You think style on TV, Sex & the City comes to mind as there is a fictional fashion icon more a la mode than Miss Carrie Bradshaw herself who claims Vogue fed her more as she made waves in the industry both on-screen and off. She is the main protagonist, a sex columnist, freelance writer at Vogue, a party girl, and a fashionista living in Manhattan who still serves as a sartorial inspiration to this day. From inspiring the wardrobes of many through numerous iconic style moments that are empowering as they are eye-catching, helping designers, such as Manolo Blahnik, become a household name to reshaping how women are depicted in media as well as seen in real life. However behind the kitschy vintage thrifts sported haute couture is a woman struggling with her self-esteem and at odds with her own identity glamorized by covetable the Carrie Bradshaw lifestyle aka shopping sprees at high-end brands, nights out in the bustling urban jungle, possibilities for romance at every turn and neverending gossiping girl’s brunches that left viewers wanting more even as we look in the mirror to get dressed each day. Which begs the question, how did Carrie Bradshaw change your relationship to fashion?
Carrie makes fashion accessible. She makes it fun, sexy, and achievable because she is an every woman. It’s all very, “If I can do it, you can too!” A client of mine shared with me how the character is a style icon explaining how she loved the NYC urban fashionista look, but thought it was out of reach because of her height and hair until she saw SATC. So many people view Carrie’s style as inspiration, but obviously, she does not have the healthiest relationship with buying fashion. To begin, let’s define and analyze Carries’s style, go over the key components of some of her most iconic looks, and then delve into her fashion sense in relation to her mental state then finish up with how this impacted the real world and viewers in terms of style as well as your own relationship to fashion.
Carrie’s a fashionista who doesn’t follow the rules through effortless styling that achieves a simultaneously unrefined yet polished appearance that defies categorization. Her fashion sense is in fact her defining factor. Often a timeless sense of style is a curated selection of classics, but she possesses a personal flair that surpasses the constraints of any era with an eclectic approach. Her codes of dress include Playful and fun silhouettes, easy-to-accessorize basics, statement pieces that can be dressed up or down, layering in all seasons, as well as mix-and-match investment pieces. As a person, she is witty, creative, effervescent, attentive to detail, childish, and reflective. She was also unafraid to high-low dress, resulting in outfits that were both unique and striking. Very similar to her own nature. Her wardrobe and styling techniques are a lesson in how to be on the cutting edge of fashion by blending unexpected elements together with ease such as pops of color and prints to blends of textures and aesthetics. Every trait is exhibited in every look, in spite of the fact her range of style is so vast she has a cohesive closet that is perfectly curated to her lifestyle, personality, and taste.
Carrie overall has a style that is personable and aspirational, while still being slightly off-beat in the best way. It embodies Diana Vreeland’s quote, that goes, “A little bad taste is like a nice splash of paprika. We all need a splash of bad taste—it’s hearty, it’s healthy, it’s physical. I think we could use more of it. No taste is what I’m against.” Every single one of the women has their own taste and fashion sense. I feel that is the beauty of this show, famously people ask Are You A Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha, Or Miranda? We can all see ourselves in each of them, but also relate to all of them and this was very powerful. Psychologically, studies in the social sciences show that the content of television programs can have profound effects on viewers, altering their views, shaping their preferences, and even affecting our cognitive ability. It alters how we view the world around us, and how we view ourselves.
Each character has their own unique, eye-catching style and personality, but their relationship to their image differs greatly If you are interested in the symbolism of her style in unison with the rest of the girl group I previously did a video on What do the Women of Sex & the City Represent? | The Feminine Archetypes Style Analysis for the meanings behind their looks. Showing that throughout every chapter and look of our lives, the bonds we build and how we grow into ourselves are the greatest label or love we have to share. and Carrie’s is one that is she embodies the idea of crafting one’s own story and it’s beyond refreshing to see even in this day and age. She changed how women looked and treated themselves and taught how to use fashion as a form of agency. Carrie’s range of fashion caters to different events, people, and things in order for her to go and do whatever she pleases.
We as viewers see this through her costume design with a vast range of aesthetics offered by high fashion brands such as Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Betsey Johnson, Chanel, Chloé, Christian Dior, Christian Louboutin, and Fendi to Gianni Versace, Givenchy, Gucci, Jean Paul Gaultier, Jeremy Scott, Louis Vuitton, Manolo Blahnik, Marc Jacobs, Miu Miu, Oscar de la Renta, Roberto Cavalli, Sonia Rykiel, Vera Wang, and Vivienne Westwood, among many more. Wearing a brand name has been shown to have a significant effect on how others see you.
As a creative type, she can blend aesthetics instinctively. Carrie pulls from all high-end brands and takes on the heritage, traits, and values of each fashion house then styles it all together. It’s a melting pot of prestige. The function that fashion plays in the ways in which we process and present our internal and external contradictions, as well as ourselves, in our everyday lives is intricately intertwined. The way one presents oneself to the world is a reflection of one’s values and aspirations. By combining aesthetics, you combine identities on a visual level. The profound influence of style on our daily existence is closely tied to the inner and outer challenges we encounter, as well as our outward expression to society. One’s external appearance is a reflection of the ideas and aspirations that lie beneath the surface. The range mirrors her scattered mindset and goals of moving up in the world.
When you are buying from a high fashion brand, it is so much more than just a pair of shoes. You are buying into an identity with a rich heritage and prestige that is only found in the house. Carrie really has her sights set on all of them, she wants to have it all. This want is really explored through her relationship to Mr. Big whom she places on a pedestal and views as this manifestation of all she wants.
