by Kate Tempel

Do you follow Sarah Jessica Parker on Instagram? I didn’t either until recently, but I am here to tell you that you probably should, ASAP. Her pictures are random, her captions are arguably 21st century-poetic-genius, but most importantly, @sarahjessicaparker was recently the locale of the announcement of an HBO Sex & the City revival.

I must say that I did not personally understand the gravity of this fabulous news until lockdown forced me onto my parent’s couch and provided me with both the hours and motivation to binge watch all six seasons of the original series – in one week. It was insanely worth it, but not everyone has that kind of time mid-semester. Here a few of the lessons that I learned:

I had seen the first season of Sex & the City before, and frankly, I didn’t love it at the time. I was sceptical of the generation who saw the franchise as a wright of passage – first period, first boyfriend might make you a teen, but if you haven’t watched this show religiously, you really cannot claim womanhood. Now, while I still believe wholeheartedly that there are other important stops along the way, I think I can be comfortably classified as a die-hard Carrie Bradshaw fan.

First and foremost, I found out quickly that the series is only pretending to be about dating. There are new men passing through the friends’ lives every episode as lovers, crushes, even fiancés, but throughout each season, the only constant was the four women that meet for Saturday brunch to dish the juicy details to their true life partners – their best friends. If this didn’t validate everything that this pandemic has taught us about who in our lives matters most – I don’t know what would. Whether you have a tight group or float between besties, whether or not your support system is fully female, Sex & the City leads by example in this: love your people.

The second lesson, a close competitor with the first for me at least, was the importance of shoes. This may sound silly, but I felt very seen as a self-proclaimed addict. They are the punctuation of the sentence that is every outfit – imperative. Carrie would rather sacrifice her paycheck, her relationship, her sanity than throw away or tarnish her Manolo Blahnik’s, and I think for the most part, she has her priorities straight. The current discourse on sustainability in fashion is exciting and morally sound. Our generation is also learning the value of investment pieces in our wardrobes and the coveted gift that is the ability to comb Depop or a thrift store for a killer leather blazer. In this, the women of Sex & the City should be our greatest mentors. Even Miranda, who pretty much incessantly wears sneakers, sees the earth-shattering importance of shoes in an ensemble.

Finally, I was consistently (embarrassingly) brought to tears over the ability for fashion to unite the residents of New York City. In this, we find an incredible microcosm that is perhaps overlooked by the portion of the world’s population that see no difference between loafers and Gucci loafers. That being said, everyone has a piece of clothing or accessory that means the world to them – for Carrie, it’s her iconic gold name necklace. I have one just like it. She bought it for next to nothing with her friends, but it was priceless. Upon losing it in Paris in season 6, the audience realizes that subconsciously, it was a part of her. That, without it around her neck, she didn’t feel like the character we love. She wouldn’t feel so near nor dear to us without the tutu in the street or the naked dress on the bus, either. From Mr. Big’s signature suit to the glittery transgender women’s tank tops on Samantha’s street to Charlotte’s headbands, their clothes are a huge part of their identity. Beyond that, the clothes affect the way that they understand and interact with each other and the world.

I will be anxiously awaiting the revival mainly to soak up the costuming, but also secretly hoping that it will feel like the audience, too, is reuniting with our old friends in the city.

ST.ART does not own the rights to any images used in this article.