Frocks and shocks
BEFORE Sex and the City, buying expensive shoes was a minority activity reserved for the disgustingly rich.
One of Carrie’s legacies is giving those of us who normally shop in Next a taste for fabulous high-end shoes. The brighter, sparklier and less practical, the better.
Thanks to Carrie, Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo and Christian Louboutin became household names.
Nameplate necklaces, giant corsages and Fendi baguette bags (knock-offs perfectly acceptable) were other trends that started with SATC.
Some of Carrie’s favourite looks have been slow-burners. She put heels with what we would called joggies decades before the cool girls of Instagram. Her off-the-shoulder blouses have only become a summer stable in the last few years. And she worked a logoed bum bag back when Tony Blair was Prime Minister. Twenty years after Carrie did it, a racerback vest with a bright coloured bra underneath is still acceptable. But not everything Carrie wore entered the mainstream. A contrasting bra beneath a bustier or a nightie, failed to catch on, as did her ruffled bedjackets. Most of us wouldn’t wear a waistcoat, kipper tie and corsage ensemble to work. There was a puff-sleeved sheepskin jacket, a variety of capes and fishnet offcuts she draped over her shoulders. Whether she was going to the opera or out for milk, Carrie went for it. And while we might not want to wear a fur coat to a baseball game, everyone wants a bit of that.