I Couldn’t Help but Wonder…Has It Really Been Twenty Years?
While scrolling through Instagram one evening earlier this month, I stumbled upon Sarah Jessica Parker’s post. It was an old picture of her as Carrie Bradshaw and it dawned on me that we had hit a major milestone. Sex and the City was celebrating 20 years! At first it blew my mind but then I realized that with Lane turning 18, the math was spot on.
The very first time I experienced the show was during my bachelorette trip with my best friends. My “Samantha” bestie, aka Robyn, turned it on as the rest of us were all in various states of recovery. With my back to the television, I could only hear the dialogue. I’m pretty sure it was “The Awful Truth” episode where Miranda faces her aversions to “explicit encouragement and dirty talk in bed.” My reaction went something like, “What in the world are we watching?” I can still hear Robyn, busting a gut as we all nursed ourselves back to life while watching the back episodes she had recorded (remember, it’s 1999). This was the moment in time where I was about to fall in love with both a show and a character.
If you were a fan of the show, it was inevitable that you would identify with a character or a combination of characters. When Alexandria Stylebook was in its formative years, I had thought about writing a post on SATC, but wasn’t sure it spanned enough of an audience to engage readers. Now, my 30-year-old niece who lives in New York is watching all the SATC marathons and a new generation of loyal fashion and friendship fans has joined the party. There are a lot of things that have changed over twenty years, but the essence of the show is still rooted in our society: the importance of good girlfriends…and the love of incredible shoes!
It may not come as a surprise, but as polarizing as Carrie was, I loved her character and her style. I can’t tell you how many times I think of Carrie as I sit at my computer to write my Stylebook posts. Thankfully I write about fashion and style and not about sex! To take a look in my closet, there are definitely some Carrie-esque pieces. I could wax poetically about my favorite Carrie outfits but thought I would share an Instagram feed I found. It’s called “Everyoutfitonsatc.” If you love reminiscing about the clothes on SATC, check out this feed; the comments are hysterical!
It’s common knowledge that Patricia Fields was the brainchild behind the style of SATC. Patricia’s influence became critical for brands that coveted a placement on the show and then the movies. I’ve come to a realization as a stylist that my real love was for Patricia’s fearless creations and that SJP was the perfect muse. It’s safe to say that Sex and the City has had a major influence on fashion and style. To look back at some of these creations, we are still taking our cues from Ms. Fields and the magnificent ladies who held each other up through thick and thin, sick and sin. That’s a direct quote from my bestie — the Samantha to my Carrie — Robyn!
A few of the trends that sparked inspiration…
The Large Flowers
The Carrie Necklace
The Fendi Baguette
The timing of this show for me couldn’t have been better. Following the trials and tribulations of Charlotte, Miranda, Samantha, and Carrie during my own dating days could have jaded my outlook on being single in my 30s. Remember the “Single & Fabulous” magazine cover? Thankfully Friends guided me through my single years with a little more wholesomeness. During the heyday of SATC, my life had gone from going out to all of the latest hot spots to marriage and motherhood. I had plenty of time to watch the sometimes jaw-dropping discussions and be thankful those days were behind me. While SATC sparked lovers and haters, for me it marked a wonderful period in my life that inspired me to follow my own passions.
“The most exciting, challenging, and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you that you love, well, that’s just fabulous.”
– Carrie Bradshaw
I sometimes miss those Sunday nights when Mark and I would watch the latest escapades of these four friends while trying to put Lane to bed. When the opening music played, my little toddler shimmied to the happy tune before we would shuffle her off to bed. I loved those years!
