Carrie's Best And Worst Outfits In Sex And The City
There are a few ways that "Sex and the City" hasn't aged well — its lack of diversity and the arguably sexist men in Carrie Bradshaw's life probably come to mind. However, for modern viewers, the show's fashions probably also look pretty dated. Nevertheless, Carrie has gone down in history as a fashion icon. As the costume designer Patricia Field told the Independent, "'Sex and the City' was of its time. I think it really impacted on the way women felt and behaved as well as dressed — with self-esteem and confidence."
One thing's for sure: Carrie certainly dressed with plenty of poise and confidence. You probably remember some of her boldest outfits, like that poofy tutu from the opening credits or that infamous purple hoop skirt paired with a "J'Adore Dior" t-shirt. Ready to relive some of Carrie's most stunning and most hideous "Sex and the City" looks? Here are the best and worst outfits ever worn by Carrie Bradshaw.
Best: Carrie Bradshaw's opening credits tutu
What "Sex and the City" outfit is more iconic that Carrie's tutu and pink shirt ensemble from the opening credits? After all, we saw it in every single episode! It turns out, this fabulous, over-the-top outfit was actually one of the cheapest on the show.
As costume designer Patricia Field told the Archive of American Television, "The big thing from the early days that stood out to me was the tulle skirt." She also explained that the production team had been having meetings about the opening credits to decide what they should look like. In the end, Field found the skirt by chance. "I was in a showroom and there was like a bucket on the floor, like $5 each or something ... and I pull out this, like, tulle skirt,'" she recalled.
As it turns out, Sarah Jessica Parker loved the skirt. "I would never wear it myself personally, but it's spot on," she told People. But Darren Starr, the show's creator needed a little more convincing. "He didn't get it," Field said. "I don't blame him, it's not his thing." But Field persisted. "Whatever she's wearing has to be completely original to now in time," she added.
Worst: Carrie Bradshaw's bandeau cowboy hat combo
While Carrie Bradshaw certainly had some amazing looks on "Sex and the City," some of her outfits were just a little too bizarre. One of her stranger outfits came in Season 2 when she attended a hoedown in the Hamptons. For the event, she chose to wear a red cowboy hat, a small bandeau top, and a long skirt. The cowboy hat we get, but the bandeau top? Not exactly something you'd see in the Wild West. This has to be one of Carrie's weirder outfits.
As Romper wrote of the getup, "Let's be glad that's over." Of course, the over-the-top attire may have been an artistic choice. It made Carrie look anything but classy — and it was in this outfit that she just so happened to bump into Mr. Big with his new girlfriend.
At least Carrie was in excellent shape when she donned this bizarre outfit. As US Weekly put it, "What better time to run into your ex than when you're at a fabulous Hamptons hoedown wearing a cowboy hat, a cropped tube top and an A-line skirt that shows off your killer abs."
Best: The naked dress Carrie Bradshaw wore on her first date with Mr. Big
The so-called "naked dress" is another of the most recognizable outfits in "Sex and the City" history. Carrie Bradshaw wore the nude colored slip dress from DKNY in Season 1 during her very first date with Mr. Big. When her friends saw the dress, Samantha said, "Oh honey, it's fabulous, bravo," and Charlotte chimed in, "Let's just say it, it's the naked dress. I mean, you're obviously going to have sex with him tonight." Famously, the dress showed off so much skin and was so seductive, Mr. Big said, "Interesting dress," then couldn't keep his hands off Carrie and they ended up back at his apartment before the date even began.
In 1997, Sarah Jessica Parker wore the dress again at the VH1 Vogue Fashion Awards. This dress made an impact on the show, but also in real life. As one fan wrote for Fashionista, "This naked-looking dress is one of the most iconic and talked-about garments on 'Sex and the City,' and it paved the way for other women to make similar sexy statements on the red carpet."
Worst: When Carrie Bradshaw inexplicably wore a full-on cape
Carrie Bradshaw was nothing if not bold in her fashion choices; she never failed to turn heads on "Sex and the City." However, one of her less successful looks came in Season 3. Instead of wearing a normal coat with outfit, Carrie opted for what can only be described as a full-on magician's cape. BuzzFeed even joked that she looked like she was wearing a "magician's costume," and those little white gloves certainly don't help.
As the Daily Mail wrote of the outfit, "Carrie Bradshaw had the most fashion-forward wardrobe of the cast, but was not immune to questionable choices, like this white mittens and cape look she donned during an outing with the girls in Season 3." We certainly wouldn't be brave enough to choose an armless coat from our closets for a casual night out with our friends — but then again, Carrie never shies away from an eccentric outfit!
