, I was like, ‘Oh, I can totally layer whatever I want and turn a tube top into a skirt,'” Bilson adds. “I definitely took inspiration from that.”
Sex and the City.Everett
Not only were they taking part in trends, the group of women — Carrie, Samantha (Kim Cattrall) Charlotte (Kristin Davis), and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) — were starting trends across the board in clothing and accessories, putting designers like Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik on the map.
“People didn’t really know or even really know how to pronounce Manolo Blahnik. Now the shoes are emblazoned into our memory,“Fire Islandstar Margaret Cho explains of the show’s affects on pop culture. “Of course, high heels have always been in fashion, but the idea of a specific designer that only designed shoes, that’s only known for shoes, would be kind of like the cornerstone of your outfit. I believe that is the lasting legacy ofSex and the City.”
Craig Blankenhorn/HBO
On the bag front,Sex and the Cityhelped bring the Birkin bag into the national consciousness. One episode followed Samantha as she attempted to purchase a $4,000 Birkin purse, but was informed of the long 5-year wait to actually own the bag. It’s a phenomenon that still exists today.
“They wore these crazy things that no one knew about and then they would take off,” notes writer and comedian Annie Lederman. “It made Dior saddle bags a thing. I mean, it’s a kidney shaped tiny bag. It’s insane.”
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One of thingsSex and the Citywas not known for was budgeting. Viewers who “couldn’t help but wonder” how Carrie afforded her clothes and lavish lifestyle were not alone! Carrie may have liked to have her money hanging where she could see it — hanging in her closet — but fans were perplexed where the funds for her extravagant lifestyle were coming from.
According to executive producer Michael Patrick King and costume designer Patricia Fields, the realism of the show takes a back seat to the fantasy of the overall story.
“Pat [Fields] once said that successful shows are ones that elevate and inspire and if you get too caught up in the reality of ‘how does Carrie afford these shoes or these clothes?’ she thinks it just kills the show,” saysEntertainment Weeklyeditor Gerrad Hall.
“If it was realism, it wouldn’t have been as good of a show because she would’ve been wearing flip flops,” jokesRuPaul’s Drag Race All Starsseason 2 winner Alaska.
source: people.com
