By: Malaika Mosele
Fashion’s #1 TV is back and . . . a little different. If you saw the original “Sex in The City,” you know how important fashion is for not only the characters but sometimes to the plot itself. Legendary costume designer, Patricia Field, did the costumes for all six original seasons and the subsequent movies, but you might notice that her flare is missing from his revival. In her place are Molly Rogers and Danny Santiago, both designers who worked for the costume department under Field for “Sex and the City,” so why does it feel like a lot of the fashion in this revival is just missing the mark?
This list ranks 10 of this season’s looks from worst to best. The ranking is based on whether the clothes look good and if they make sense to the character or scene.
This outfit was so egregious that people online were talking about it before the show even premiered. People tweeted that the dress was from Forever 21, and even when the designers explained that it wasn’t, the fact that it looked like it was a Forever 21 dress was enough to ruin this whole outfit.
This is the jokerfication of Carrie Bradshaw. It’s giving clown chic and that’s not something Carrie would ever want. I believe the look is supposed to be a call back to this iconic moment, but from color to pattern, it fails in every way.
This take may be controversial, but both Carrie and Miranda’s looks in the opening sequence were confused and tragic. Carrie is wearing a mixture of patterns, textures, and motifs that is almost too hard to look at. Topped off with a pillbox-style hat that looks like what an Eagle Scout would wear in the 5th grade and two handbags (why two instead of one medium-sized bag? We’ll never know), it just doesn’t make any sense.
Miranda is wearing a dress that isn’t particularly ugly but doesn’t really make sense to Miranda’s character as we know it. Lastly, Charlotte’s look is both sweet and well constructed, but it’s almost too Charlotte of the past; there seems to be almost no growth between her “Sex and the City” and “And Just Like That” days.
This might have been a miscommunication between the designers and the props organizers, but why is Miranda matching the picnic table?
This look is obviously an ode to the famous tulle skirt and pink tank top look, but it once again feels too forced. It’s technically not a bad look, but nothing about this look feels fun or spontaneous.
This look is a perfect example of one that I personally would never wear but is just fun and experimental enough to be perfect for Carrie Bradshaw.
Miranda turns a look in this red jumpsuit; everything about it is chic and makes sense for her character. Her “Sex and the City” style is known for its use of masculine cuts, and this jumpsuit is a perfect way to make that style more modern.
This pink tweed number is perfect for Charlotte. Many of her look this season follow the sweet and basic fashion model she was known for in “Sex and the City,” but they fall flat. Charlotte turned some looks back in her day, and now all her outfits look just like the next mom-bloggers.
Was Big's funeral a sad occasion? Of course. Was it a perfect Carrie Bradshaw ensemble? Also yes. The beret. The 50s skirt. The hint of gold. Just perfection.
This look is perfection. From the bird hat to the pol-ka-dot skirt to the clutch bag, every element of this outfit is thought out. This outfit has yet to be seen and is slated for later in the season. Many are speculating that the bird motif is a way to show that she is free to become a new Carrie sans Big. It is a screaming series finale.
For a show that has been a fashion blueprint since it came out, none of the looks this season were particularly inspiring or iconic. The designers haven’t yet nailed down that special Patricia Fields quality that made the original seasons so brilliant. Maybe it’s because most shows don’t dress older women to the same fabulous level expected of these beloved characters, but by not exploring what fashion would look like for these women and keeping it fun that same way the original did, this reboot missed the chance to inspire fashion for a whole new age range.
Honorable mentions
We focused mostly on the fashion choices for the main three characters, but the clothes for the side characters are a real shining spot this season. Here are some of my favorites.