And Just Like That’s Fashion Game Is On a New Level
If there’s one thing Sex and the City is known for, it’s the show-stopping fashion. From the signature Manolo Blahniks that gave us a new way to talk to our kicks, to fabulous yet impractical dresses, Sex and the City was all about fashion as a tool for empowerment and self-expression, and the show, while having its emotional moments, was largely a frothy, feel-good romp through Manhattan. The show’s reboot And Just Like That initially took a decidedly more somber tone with its first season, set in the wake of the pandemic. In the very first episode Carrie’s on-again, off-again boyfriend turned devoted husband Mr. Big dies suddenly after a heart attack on a Peloton.
As the season progressed, Carrie moved through a transition period of grief and heartbreak toward something more hopeful. And in its second season, which has just begun on MAX, Carrie’s treading water and just surviving gives way to a version of joy. And the show seems to finally be putting fashion back in the front seat, intentionally using it as an important part of the storytelling instead of just treating it as an afterthought. Here’s our take on how the fashion of the first episodes of Season two of And Just Like That reflects the characters’ emotional journeys, including Carrie getting her groove back.
What Fashion Says About Us
The first episode of And Just Like That’s second season centers around Carrie, Charlotte, Lisa Todd Wexley, and Seema all gearing up to attend fashion’s biggest night: the Met Ball. What, or who, each character is wearing is reflective of their status as rich and fabulous ladies. But the outfits are also indicative of the sacrifices the characters are willing to make to get the look of their dreams.
Charlotte and LTW both believe beauty is pain. Charlotte enlists the help of both children to tighten her dress. And Lisa Todd Wexley basically walked down Park Avenue blindfolded for ten blocks to get to the event. These characters are willing to do anything for the most important night in fashion, which does feel on par with some of the impractical yet fabulous outfits we saw in the original series.
But it’s Carrie whose gown is the most emotional of the three. The designer of Carrie’s original edgy gown was only able to finish the cape before coming down with the stomach flu, leaving Carrie in a rush to hunt down a MET-worthy dress in time for the event. After some deliberation, she lands on a solution: her old Vivienne Westwood wedding dress from her failed first wedding to Mr. Big. (You know, where he left her at the altar?) By choosing to re-wear the dress, she reclaims her past and turns it into a positive part of her present. And this recalls the Carrie of the original show, who had such a deep connection to fashion and for whom clothes were a symbol not just of beauty but of who she was and the story she wanted to tell the world about herself. The original show also occasionally used the re-wearing of particularly iconic outfits and accessories to highlight Carrie’s change over time, so the re-emergence of the wedding dress in a way feels like a return to form.
A Crisis Of Identity
Clothing can also be a symbolic rejection of identity. Che Diaz, Miranda’s new partner, rejects the outfit the costume department picked out for their new television pilot, uncomfortable with the flashy, overconfident, and cartoonish way the show seems to want to portray them. It’s Che’s big break, and they want to bring all of their nuances to the screen. But Che is worried about looking foolish or that their identity is being reduced to something that feels like a parody. On the flip side, what Miranda’s not wearing in the bedroom causes a similar rift. When she’s uncomfortable wearing a strap on it’s Che who makes fun of her. Since this is Miranda’s first queer relationship, she’s unsure of what to do, and how this new, strappy step affects her self-perception. Her reluctance to put on the strap-on may be symbolic of her worrying about how to take the next step in her relationship.
On the other side of the country, the Todd Wexlers and the York Goldenblatts are piecing together how appearances make them feel about themselves. When Lisa’s mother-in-law Eunice visits, her high expectations send Lisa and her husband into a tailspin. Eunice wants everything to look just so, and they spend twenty minutes turning their daughter’s natural hair into tight braids. Even though Lisa protests, wanting her daughter to go natural, it’s her fear of her mother-in-law that makes her change Gabby’s look. And of course, Eunice praises Lisa’s daughter while throwing shade at Lisa’s outfit. Talk about cat-ty! Lisa feels trapped by Eunice’s expectations, feeling like she’s never enough for her, and neither Lisa nor her daughter can express their true identity around her.
In another Upper East Side mansion, Charlotte’s daughter Lily desperately wants an electric keyboard, so she sells a boatload of her expensive clothes to pay for it, including her piano recital dress by Chanel. Charlotte feels like Lily is growing up and leaving her identity behind, the one her mother worked so hard on developing. And while Charlotte admits that Lily can’t even fit into the dress, she’s still hurt by her daughter giving up Charlotte’s perception of her to be, as Anthony called her, “Lily Eilish.”
The Shows Most Iconic Fashion
Sex and the City was not supposed to be a documentary on financial advice and frugal living. It sold its viewers a fantasy of New York, where if your emotionally distant not-boyfriend doesn’t call you back, a great pair of $500 shoes could fix all your troubles. The style wasn’t supposed to be cinema verité.
The keys to the Sex and the City franchise have changed hands throughout the years. Towards the end of the show’s original run, creator and showrunner Darren Star stepped away, leaving the reins in the hands of Michael Patrick King. It’s interesting to note that the legendary Patricia Field, who designed the wardrobe for Sex and the City and its accompanying movies, is in fact not finding the tutus and stilettos for our trio in And Just Like That. On that show, the wardrobe is designed by Molly Rogers and Danny Santiago, two of Field’s assistants from Sex and the City. Patricia Field is instead designing the wardrobe for Emily in Paris, a show created by Darren Star that may soon feature Kim Cattrall (who Patricia will be dressing for her very brief appearance on And Just Like That later this season.)
Many reviewers and fans were generally unhappy with the looks in season one of And Just Like That, claiming that the reboot’s fashion just didn’t hit the way the original series’ looks did. Yahoo had this scathing remark about a hat Carrie wore in the sixth episode. “The lowest was undoubtedly a flopper from episode 6, a glaring contrast to Carrie’s new shiny apartment, equal parts “Blossom,” 1980s Gunne Sax ads, and “Anne of Green Gables.” WOOF. But as the season progressed, it left some of its maudlin tendencies behind, and in the second season, looks to be balancing its emotions with some high fashion, and some fan service throwbacks.
Season 2 of And Just Like That is already giving us memorable fashion moments, and seems to be returning to the show’s fashion-forward roots; the clothes the characters choose to don – or reject – say a lot about their identity. But will we find any more fun easter eggs and throwbacks from Carrie’s vast closet? We’re praying to Dior, Chanel, and of course, Manolo Blahnik that we’ll see more!