The Closet Essentials that Popularized Carrie Bradshaw’s Signature Style

Like any girl who grew up in the early 2K, we adore Carrie Bradshaw for having pioneered street style by experimenting with fashion at a level we couldn’t have even imagined existed before Sex and the City. She will be forever remembered as the ultimate fashionista for sole reason that her worst outfits are still better than most people’s best. Dressing like signature Carrie is simpler than it seems – all that’s required are her closet essentials and a whole lot of confidence. Read on to discover Carrie’s key pieces (minus the Manolo’s and nameplate necklace – there’s not enough room in one post to explore their worth in her wardrobe).

The Tutu

It is undoubtedly true that the tutu from the opening credits has become engraved in minds of Sex and the City fans as a garment iconic enough to merit it’s own fashion fan club. The tutu, worn in varieties by Carrie, whether it was revisited in later episodes or reinvented by crinoline, has become the most legendary piece in Carrie’s coveted closet because it showed us common folk that you don’t need to be a prima ballerina to rock the tulle. Turns out, it was also the least expensive piece of apparel hanging in the midst of Miss Bradshaw’s incredibly expensive racks. Patricia Field recently revealed that the tutu was fished out of a bargain bin for something like $5, which also makes it a prime example of Carrie’s knack to perfectly mix high with low.

The Fur Coat

Right from the start Carrie set the stage for luxe dressing with the ultimate layering piece – a knee-length fur coat that had us swooning to vintage stores for a replica. The most appealing part of Carrie throwing on the fur before gallivanting the streets of New York was that she never once looked like she belonged with the first class passengers on the Titanic. Whether it was paired with sweats and stilettos (yes, she did that too – jogging pants and Manolo’s never looked so good), or worn overtop a dazzling sequined flapper dress, she always made grandma’s fur look contemporary and chic – not dated.

The Comically Large Flower

Carrie’s obvious fascination with florals quickly became pieces of adornment; the oversized corsages budded as brooches, bloomed into hats, and eventually grew onto her gowns. They blossomed into bigger and bigger accessories as the seasons progressed, but somehow always managed to work into her wardrobe, without appearing adolescent. Sometimes, all you need is a flower to flourish an outfit (literally).

The Naked Dress

Body hugging sheathes made from light fabrics and draped around Carrie’s banging bod’ became her go-to garment for first dates and errand running. Dubbed “the naked dress” by her lady friends, because she wore a nude, silk version for her first outing with Mr. Big (and nothing but), the skin-tight dresses Carrie wore throughout the seasons became representative of her va-va-voom allure.

The Printed Jacket

Carrie was always one to play up pretty prints. When it was too hot to swim in her fur, a punch of pattern was often found in her array of printed jackets. Whether embroidered, sateen or graphic, designer or vintage, floral toppers always added a unique touch of elegance to any look, proving to be the perfect transitioning piece as well as an easy way to achieve a fashion forward, mixed and matched style.