‘I’m such a Carrie’: for anyone who's watched Sex and the City from pilot episode to its latest iteration And Just Like That - and endured the films in the process - those words should instantaneously raise red flagswhen considering the merits of a potential friendship (unless, of course, you want ‘bullshit bagels’ or to be bullied for not stumping up the cash for their house deposit). Rather, consider looking for mates with Miranda qualities. Not just someone whip-smart, funny AF, and who shares your appreciation for fried chicken and battery-operated devices, but a cut-through-the-crap friend who's willing to tell you how it is, and risk their own popularity in the name of your best interests.
And while you’re there, go dig some cake out of the bin and considerbeingmore Miranda while you’re at it. The founders of viral Instagram account @everyoutfitonsexyandthecity, Chelsea Fairless and Lauren Garroni, clearly agree. So much so that in 2019 they published We Should All Be Mirandas, a satirical self-help book that sets out its stall in the subhead: ‘Life Lessons from Sex and the City’s Most Underrated Character’.
It’s not just Miranda Hobbes the character who was undervalued first time around, it was her wardrobe as well. Understandably. It was hard for her to stand out in the original series of Sex and the City when pitched next to the cartoonish glamour of her co-stars: what chance does muted tailoring stand next to ‘50s housewife cosplay (Charlotte), sexy-on-steroids power dressing (Samantha) or a woman with a literal bird on her actual head (you know who)? Their looks might each have been ‘fabulous’, but Ms. Hobbes’ sartorial choices have aged well.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, allow us to present exhibit A: Miranda was doing normcore before the rest of us. Critics might say some of that suiting was shapeless and dowdy, but look at it through the lens of today, give it a Samantha Jones PR spin and wouldn’t it be rebranded ‘slouchy and pared-back’? Not that she didn’t know how to turn up the tailoring when required: a buttoned-up to the neck shirt and skinny ties that would make Hedi Slimane proud were, quite simply, before their time. She might not have thought she was 'sexy', but these looks are - albeit in a quieter, less predictable way than the rest of her gang. Shout out too to some excellent shirting, leather blazers and defiantly sensible shoes.
Think of the Miranda colour palette and you might think ‘grey’ (which, by the way, is a very chic choice and we applaud it). But that wasn’t the full story. She also had some killer colour moments, none more so than when she eschewed white on her wedding day for a plum burgundy coat. How modern, how Miranda.
Speaking of modern, she was carrying a reusable cloth tote long before they became the humble brag bags they are in the And Just Like That era. Similarly, she wasn't afraid to flex her intellect (been to Harvard, got the hoodie) and was extolling the virtues of comfort dressing prior to us all getting the memo in lockdown.
It's Miranda off duty that earns her unexpected hypebeast status now. White framed sunglasses with a Fendi logo bomber jacket? Tick. Croc-style clogs with flared jeans? Tick. A hoodie with a maxi slip skirt? Yep. Tick and tick. These are just the sort of get ups you’d see all over Instagram today; not that she'd care. Baggy trousers, mesh vests, bucket hats: Dua Lipa’s probably wishlisted them already. And as one Grazia staffer pointed out, you could swap Miranda’s head for Hailey Bieber’s on a baggy dungarees + Adidas sneakers + puffer jacket + baseball cap lewk and not know it wasn’t taken last week.
Still not convinced? Remember this: Miranda in a printed silk headscarf and giant hoop earrings is the only good thing to come out the second Sex and the City movie. We rest our case.
SHOP: The Outfits From And Just Like That
1 of 50Sarah Jessica Parker
Carrie dressed up a swishing floral maxi dress with this sequinned bag from Paco Rabanne. The exact style is sold out, but the brand has plenty more options when it comes to disco-ready accessories.
2 of 50Paco Rabanne, Nano Disc Mini Bag, £670
3 of 50Sarah Jessica Parker
Sporting another Fendi Baguette, this time the dinkier Nano.
4 of 50Fendi, Nano Baguette Charm, £550
5 of 50Kristin Davis on the set of SATC
A surprising outfit for girly-girl Charlotte, but we love these clean-cut overalls.
6 of 50Free People, Marci Coverall, £118
7 of 50Carrie Bradshaw
Batsheva's pink-and-white housedress is a lot nicer than what we wear to do the washing up.
8 of 50Batsheva, Victoria House Dress In Pink Peony, £166
9 of 50Lisa Todd Wexley
Lisa is earning a reputation as the group's boldest dresser, pairing this puff-sleeved fuchsia jacket with some sunflower shorts from Max Mara. For a winter alternative, try this leather pair from COS.
10 of 50COS, Leather Bermuda Shorts, £225
11 of 50Carrie Bradshaw
Carrie's tutu is back in business. OK, it's not the same pink style she wore in the original show's opening credits, but this long swooshing number is still fetching.
12 of 50Needle & Thread, Florence Ruffle Ankle Skirt, £295
13 of 50Charlotte York
Charlotte looks sunny side up, despite the grey skies, in this egg yolk yellow skirt and matching pumps.