Best: Carrie Bradshaw's iconic little black dress
While many of Carrie Bradshaw's outfits were over the top and flamboyant on "Sex and the City," sometimes she donned pared down looks that completely took our breath away. Like any fashionista, Carrie always knew how to pull off a staple: In Season 2, Carrie wore a little black dress paired with aviators to lunch with a boyfriend and his family. As Betches wrote, "Although it's v basic, the little black dress is also still a go-to classic for everyone."
Vogue also praised the low-key summer look, writing, "While every woman can pull off the versatile wardrobe staple with aplomb, it's what happens above the neck that makes a signature statement." In Carrie's case, it's her wavy hair, hip sunglasses, and, of course, her golden legs below.
It turns out, you can now get your own Carrie-approved little black dress, as Sarah Jessica Parker's brand SJP is selling one. This dress is like a cross between Carrie's LBD from Season 2 and her tulle skirt from the opening credits — sounds like a win-win.
Worst: When Carrie Bradshaw wore a Hermes scarf on her head
Hermes scarves are famous in the fashion world. Throw on a Hermes scarf and you've instantly elevated your outfit — that is, unless you wear one like Carrie Bradshaw. In one of her weirdest "Sex and the City" fashion moments, Carrie decided to wear a Hermes scarf tied around her head with the little triangle poking up at the front as if it were a tiara. As if that weren't enough, she paired it with what looked like a prom dress and a wacky bouquet brooch. Glamour wrote, "Like, we love you, Carrie, but ... what? With lots of ruching, this dress would be busy enough on its own, but when you add a brooch, long gold chain, and a head wrap, it's a lot." Unfortunately, we have to agree.
Even Sarah Jessica Parker made fun of the outfit. As she told People, "I think I have a freaking earring hanging off the bandana even. Maybe one too many things." It sounds like everyone agrees — this outfit was definitely a miss for Carrie.
Best: Carrie Bradshaw's jaw-dropping wedding outfit
Trust Carrie Bradshaw to show up to her own wedding in one of her most memorable "Sex and the City" outfits ever. Unsurprisingly, Carrie's wedding outfit was attention-stealing and utterly gorgeous. Carrie donned an extravagant, multilayered Vivienne Westwood gown to her wedding in the "Sex and the City" movie. 10 years after the film was released, the dress even went on display at the Vivienne Westwood New York boutique.
The dress, which was known as the "cloud dress," was originally part of Westwood's 2007/2008 collection, and Westwood apparently redesigned the dress just for the movie. As one viewer wrote for Marie Claire, "It was truly one of the most magnificent pieces I've ever seen from the television series."
Carrie's satin gown was paired with a traditional veil and an eye-catching turquoise feather headpiece. As PopSugar joked, "I put a bird on my head!" Trust Carrie to find a way to get a pop of color into her wedding look.
Worst: When Carrie Bradshaw wore barely there sequined underwear on the runway
Remember when Carrie Bradshaw took to the runway, fell over, and ended up meeting Heidi Klum? In the "Sex and the City" episode, Carrie was wearing sequined underpants designed by the theatrical costume designer William Ivey Long. As Sarah Jessica Parker told Elle, the outfit wasn't at the top of her mind that day, as the famous makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin was on set. "It was probably the last time I spent any significant amount of time with Kevyn Aucoin," she recalled. "So that was the paramount memory."
However, in an another interview with People, Parker went into a little more detail about the outfit itself. Apparently, it had been Parker's idea to get the underwear designed by Long. "I said to Pat [Field], 'There's a guy on Broadway that does showgirls better than anybody' ... so he made those for us."
Best: The sheer tunic Carrie Bradshaw wore to the Playboy mansion
In Season 3 of "Sex and the City," Carrie Bradshaw and the gang visited the Playboy mansion in L.A. Naturally, Carrie knew exactly how to dress for the occasion: She wore a sheer black maxi dress over black lingerie, and it was the perfect sleek, sexy look that wasn't too revealing.
As Sarah Jessica Parker later explained to People, this was one of her favorite outfits on the show as she and the costume designer collaborated on it. "Pat [Field] and I worked a lot on that," she said. "This was, I think, a bathing suit actually from her store on 8th street, which probably men wore even better than I wore." Parker went on to say that mixing the bathing suit with the sparkly sheer tunic was perfect for this episode in particular. "Because it was at the Playboy mansion, where else is Carrie gonna wear that," she added.
Well, we have to agree. This simple, sexy look was absolutely perfect for this episode — and it sounds like Parker and Field were a great team!
