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Telegraph
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
I loved Sex and the City, but I'm glad its silly spin-off is finally over
And just like that… it's over. The Sex and the City universe, created in 1998 by Darren Star, and continued by Michael Patrick King via two films and the spin-off series And Just Like That (AJLT), is no more. It ended not with a declaration of love with Duncan in London, nor a return to Carrie's original apartment, but with a karaoke machine and a raw turkey. At least there was a Molly Goddard tutu. Big is dead. Aidan is gone (again). And it's clear from the title of the final episode, Party of One, that this is going one way for Carrie Bradshaw, who opens the episode confronting her newfound singledom in the worst place humanly possible for it: a hot pot restaurant. I have to give credit to showrunner King – there were flashes of the Sex and the City of yore. 'I have to quit thinking 'maybe a man' and start thinking 'maybe just me',' Carrie says to Charlotte, on a classic SATC sidewalk stroll, when she admits that she's never really anticipated being alone. You can almost imagine a cut to her old MacBook screen, by the window, Marlboro Light in hand. Charlotte's reply: 'You are so fabulous,' which mirrors the last line of the original Sex and the City finale. Carrie also declares she wants her garden to be 'more wild and free', referencing season three's Ex and the City, one of the best episodes the franchise ever produced. The Easter eggs are in abundance. While the group watches a bridal fashion show (why are they there? Unclear), Seema is stewing over learning that boyfriend Adam thinks weddings are a waste of time. Carrie asks: 'Do you have to get married?', to which Seema responds: 'I don't know. Do I? Or do I just think I have to?' At its best, the original Sex and the City could distil the experiences of young women into a single scene, pulled together with Carrie's snappy narration, the observations for her newspaper column. Seema's declaration – 'I feel him more than I've felt any other man' – also echoes Samantha Jones and Smith Jerrod in the original finale, a nice bit of symmetry for the character who was often thought of as the Kim Cattrall replacement. Miranda and Steve are on the nostalgia train too, in a similar place to where they were at the end of SATC, still facing what life throws at them, together (though still divorced), as co-parents (and co-grandparents). And as Carrie strolls up to Thanksgiving at Miranda's apartment in the maroon tutu, referencing core SATC lore, I couldn't help but wonder… were they about to pull this off? Alas, no, because this is AJLT, so we must be subjected to a last-ditch attempt at wokery via new characters we don't care about (in the form of Mia, mother of Brady's unborn baby, and her two friends, Epcot and Silvio, the latter of whom vogues around the apartment and is unrealistically rude). Even a cameo from Che Diaz in the emergency vet scene would have been better. It descends into stupidity. Carrie 'I use my oven for storage' Bradshaw is left to tend to the turkey. Then there's an overflowing toilet, which (thankfully) puts an end to the weird flirting Mark Kasabian, Charlotte's art dealer friend, is attempting with Carrie. That Miranda Hobbes's final scenes feature her scrubbing excrement off her bathroom floor is an apt end for a character who has been reduced to the bumbling, meme-able butt of the joke. Charlotte, given little screen time this episode, is happily navigating life with Harry after cancer, and her story arc is back where it was at the end of SATC, focused on what's next for her family. She's largely been a caricature of her former self in AJLT, but I did see flashes of old Charlotte, who was always the heart of the original show, when she was grappling with feelings of gender grief towards her non-binary child Rock. Lisa Todd Wexley (unfortunately) doesn't have the much-teased affair, but could have Michelle Obama narrate her documentary. You win some, you lose some. The final segment is much like the one which ties up the original finale, albeit this time it's to the karaoke version of Barry White's You're The First, The Last, My Everything, and the narrative thread is… Thanksgiving pie. I felt completely indifferent as the credits rolled. And yet, I chose to stay. I hung on, when many others didn't – 1.1million households tuned into the pilot of AJLT, compared to 429,000 for the first episode of the last season, while 10.6million watched the finale of the original series in 2004 in the US and 4.1million in the UK. Like many fans, I got hooked on Sex and the City as a 15-year-old, watching in secret – my mum was a fan but I wasn't allowed – and learning about cosmopolitan dating and fashion. I've grown up with it and have the battered boxset to prove it. Admittedly, I also stayed ' hate-watching ' it for Every Outfit, the pop culture podcast hosted by Chelsea Fairless and Lauren Garroni (who started it originally as an Instagram account that dissected every single outfit from the show), which analyses and lovingly tears down each AJLT episode with dry wit (and a lot of respect for the original). I contacted them the moment I finished the finale. 