14 of 50LK Bennett, Floret Yellow Suede Closed Courts, WAS £195 NOW £78
15 of 50Seema Patel
Seema Patel, played by Sarita Choudhury, appeared for the first time on set wearing this criss-cross jumpsuit from Ralph Lauren.
16 of 50Seren, Shani Jumpsuit, £620
17 of 50Carrie Bradshaw
We love this combination on Carrie; a fabulous blue-and-orange dress (vintage), a modern-day boater (Rodney Patterson) and towering platform sandals.
18 of 50Sandro, Kaela Ruched Printed Silk-Satin Midi Dress, £252
19 of 50Carrie Bradshaw
Is that socks and sandals we see on Carrie?! Her hip surgery in episode five explains the choice of footwear, but it's still a first from our stiletto-loving heroine.
20 of 50Birkenstock, Madrid Birko-Flor, £55
21 of 50Charlotte York
Charlotte does modern power dressing in this nipped-waist tweed dress in powder pink from St John.
22 of 50St John, Tweed Boucle Knit Dress, WAS £1,600 NOW £635
23 of 50Carrie Bradshaw
The last time she wore a 'bird' on her head, Carrie was marrying Mr Big (/hitting him with a bouquet of roses when he left her at the altar). If you've seen the first episode, you'll know that this meeting is something of a head-scratcher...The outfit however is 10/10. (The polka dot skirt is Carolina Herrera; the hand-painted bag is by artist Rebecca Moses.)
24 of 50Carolina Herrera, Gathered Polka Dot Silk-Organza Midi Skirt, £465
25 of 50Carrie Bradshaw
Carrie's flowing maxi dress (an usually bohemian choice it must be said) caused much confusion when some sources said it was vintage and others that it was Forever21.
26 of 50Mango, Flowy Printed Dress, WAS £59.99 NOW £39.99
27 of 50Bridget Moynahan
For her confrontation with Carrie, Bridget Moynahan was styled in a polished shirt dress from luxury sustainable label Gabriela Hearst.
28 of 50COS, Wrap Shirt Dress, £69
29 of 50Charlotte York
For a scene filmed outside the Lyceum Theatre, Kristin Davis looked exceptionally 'Charlotte', wearing a flower-embroidered cocktail dress from Lela Rose, a powder blue handbag from Louis Vuitton, and a watch from Cartier.
30 of 50Rixo, Aurelia Embroidered Voile Maxi Dress, WAS £285 NOW £171
31 of 50Carrie Bradshaw
In the best revival yet, SJP was spotted wearing those peacock blue pumps - Manolo Blahnik's Hangisi - that she last wore for her low-key wedding to Mr Big.
32 of 50Manolo Blahnik, Hangisi 105 Buckle-Embellished Satin Courts, £795
33 of 50Carrie Bradshaw
As well as digging out her beloved Fendi Baguette, SJP's also resurrected this studded belt from Streets Ahead. As eagle-eyed fans will remember, the eye-catching accessory made its debut in the first movie, cinching the waist of the rose-printed dress that she wears to go apartment-hunting.
34 of 50The Kooples, Black Leather Belt With Studs And Eyelets, WAS £170 NOW £85
35 of 50Charlotte York
For a cafe catch-up, Charlotte ventures into the world of print with a white sundress patterned with blue sailboats from Emilia Wickstead.
36 of 50Emilia Wickstead, Galen Dress, £1,495
37 of 50Miranda Hobbes
This is the second pair of wedge sandals spotted on Miranda - proof, if you needed it, that they've come a long way since being the type of shoe your old headmistress would wear in summer.
38 of 50Russell & Bromley, Headspin Woven Espadrille Wedges, £155
39 of 50Miranda Hobbes
Miranda's berry red jumpsuit scores a perfect 10 in our book and is from homegrown label Likely NYC.
40 of 50Safiyaa, Miriana Sleeveless Jumpsuit, £1,138
41 of 50Carrie Bradshaw
Saint Laurent's Farrah platforms prove that our heroine hasn't lost her love of heels (or serious height).
42 of 50Saint Laurent, Bianca Sandals In Smooth Leather, £660
43 of 50Lisa Todd Wexley
LTW is the show's new ambassador for power necklaces (this one is from Monies).
44 of 50Monies, Palermo Necklace In Polyester, £415
45 of 50Charlotte York
Charlotte was seen in princess pink dialled to its punchiest max in this blouse, a $154 number from Gosilk.
46 of 50Kitri, Bretta Pink Floral Cotton Top, WAS £85 NOW £65
47 of 50Carrie Bradshaw
Carrie was always game for a fancy hat - her fascinator once caused a fight between her Berger, remember? - and this jaunty straw style is no exception.
48 of 50Emily London, Provence Hat, £645
49 of 50Carrie Bradshaw
We shudder at the thought of the costume department's shoe wardrobe (it must be similar to when our heroine found herself let loose in the cupboard at Vogue), and love these patent and super stacked Mary-Janes. The necklace has become a new signature of Carrie's, and is from Fry Powers.
50 of 50