Carrie, Are You Ok? The Ups and Downs of Sarah Jessica Parker’s ‘Sex and the City’ Reboot Fashion
Ever since it was announced in January that HBO would film the “Sex and the City” reboot “And Just Like That,” SATC fans began to speculate about what the fashion might look like in the new series. And once filming began this summer, social media fan accounts and traditional news outlets (including yours truly) alike have clamored to cover every designer brand, every wacky hat, every stiletto heel that Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw would be wearing on the show.
So detailed has the behind-the-scenes filming coverage become that it seems that there might not be much fashion left to take in when the series actually premieres in December.
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That question has become the least of fans’ worries, however. The latest crop of “And Just Like That” fashion sneak peeks has us wondering: What’s going on with Carrie Bradshaw?
The question may have started percolating back in late September when Parker was seen filming in a gray fedora with a brim that sat just a bit too wide. Wearing a gray-and-red-striped skirt with an oversize gray trench coat, even a pair of red satin mules couldn’t quite cheer up the look. Fashion foreshadowing of a Carrie wardrobe — or even storyline — gone wrong?
Then, last week, a series of unfortunate outfits hit the photo wires. First, a tweed vest and trousers worn with a brown polka-dot shirt, red tie and a purple jacket that could best be described as “Batman’s” Joker (Jack Nicholson or Heath Ledger, take your pick). There were, again, a pair of matching shoes — purple satin booties with a chiffon flounce — that only added to the Halloween spirit of the look.
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Then, Parker-as-Bradshaw went full-on Grey Gardens, appearing outside her Perry Street stoop in a pink gingham schmatta. The dress, a cotton snap style with a piped ruffle collar, was designed by Batsheva Hay, who has a knack for making pinafores, prairie dresses and other Laura Ashley throwbacks look chic. But paired with a blue cotton zip hoodie, silk headscarf and what appear to be of the latex dishwashing gloves (cigarette in hand), Parker’s on set look was utterly absurd. Cat-eyed sunglasses and a pair of wooden block-heeled, white leather Mary Janes with the straps undone fully delivered the message.
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The social media reactions were fast and furious. “It’s giving ‘How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days’ warp speed edition,” wrote Cameron Silver on the “Sex and the City” fashion account @everyoutfitonsatc. “The unbuckled straps are a new level of chaos,” wrote another commenter.
Parker also appeared in an embellished long skirt and cropped top similar to lehenga choli, a traditional style of clothing worn by women in some regions of India. it was a beautifully intricate look (complete with a pair of purple metallic woven platform sandals the further solidify Carrie’s current footwear preferences) that felt a bit off with the placement of floral headpiece alongside a Princess Leia-like side-braided bun, placed on the other side of a long braid.
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Longtime SATC fans can’t help but wonder if Carrie’s current wardrobe would look different if resident costume designer Patricia Field was still on set. Sure, Field’s longtime right-hand-woman Molly Rogers is on set for the reboot. Field has been vocal about her absence, telling WWD that she is simply too busy filming the second season of “Emily in Paris” to sign on to “And Just Like That.” “The main reason was a time conflict,” she said back in May.
Still the recent spate of looks begs the question. Would the Joker outfit or Little Edie housedress look have made the cut if Field was still involved?
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Of course, it’s entirely plausible that bad fashion could be a key storyline for the reboot. Is Carrie playing a part, or finding herself in an odd predicament (hence, latex dish gloves)? Is there an alternate universe in which Carrie’s wardrobe is, well, different? Perhaps one or two of these looks is actually a dream (nightmare?) sequence in one of the episodes.
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The show’s fans might also remind themselves that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And whatever the explanation, there are still plenty of classic Carrie fashion moments taking place alongside the wackier ones. What better way to lure in viewers with a few oddball fashion teasers?
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