And Just Like That, the Sensational Re-Boot Comes to an End.

It’s the end of season 1 And Just Like That, but was it as good as the original SATC series?

With each episode of And Just Like That, the clothes got better, the sex talk got rowdier and our love for the four main characters grew stronger. The series was, at the time, groundbreaking for its sexual frankness and complex female dynamics, thereby cementing itself as a cultural force to be reckoned with, for changing the way we understood modern womanhood.

Based on Candace Bushnell’s column ‘Sex and the City’ that she wrote for The New York Observer. Darren Star created a tv series that kept on giving, that gift is the absolutely fabulous and unrestrained Sex and the City. Almost overnight, Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), Charlotte York (Kristin Davis), Miranda Hobbs (Cynthia Nixon) and Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall) became icons of fashion, friendship and sex as they lead us through their lives of four single women trying to navigate their way through the dating scene in the fabulous New York City.

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For the first time, there was a show that was representing the dynamic between men and women and questioned the female stereotypes in regard to relationships, self-worth, and of course, sex. Soon enough, these four best friends became our best friends as they re-wrote the female narrative with their out-there personalities and spirited outlook on life and reminded women everywhere that you can indeed be single and fabulous.

Now, 23 years after its debut, Sex and the City is still a massive inspiration to women everywhere, especially in the fashion department. The original series served us a plethora of dazzlingly stylish outfits that still influence how we dress. Every episode, Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha debuted a new, now-iconic outfit that made us think, ‘’that shouldn’t work, but it does’’, changing the way we view fashion. And while that larger-than-life style is definitely present in the costuming for ‘And Just Like That’, the fashion of the first season felt more mature, more sophisticated and more expensive than ever before.

Unlike in the original series, where the styling felt more accessible, in ‘And Just Like That’ money is clearly no issue for Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte, nor to some of their new friends. Everyone is donning big-name designers at all times, making every SATC fan drool with envy. The eclectic style of the original, which would see Carrie stepping out in ¾ length cargo trousers, 5inch heels and a Gucci fanny pack, has been replaced by elegance and class, and with a belly button nowhere in sight.

There’s certainly less of the playfulness of the original series but the girls find themselves in extremely different circumstances in ‘’And Just Like That’’. Carrie is mourning the loss of Mr Big (Chris North), Miranda is unhappy in her marriage and going through personal changes, and Charlotte is trying to find her way as a mother to two teenage girls. With such pressure, responsibility and heaviness hanging over their heads, it only makes sense for the fashion to reflect the growth and maturing of the characters in this time in their lives.

The progressive essence of the original series saw the girls in their 30s, never once caring about what is ‘’age-appropriate’’, throwing all fashion rules out the window and wearing outfits that perfectly displayed their true inner selves, reflecting the liberation that comes with personal expression. Miranda was a steadfast admirer of a professional power suit, but she wasn’t afraid to bare some skin in off-the-shoulder dresses, plunging necklines and some mesh Gaultier.

Party girl Samantha was sex incarnate. Her outfits were a constant celebration of her bold aesthetic with a ‘’the tighter, the better’’ attitude. Her confidence was mirrored in a hot pink pantsuit, 80s exaggerated shoulders and excessively chunky jewellery. Carrie’s style was like a breath of fresh, utterly eclectic air. The owner of 100s of pairs of shoes (mostly Manolos), Carrie cast colour theory to the wind as she donned outfits that perfectly reflected her charismatic persona as well as the beating heart of New York City.

When she wasn’t roaming the streets in breath-taking ballgowns, she’d mix prints and patterns, pair slingback heels with vintage short shorts, and layer graphic tees over voluminous maxi skirts. Wearing lingerie as clothing and bearing her midriff was nothing out of the ordinary for Carrie and you would always find her in a sexy mini dress and a pair of barely-there heels on a night out on the town.

And we cannot forget the endless collection of Fendi baguettes, in particular, the purple sequin baguette which Fendi has relaunched this year alongside a pink sequin, in collaboration with none other, than SJP herself. This eclectic mix of styles tapped into timeless fashion statements by boldly ignoring the trends of the time, rather concentrating on having the girls wear pieces that were important to them and those items, in turn, became important to women who watched.

Now in their mid-50s, naturally, there’s been a shift in the girls’ style. There’s still that playfulness to the reboot, but as you get older, you feel differently about your body and don’t want to share what you once did. ‘’And Just Like That’’ was most likely never going to be putting the girls in midriff-baring crop tops, see-through dresses and cowboy hats, however, it still truly shines in its ability to call back to each character’s unique sense of style, while updating it for the current day.

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The show has found a way to exist in that same spirit of timelessness, refusing again to conform to today’s most popular trends. Though their lives are distinctly different now, you’ll still find Charlotte walking around Park Avenue in a patterned skirt and white blouse or a crisp, high-collared dress, Miranda reaching for a power suit and Carrie donning her beloved, blue Manolo wedding shoes, a funky piece of head-ware and a new version of the iconic tutu. 

With rumours of a second season, it’s exciting to think of the fashion possibilities that come with Carrie stepping back into the dating scene and Miranda moving to sunny LA. Although there is a certain level of nostalgia for the original series and its revolutionary fashion, ‘And Just Like That’ has given us a chance to revisit those good times, while delivering several standout fashion moments of its own. And by the looks of it, the best is yet to come.