Carrie views herself as a commodity to be bidding for, the more luxurious the higher the price. We see this in the title sequence as she stands out from the crowd and sees her ad. Her identity is constantly fluctuating to adapt and repel her mood, she avoids stability because she has this deep belief that she must prove herself. She can’t be effortless in love, she can’t be effortless when it comes to her looks. She is always done up and uses clothing as a symbolic boundary between herself and others in order not only to create a chic identity but also a barrier of protection.
Men like big, traditionally want a traditional woman and view her as an extension of him. Carrie doesn’t fit this and it is actually a huge source of insecurity for her because it isn’t about self-hatred as Carrie is rather confident, but hating what she lacks. I explore this more in-depth in a previous video analyzing What Natasha Symbolizes to Carrie as she is the style section personified in Carrie’s column.
This behavior is one that Carrie has really influenced in modern society, so many people speak on how their views of relationships have been influenced by the show and that they are inspired by the fashion on screen, but the fashion on screen also influences you as it is a form of nonverbal communication. It’s more than inspiration. It speaks to us.
To the point where her beloved wardrobe made waves in sales of real life. For instance, the iconic Fendi Baguette bags and Manolo Blahniks. Carrie’s fashion was of her time, extravagant fur coats, little silk slips, dainty tops, printed boots, statement accessories, and much, much more. The fashion of sex and the city changed how designer fashion is seen and worn because we intake messaging in media on a subconscious level. Sporting this sort of look makes you feel fabulous the way she does. Carrie on the surface has it all and we trust in our eyes even if we know logically a newspaper columnist who would have an average annual income of 30k at the time wouldn’t live in an Upper East Side brownstone with a fully stocked walk-in designer brimmed closet and a prized 40k USD shoe collection.
Designer products highlight the prestige of the owner, instilling a sense of self-assurance and influence. The desire for status and social signaling is a significant psychological factor that motivates people to purchase luxury goods. Having and using high-end items can be viewed as a representation of achievement and wealth. Because of enclothed cognition, you begin to take on the traits of the piece and it not only alters your look, but way of being. Apparel possesses the ability to transform the profound impact it has on the wearer’s mental state.
Sporting a designer piece is empowering in and of itself, but should your self-worth come from a bag or coat? Of course not- but for Carrie her clothing is a security blanket of sorts.
She frequently struggles with feeling satisfied with her achievements in life, whether it’s her career, love life, or style. This results in a never-ending cycle of insecurity and excessive overthinking, which fans fervently hope she can escape from. She is naturally reflective and in tune with others, but is a bit out of touch. She often shops to fill emotional voids and uses clothing as a coping mechanism. Carrie’s habitual response to issues is to go shopping.
It’s very interesting how Carrie uses clothing as this coping mechanism in accordance with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, fashion is a unique variable that spans all levels. According to Abraham Maslow, a psychologist, people are motivated by a desire for self-improvement and the pursuit of meaning in life. This has to do with a person’s development and growth as they go through life. Maslow describes the self as “a being in the process of mere becoming,” while the self-actualized self is “a being in the process of authentic becoming.” At the base of the lowest, the most important is the physiological basic need of coverage, but the more expensive, branded, designer, prestigious clothing can be utilized for esteem aka soothing the ego. Carrie buys shoes to boost her self-esteem in the same way that other people buy coats to be warm or wear jewelry handed down from their mothers. to provide a want or a need. The character made a life that was so unrealistic seem in reach for many, tied together with a ribbon of bad habits that if anyone unwrapped they would be left with a box of nothing.
Her experimental and inventive style is what gives her the freedom she enjoys as a single and fabulous woman in her 30s, but also actually ends up caging her as she is unable to form stable connections with others, especially with the whole Big obsession she becomes her own voyeur. It reminds me a lot of the Margaret Atwood quote “You are a woman with a man inside watching a woman. You are your own voyeur”
This signature style is a tangible depiction of her dream self, but even her dream falls short in reality because it isn’t rooted necessarily in reality. She is the anti-heroine who rejects traditional stereotypes of women, yet still is who challenges contemporary codes for women of her time by creating new looks because she is constantly remaking herself, yet her indecisiveness is high fashion and glamorous because at one point in her life, she was anything but. Carrie is able to curate distinct identities within New York’s urban consumer culture. She is girlish meaning she still has the look of wonder still in her eyes, but still is well rounded and an independent woman. I feel that is the beauty of her character, her creativity, her writing, her charm and there’s no shame in wanting more for yourself especially when it comes to your look.
The last person to advise you not to desire all the beautiful things life has to offer, especially clothes, is me. And trust me… I fully appreciate the joy of wearing a brand spanking new pair of Saint Laurent stilettos, watching the latest Celine fashion show and seeing the trend of low rise make a comeback again, or curating some early 2000s Versace or Gucci by Tom Ford that I never thought would see the light of day again.
Brands and trends are meant to be bent to the mold of your style. You should never mold yourself into an image or trend that is deemed fashionable or use fashion as a way to make yourself feel worthy because you have worth no matter what you are wearing. Carrie proved that fashion can be achieved by anyone, regardless of age, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status. I feel that we can all take a page out of her book, whether you love or hate the character, she teaches us the power in your own presence. To go after what you want wholeheartedly, and how fashion can make living an art along with many fun quotes all about style, but the most significant saying I will leave you with is that “The most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you find someone to love you you love, well, that’s just fabulous.”
