Fashion and the City: Behind the Scenes of Carrie Bradshaw’s Iconic Style
By TFN Writer Alyssa Medvedeff
Carrie Bradshaw’s fashion sense captivates the minds of millions of Sex and the City viewers. Sarah Jessica Parker, the actor playing her role, portrays a fiery character with a bold personality and an incredibly interesting sense of style. To characterize Carrie Bradshaw’s style under a specific aesthetic or time period would do her a disservice since her personal style prevails over curated genres of fashion. As an eclectic she pairs her vintage pieces with haute couture playing with bold pieces to display the utmost individual sense of style I have seen in any character on television.
Living in New York City her occupation entails being a fashionista parading her looks down city sidewalks, however, her actual stream of income comes from being a columnist for a newspaper and freelance writing books or articles. However, this income isn’t even close to enough in order to sustain her habits as a shopaholic. Carrie Bradshaw allegedly maxes out her credit cards and has a particular eye for expensive designer shoes. She can justify this easily! To air out her frustration following the very unfortunate loss of her Jimmy Choo she exclaims, “single women do not have their life choices celebrated (“Hallmark don’t make a ‘congratulations-you-didn’t-marry-the-wrong-guy card’!”) and so comes to the conclusion that it is okay to spend that much on oneself to make the single girl’s walk through life a little more fun.” Who could disagree? Perhaps Carrie Bradshaw could use more than a husband or a new pair of shoes. I suggest a financial advisor who would advise against buying a Vogue subscription instead of dinner. Nonetheless, how iconic of her!
The world has Patricia Field to thank for the marvelous Sex and the City wardrobe. Field herself has a bold and very fashion-forward style in her daily life. I wouldn’t doubt that some of her personal style is portrayed in Carrie Bradshaw’s outfits. Patricia Field also designed costumes and acted for The Devil Wears Prada (2006), one of the most notable fashion movies in film.
She got her start in fashion through retail. Upon completion of NYU, she opened a boutique in Washington Place in the year of 1966. It housed many interesting articles and accessories serving as more than just a clothing store. It was a place for underground culture, bohemians, creatives, and members of the LGBTQ+ community to gather and shop for perfect looks for nights out. As recently as 2016, she closed down the location to pursue projects within film and television.
In film, she debuted in the mid-‘80s by the recommendation of Candy Pratts Price, fashion editor. After impressing various film directors and bonding over their love of clothes with others she got recommendations to design costumes for the iconic quartet: Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha (girl best friend group stars of Sex and the City). Her work on the show continues to have widespread impacts in the world of fashion sparking fashion trends and popularizing certain luxury design pieces.
One of Carrie Bradshaw’s most well-known pieces is the tutu (pictured) and the backstory behind it is so interesting. In an interview for InStyle, Patricia Field stated that when she was trying to decide on what Carrie should wear in the show’s opening credits, she stumbled upon this tutu in a sale basket on a showroom floor. She was able to convince Darren Star, the show's writer, that it would be a timeless statement. Star trusted her artistic vision and by Field’s remarks, the piece never got stale.
Carrie Bradshaw inspires many to transcend current fashion trends and tune into our personal senses to build up our closets which stand out from the rest. As a Manhattan girl of twenty years, Carrie Bradshaw has had years of experience in curating her unique style. Key components of her success include living in the city of fashion (New York) and having a talented costume designer behind her back. Her audience fell in love with her outfits and stayed for her confident individualism making her one of the most loved television characters of all time.
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