It’s hard to imagine there being even more pressure on “And Just Like That” to live up to its predecessor, — when it comes to both fashion and plot lines. But with the 25th anniversary of “Sex and the City” fresh in the minds of its fans, it’s safe to say that there is.
Luckily, the second season of the sequel series comes with more sex and fashion than the first, where grief and loss — and the sartorial expression of those emotions — took center stage.
Gone are Carrie’s mourning tutus, dish gloves, odd sundress styling and recovery Birkenstocks. Back is the glamour, the girls’ nights out, and all of the dating and sex mishaps that fans have come to love and expect from the original series.
That doesn’t mean it’s all fashion hits. The series still rings of a put-togetherness from the two “Sex and the City” movies that made audiences groan. Too many belts, too many shoulder pads, too many impractical handbags that real New Yorkers wouldn’t carry on a daily basis (though that could also be said of the shoes).
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With the premiere of season 2’s first episode, here is a rundown of its major fashion moments. What’s good, bad and in between is up for
Lingerie and heels — and a key Carrie sweatshirt moment
Season 2 gets right to the sex, with an opening montage set to “Hold Me Closer” by Elton John and Britney Spears that shows each character in an intimate scene and corresponding boudoir attire. Charlotte wears a version of the silk chemise she’s worn since early SATC episodes. Miranda pulls off a floaty sundress to get naked in a pool with Che. Lisa Todd Wexley emerges from her bathroom in a blue silk robe and gold sandals, reminding everyone that sometimes people buy heels for private moments, not street style selfies. Carries stands in her doorway in wearing an old white “New York Times” sweatshirt, one shouldered exposed, with a pair crystal kitten heels to meet podcast producer Franklin in bed.
“There’s nothing more exciting for me than having one of the shoppers to find the more perfect sweatshirt that [Sarah Jessica Parker] has never seen, and we’re all excited to present it to her. There are a couple of classics in season two,” said “And Just Like That” costume designer Molly Rogers during a June 8 panel on the show’s 25th anniversary.
“It sounds so silly and kind of trite to talk about the joy a sweatshirt can bring,” Parker added during the panel discussion. “Finding that special piece, even in its worst condition, which by the way we find delectable… It’s like the golden ticket.”
A new closet to covet
Fans know Carrie Bradshaw‘s closet(s) intimately, but an early scene in episode 1 gives a glimpse into Lisa’s closet. It’s luxe but less precious than Carrie’s former dream closet with Mr. Big, and Lisa has turned a vanity seat into a desk so she can multitask makeup and edits to the documentary she is directing.
An electric blue Balmain leather biker jacket hangs on a hook alongside a rainbow of frocks and scarves — but the grail of the room sits below the custom cabinets, where illuminated cubbies hold an array of statement heels in matching colors, including a pair of hot pink stiletto sling backs she throws on while getting her kids ready for school. The only caveat of said dream closet? Any shoe fanatic might wonder if it’s enough room to hold a true collection. Carrie would never.
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More hat moments
With all of the hat moments running through season 1 of “And Just Like That,” we couldn’t help but wonder if the cast and crew might be trolling its audience a bit. The gag continues in season 2, but the hats themselves get better. Aside from Harry buying a top hat to wear to the Met Gala, a neighborhood stroll with Charlotte shows Carrie in a tilted flat brim, outfitted in a white lace jumpsuit and massive white platforms, like a modern day Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle in “My Fair Lady” providing just a sprinkle of hat absurdity.
The clear winner of hats in the show is Rock, whose checkered bucket hat puts their wabi-sabi personal style alchemy more in line with Carrie’s. (The hat also precedes Pharrell’s inclusion of them on the runway at his Louis Vuitton debut.)
Che’s costume fitting
Season 2 sees Miranda in Los Angeles, following Che out west while they film the pilot of their sitcom “Che Pasa.” We see the first hints of Che’s insecurity during a costume fitting they do while in pre-production for the pilot. A costume designer tries to put them in a jacket outfitted with wacky lapels. “Hey America, I’m non-binary!” Che shouts to the mirror before taking off the jacket.
Later, Che reveals to Miranda that they are on a diet after the costume fitting. “After all I’ve been through, I still let this bullshit get to me,” they cry in what might be their only moment of real intimacy with Miranda.
Miranda’s new look
Perhaps the most memorable outfit of the season premiere is Miranda’s harness and dominatrix getup. After a trip to Hustler Hollywood (the bag is strewn on the floor), Miranda struggles to put on a harness and strap on. “Don’t they have a beginner model?” she asks Che in desperation while buckling in.
The scene spirals into slapstick as the camera lingers on Miranda interchanging various intimate accoutrements while Che talks on the phone with Carrie, oblivious to the simultaneous comedy and frustration of someone trying on a new identity and all of the garments that might come with it.
Dr. Nya Wallace’s bag as armor
Miranda’s Columbia law professor is the only character not visibly coupled in episode 1, with her musician husband away on tour. A frustrated Nya dines alone at a bar with a glass of Malbec when a handsome stranger tries to sidle up.
“I’d love to join you for dessert… but you’re using your purse as a rampart,” he says to her. “I will make sure your fortress is secure,” he says later after she tells him she is married.
Carrie’s Met Gala gown mishap — and wedding gown save
Much of the episode deals with Met Gala preparations, as Carrie, Seema, Charlotte and Lisa are set to attend. While the storyline feels like an all-too-easy nod to the fashion event, it also gives opportunity for Carrie to resurrect some old pieces from her closet (and for the crew to refer to it as the Met Ball, as it was called pre-spectacle). After a seamstress disaster with the dress she had planned to wear, Carrie pulls a fashion Hail Mary by digging out her Vivienne Westwood wedding gown — and the infamous bird headpiece — pairing both with a blue satin cape for a look that feels very much like something Parker would herself wear on the Met Gala carpet.
The scene also comes with a solid shoe moment, with an array of heel options that include ruched Gucci pumps and crystal embellished Aquazzura stilettos.
Lisa’s Valentino moment
Of the four Met Gala attendees, it is Lisa who wins best dressed, sporting a red Valentino gown and matching feather headpiece that proves she’s no fashion novice. After forgetting to confirm her standing van to the Met (a vehicle many attendees utilize in real life so as not to wrinkle any gowns), Lisa has her husband hold her train as she walks to Fifth Avenue for a truly traffic stopping moment.
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