Some SATC Style Evolution
When pondering what the topic of my first article of this not-so-new semester should be, I originally considered writing about something serious, perhaps concerning one of the many crises we’ve faced over the past year: how COVID-imposed lockdowns have shaped the fashion industry, the many wrongs committed against minority artists by designers and magazine editors alike, or the heaps of waste created by the fast fashion sector ruining our precious Earth as we speak.
But I’ll be honest, I couldn’t bring myself to write any of those articles. That’s not to say these issues aren’t incredibly pressing, nor is it to argue that they shouldn’t be written about. But for our collective mental health, I have decided to go in a different direction.
Instead, today, rather than a nuanced, hearty meal, I will be providing you, dear readers, with a cupcake. A sweet, pretty cupcake, perhaps from Magnolia Bakery. Yes, we’re talking about the long-awaited Sex and the City reboot, one of the most culturally and fashionably significant programmes to grace our screens in the last fifty years. For its 6 (and a half?) seasons, SATC dictated how women should feel about love, sex, and, overall, style, and its effects can still be felt even in contemporary collections. So I wanted to discuss how those very collections would influence our favourite four ladies. Would Charlotte still like Gucci even after Tom Ford retired as its creative director? Would Miranda favour androgyny, as in her early years, or would her aesthetic skew more towards the (admittedly atrocious) lamé wrap dresses and spangled blazers of the mid-aughts movies? Would Samantha still be bearing it all (I hope so, because we know Smith is still fantasizing about her)? And we all have to wonder, what outlandish ensembles will Patricia Field cook up for 2021’s Carrie Bradshaw?
Miranda: I think a mid-50s Miranda would likely settle back into the less gaudy and constricting iteration of her style, choosing relaxed slacks and flowing blouses over sequins and cocktail dresses. She would, of course, keep it classy — she is a partner at a law firm, after all. She’d elevate her looks with sleek silhouettes and an elegant pixie cut, echoing her real-life counterpart (hopefully in more than just style — give the people the queer Miranda they’ve been begging for!). Populating this character’s closet would be minimalist brand The Row’s monochrome suiting, edgelord favourite Alexander McQueen’s militaristic coat dresses, and, for a pop of colour, menswear visionary Raf Simons’ silky vests and shifts.
Charlotte: Our semi-problematic fave. Having two daughters who would by now have reached adolescence, I’d like to think Charlotte would have shed her rather primitive views on gender and become a little more experimental in her fashion choices. She’d keep her traditionally feminine side alive and well, of course; all I’m suggesting is a bit of growth, a touch more saturation, and some more modern shapes. She might wear a lot of A-line skirts and ruffles, but I’m thinking they might have a more avant-garde angle. I’m thinking Mrs York-Goldenblatt’s 2021 wardrobe would contain born-and-raised New York brand Batsheva’s floral dresses, English ethereal princess Emilia Wickstead’s perfectly tailored pleats, and, because old dogs can’t be taught all new tricks, NYFW mainstay Oscar de la Renta’s classic florals.
Samantha: This one is personal for me, because I consider myself to indeed be a Samantha. I try not to be biased, but while Carrie got the most sociocultural cache of the group, it was Samantha who was truly revolutionary, in all of her lifestyle choices. She taught us to never be afraid of our own strength, to lead with our power, and to be unapologetically female. She wore both her intelligence and her sexuality on her sleeve, which was usually attached to a gorgeous, jewel-toned power suit. Something tells me everyone’s favourite wine aunt wouldn’t shy away from the body-conscious, bedazzled ensembles that she so dearly loved even in (what would now be) her 60s. Today’s Samantha Jones would probably dress in recently refreshed house Schiaparelli’s campy couture, newly minted darling Gabriela Hearst’s sleek silhouettes, and breakout star LaQuan Smith’s bright silk blouses.
Carrie: Ah, our protagonist. Though her choices, both in fashion and in love, are often questionable, the looks she served throughout the series cemented her position as one of the style icons of the late nineties. Even today, Sarah Jessica Parker is regularly invited to the Met Gala at the behest of Anna Wintour, and she has a wildly successful shoe collection in which her partner is none other than Manolo Blahnik himself (otherwise known as George Malkemus, current CEO of the brand). So it hardly stretches the imagination to believe that The New York Star’s most notorious columnist would still be as stylish as she was in her heyday. She would, in my view, favour newer, trendier labels, and be seen in maximalist streetwear maven Ashish’s playful patterns, TikTok-friendly designer Saks Potts’s fluffy outerwear, and it-bag creator Loewe’s fantastical 80s-throwbacks.
All images sourced from Vogue Runway.