A relic of early Noughties nostalgia, Carrie Bradshaw’s closet has stood the test of time, continuing to inspire the style sensibilities of those – myself included – who weren’t even born when the first episode of Sex and The City aired in 1998.
Darren Star envisioned a world where Manolos mingled with John Galliano’s iconic newspaper dress from Dior’s autumn/winter 2000 collection on the sidewalks of Manhattan. Costume designer Patricia Field more than understood the sartorial assignment – she redefined onscreen dressing, creating a fashion legacy that would influence generations.
From Carrie’s very first look – a tiered tutu paired with a pale pink tank top – to her white, bias-cut slip dress hailed as the ultimate "revenge dress", every outfit topped the last. The beloved character wore everything from a Chanel blouse buttoned backwards to a green Vivienne Westwood mini skirt complete with a bustle, and let's not forget the belt that cinched boldly around her bare torso in season four. It was a vibrant explosion of Fendi Baguettes and vintage galore.
© Alex Oliveira/ShutterstockWith the highly anticipated Sex and The City reboot, And Just Like That, hitting screens at the end of May, there's no better time to draw summer style inspiration from the fashion mogul herself. While most of us settle for dupes of Carrie’s legendary looks – lacking the time (and budget) to hunt down the originals – a humble Instagram account may have just answered our saratorial prayers. Meet Finding Carrie’s Closet.
With an impressive 83.3K followers and counting, the account meticulously sources every outfit and designer featured across all six seasons of Sex and The City. But who is the mastermind behind the page? It is none other than 34-year-old Betsy Braley, a mother of two from the San Francisco Bay Area. Each week, Betsy sends out an email to her subscribers – who pay just £2.20 a month – filled with shoppable links to the exact pieces featured on the show. Betsy has sourced everything from Carrie's pink sequined embellished Fendi Baguette from season two, episode 18 to her signature Hangisi blue satin jewel buckle pumps by Manolo Blahnik – yes, the ones that transformed the single It-girl into Mrs. Big.
In an interview with British Vogue, Betsy revealed the process of how she tracks down the outfits. "I have way more IDs than what I put on my Instagram – I don’t have time to post as much as I should," she shared.
"But I prioritise artists and designers that need attention, and then I give the secret IDs to my subscribers. Basically, what I do for my weekly email is go through the seasons and I screen grab and put it through Google Lens. And if it’s for sale, it’ll come up. And if it’s not, it won’t, but it might come up the next week, so you have to keep trying."
© GettyShe continued: " I also keep a list of designers that Patricia Field used on the show, and I go through their latest inventory every week and go through Gem, which is a tool that takes all the second-hand listings from everywhere and compiles them. So I just have to enter a designer and see what’s new that week."
© Sex and The CityNaturally, the question arises: what’s the expert’s all-time favourite Sex and The City look? The answer lies in season four, episode three. Think back to Carrie's Dolce & Gabbana nude strapless bra, horseshoe print dress from Chloé courtesy of Stella McCartney’s spring/summer 2001 collection, white tulle skirt from Givenchy's spring/summer 2001 collection, and, of course, her purple suede Manolo Blahnik pumps.
Whether you’re a devoted fan of the show or a lover of early 2000s fashion, Finding Carrie’s Closet is a must-follow for your daily dose of archival vintage gems.
