Thursday, February 7, 2013

TV Inspiration: Sex and the City

I think it goes without saying that far and away the most fashionable TV show of all time is Sex & the City. Every group of girlfriends from Manhattan to Minsk can now define themselves as a Carrie, a Samantha, a Charlotte or a Miranda. (Heaven help you if you're a Miranda.) Everyone wants to think that they are the Carrie of their particular circle of friends as she is truly unique, but the trick to being Carrie isn't to copy her style. It's to be unequivocally true to your own quirky style, regardless of what is in fashion at the moment. In that sense, we can all be the Carrie of our group of girlfriends with just the right mix of Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha added in when the occasion calls.

First, let's take a look at each of these ladies in turn and figure out what defines each of their styles.

Let's just go ahead and get Miranda out of the way, shall we? Her hair was so unfortunate the first season, that I will not even go there in this post. As a corporate lawyer, her wardrobe mostly falls into two extremes: frump central and boring power suit. Yes, there are some looks for going out or hanging with the girls that aren't nearly as unfortunate, but typically, Miranda keeps it remarkably simple until later seasons when she finally starts to have a few decent looks:


The absolute best Miranda looks typically come from one of the movies, like the yellow dress in the last picture. When speaking of her best outfits, they tend to be simple silhouettes with one focal point or statement accessory, but nothing over-the-top. Her jewelry is never too big and usually compliments her outfit in an understated way. Bags and shoes tend to be fairly neutral and while in later seasons she looks polished and put together, at best, she's the last one you think of when it comes to mimicking SaTC style. 

Samantha, on the other hand, is also a business woman, but given her position in PR, she makes sure to stand out whenever possible. She is the originator of "Statement" accessories, as evidenced by several of the photos below. 


Samantha's style always incorporates bold colors and patterns and unlike most people, she will often combine both, as you can see in the first photo. Most style gurus would suggest that a bold red top OR leopard print skirt should be the focal point, but Samantha has no qualms about combining the two into something overt-the-top and fabulous. Her idea of understated is... actually, she doesn't know the meaning of the word and believes more is more. More color, more pattern, more glitter and glam, more, more, more! Despite the colorful, quirky combinations, all of her outfits are also extremely sophisticated, modern and all of them have a sexy edge. She's not afraid to show some skin with a plunging neckline or strategic cut-outs and everything she wears looks like it came off the runway five minutes ago. 

Charlotte, on the other hand is the epitome of classic elegance and preppy chic. None of these ladies are afraid of color, but Charlotte's choices are extremely feminine and often borderline girlie. Where Samantha loves clothes that drape and cling, Charlotte prefers structure and tailoring. 


When I think of Charlotte, I think of Kate Spade or Ralph Lauren. I think of feminine prints like delicate florals and pink seersucker. I think of hearts and bows and ruffles and lace. The girlie-girl in me is mildly obsessed with everything Charlotte ever wore. Charlotte is the fashion equivalent of crossing all your "t's" and dotting all your "i's." Nothing is every improperly creased or stained (except her wedding dress, of course). While there is literally nothing Samantha ever wore that could be described as "cute," Charlotte makes up for that by never appearing in an episode without being perfectly adorable. 

And finally, there's Carrie. I could write multiple blog posts about Carrie- any decent fashion blogger could and most have. Carrie's fashion is so in-the-moment, that at times it's practically a costume. She's quirky and bold in her choices, but unlike Samantha's runway flair, Carrie's clothes always have a vintage flair to them. Whether it's vintage Dior or a $2 no-name scarf, she always puts together an unexpected combination. Her outfits are surprising, fresh and light. Here are some of my all-time favorites: 


So which one are you? A Miranda? A Samantha? A Charlotte? Or a Carrie? I hope you've enjoyed this blast from the past and that maybe a few of these photos have reminded you of some of your favorite SaTC outfits from years ago. Leave a comment if you like and as always, thanks for reading! 

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