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When
"Sex and the City" debuted on HBO in 1998, I
was in my early 20s.
I didn't
relate.
But then
30 happened, I got a better job, and I upgraded my
technology. A lot of my close girlfriends — including
my younger sister — were married, and I found myself
still dating. (Big sigh here.) I was a columnist. I had
great clothes, but with every new relationship I heard
the painful you-should-be-coupled-up-by-now refrain in
my head.
Suddenly
Charlotte, Samantha, Carrie, and especially Miranda,
were my girls. I can't tell you how many Sunday
afternoons I watched SATC, box of tissues in hand,
sobbing.
But
thankfully, time didn't stop. And like SATC, I grew and
realized I made my worst decisions when I let others —
employers, parents, not-really boyfriends — define my
happiness. Still, like Carrie, I obsessed, made
mountains out of molehills, and realized I'd never be
saved by a
Vivienne Westwood
dress.
So now,
two years after I was awed by Carrie and Big's sparkling
walk-in closet, touched when Miranda met Steve on the
Brooklyn Bridge
, and cheered with news of Charlotte's pregnancy, I want
to know not only what's in store for the girls, but
what's in store for me. Will the angst continue to
plague me?
Nope. By
the end of the sequel, I learned that if I let things
be, sheer, unadulterated happiness can be mine. That's
right — joy with a capital J.
Thankfully,
the packaging of this message comes with frills. This
completely unreal jaunt to a sunny
$22,000
-a-day resort in
Abu Dhabi
is perfect.
Of course
for the zillions of other women who love SATC, the
fantasy begins and ends with the clothes. And
considering these women rocked Dolce when they were in
the depths of despair, stylist
Patricia Field
had no choice but to find phenomenal pieces for when
they were at their best.
From the
opening monologue, which flashes back to their late '80s
ensembles, the fashionista is hooked.
Carrie
absolutely mastered the maxi, from the
handkerchief-hemmed mauve Halston halter dress to the
orange pleated tank Halston, to the one-shouldered
emerald Lanvin. Carrie also paired at least three of her
maxis with a Maison Martin Margiela menswear jacket.
(Was that an example of frugal packing, or did Field
just develop an affinity for the piece she nicknamed Rum
Raisin?)
And SATC
fashion historians will appreciate that Carrie wore her
Christian Dior
newspaper dress as a nod to the woman she used to be.
(She wore it as a single woman in the HBO series.)
Miranda's
clothes came in a close second, especially when the
camera scanned the body-hugging, plunging
Julien MacDonald
gown at
Stanford
and Anthony's out-of-this-world wedding. (It was heaven,
complete with an appearance from
Liza Minnelli
.)
Miranda
is settled and sexy, and in her off-time, she wears Zero
+
Maria Cornejo
, just like
Michelle Obama
.
Charlotte
is the epitome of perfection — even though her baby
cries incessantly — in her classy
Oscar de la Renta
and
Gianfranco Ferre
sheaths. She also looks good baking cupcakes in an apron
by Anthropologie and a vintage Valentino pencil skirt.
(Who bakes cupcakes in nude Christian Louboutins?)
And
lastly, we have Samantha, who at 52 and on the cusp of
menopause, sits at her desk applying hormonal cream with
a red Marlies Dekkers thong around her ankles. In true
Samantha fashion, she shows up to a red-carpet event in
a super-short, gold strapless
Matthew Williamson
dress.
While
looking fantastic, the girls handle their latest dramas
— defining marriage, motherhood, and menopause —
with finesse and aplomb, reflective of the mature women
they have become, even if we have to hold our head in
our hands at one of the silly decisions Carrie makes.
So,
single girls, take heart. There is hope.
At any
moment, we can put our self-made drama behind us. And
we'll be fine whether we choose children, a career, or
endless nights on the couch watching black-and-white
movies with the one we love. The important thing is to
look good doing it.
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