Worst: When Carrie Bradshaw tied a belt around her bare waist
Few Carrie Bradshaw looks were quite as audacious as this one. Not many of us would be brave enough to tie a belt around our bare waist! According to fan Instagram account @everyoutfitonsatc, this outfit appeared in episode 15 of Season 4 of "Sex and the City." As the account put it, "Behold! This is the Sistine Chapel of wacky Carrie looks. Love it or hate it, you cannot unsee this outfit." They've got that right.
Cosmopolitan also had a few choice words to say about this look. "Only Carrie Bradshaw could wear a belt on her bare midriff as if it was NBD," the publication joked. However, it turns out, they were wrong: Miranda Kerr also mustered up the courage to try this bizarre look in 2015 at the Elle Women in Hollywood Awards (via E! News). Of course, Kerr's all-blue pantsuit ensemble was still a little more understated than Carrie's look, which also featured a knotted white shirt, a knit bag, and a patterned midi skirt.
Best: Carrie Bradshaw's massive purple skirt with the Dior t-shirt
One outfit that has definitely gone down in "Sex and the City" history is the gigantic purple skirt that Carrie wore with a casual "J'adore Dior" shirt. As costume designer Patricia Field told Repeller, "I think my favorite outfit I styled for Carrie was in the second 'Sex and the City' movie when I put her in a 'J'adore Dior' t-shirt with a long taffeta skirt."
As assistant costume designer of the film Molly Rogers told the Los Angeles Times, the outfit came together by chance. Apparently, Sarah Jessica Parker had been trying on a green ball gown. As she took it off, they realized that the dress' lining would actually make a beautiful skirt. "It reminded Pat [Field] of the tutu from the TV show," Rogers recalled. "So I ran over to the rack and got a t-shirt from the Dior archives and we said, 'Now we have something.'"
It's pretty clear that this look quickly became a favorite among fans. In fact, clothing designers even started selling knockoffs of the skirt on Etsy (via PopSugar).
Worst: Carrie Bradshaw's memorable newspaper dress
One of Carrie Bradshaw's most memorable "Sex in the City" looks was a haute couture Galliano dress made out of newspapers. As a writer, Carrie's fashion was pretty on the nose with this outfit. While this dress was definitely one-of-a-kind, it's probably one of the weirdest dresses she's ever worn.
As Sarah Jessica Parker told People, the dress was a pretty unique find. "We borrowed this," she revealed. "I knew when I saw this dress what I wanted it to be. And what I love was that Michael Patrick knew how to shoot this dress." As Parker explained, Patrick used a long lens to show the dress off. Of course, Parker said, she wouldn't have "have the courage" to wear this bold dress in real life.
This dress actually reappeared in the "Sex and the City" movie. As Parker explained, it took some detective work to track it down. "It took a huge amount of research, digging, bribing," she continued, as it was the only one of its kind.
Best: Carrie Bradshaw's tutu Versace dress from the finale
It seems that tutus are kind of Carrie Bradshaw's thing. Not only did she wear an iconic tutu in the opening credits of "Sex and the City," she also donned a stunning turquoise tutu gown in the show's finale. As Sarah Jessica Parker told Entertainment Weekly, "I think I loved the tutu dress that I wore at the end of the Paris episode because it was an outfit that was about an image that Carrie had, which was, like so often happens to Carrie, what she wanted to project onto the scenario of wearing that dress, a pie in her face." Carrie wore the outfit for a date with Petrovsky, but as usual, he didn't have time for her. In the end, she broke up with him and ended up bumping into Mr. Big, who had come just in time to sweep her off her feet.
Parker felt that this ensemble made a real statement, too. "That outfit got to tell so many stories," she continued. "It was such a romantic outfit and it was so delicate and it had so much grace to it." We have to agree with Parker — it's a stunning gown and it was just perfect for Carrie's fairytale ending when it finally came.
Worst: Carrie Bradshaw's hideous colorful legging combo
One of the least likable outfits on "Sex and the City" was probably Carrie Bradshaw's multicolored, haphazard striped outfit she paired with a blue bandana. In many ways, this outfit looked like Carrie had simply thrown on a million different bright items from her closet.
As Sarah Jessica Parker told People, the outfit was a combination of a Chanel blouse and striped leggings. And as she examined the ensemble, even she found it difficult to piece together what was going on. "Are those big hoodie earrings?" she laughed. "I can't."
"Sex and the City" viewers also thought this look was pretty dire. "This is one of those 'Sex and the City' outfits that could have been fine, but then it was overdone and became horrible," one fan wrote on All Women's Talk. "It's so weird to think that this same woman can be called a fashion icon." Another fan wrote simply on The Daily Front Row, "She wore this mess." It's pretty clear that when Carrie's fashion was good, it was great and when it bad, it was truly terrible.