'It led me to contemplate if Carrie Bradshaw had passed away during her season one hip replacement surgery,' Fairless tells me, 'because the rest of the series feels like a Jacob's Ladder-esque hallucination.' It's a fair statement for a show that has lacked narrative cohesion and is littered with plot holes – the worst one being when the writers forgot that they killed off Lisa's father in season one, before killing him again in season three. Let's not even revisit how they wrote Stanford out of the show. Sometimes I wondered if the writers were trying to test us. Did it have to end like this? Not according to Fairless. 'Both the season one and season two finales felt more final to me. I could never have imagined that they would end this series with Carrie alone in her cavernous Gramercy Park townhouse, listening to a karaoke song with no vocals.' Carrie ending up on her own may atone for criticisms of how the original show ended, with all four leads coupled up and Carrie now with the man who had treated her appallingly for years. Some thought it was a cop-out for a show that made its name celebrating being free and single – neatly symbolised in A Woman's Right to Shoes (season 6, episode 9), which still has as much resonance today as it did in 2004. I miss what Sex and the City was. I won't miss what AJLT became. But I thank my Jimmy Choos it's over because, like any toxic relationship, I would have watched another season. Now I have no choice but to go back to season one, episode one.
Elle
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Elle
Pair Autumn Jeans With Your Summer Dress For A Cool Girl Outfit Recipe
Heatwave or no heatwave, summer is coming to a close and you're going to have to start thinking about your autumn wardrobe soon enough. Thankfully, the girlies at Copenhagen Fashion Week have come up with a genius, albeit a little lazy, fashion solution: adding a pair of jeans or jorts underneath your summer dress. This combination is nothing new, Katie Holmes gave everyone quite the fright rocking the combination back in 2022, while everyone from Ashley Tisdale to Sienna Miller had this ensemble on repeat during the Y2K years. Like the distant rumble of leggings under dresses coming back, we understand the pairing might be a little triggering for the millennials and gen X-ers among us, but don't be intimidated to try the trend again with these easy steps. A mini dress with a free or empire waist is your most failsafe bet when it comes to trying the ensemble for yourself, while a midi or maxi dress works, a nightie or prairie-style mini contrasts well with denim. Plus, this is the way you can extend the life of your much-loved summer dresses. It's also a great way to wear your fanciest pieces in a more casual setting; Cecilie Bahnsen and Molly Goddard dresses do well over some worn out, vintage Levi's. Speaking of denim, opting for a straight-leg style is wise; skinny jeans are going to take your straight back to the Indie Sleaze years, while baggy jeans might add too much volume. The style stars of Copenhagen Fashion Week largely wore the look with flip flops, but ballet flats and trainers with a slim profile would also work well. Still not sure how to wear it? Here's where to shop the pieces you'd need now: ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE. Daisy Murray is the Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, spotlighting emerging designers, sustainable shopping, and celebrity style. Since joining in 2016 as an editorial intern, Daisy has run the gamut of fashion journalism - interviewing Molly Goddard backstage at London Fashion Week, investigating the power of androgynous dressing and celebrating the joys of vintage shopping.
Scottish Sun
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Mum goes viral for her ‘half naked' outfit choice at son's graduation, but insists she doesn't see a ‘problem'
She hit back at critics as she insisted she was "fully covered" in the ensemble DRESS CRITICISM Mum goes viral for her 'half naked' outfit choice at son's graduation, but insists she doesn't see a 'problem' A MUM has found herself going viral after sharing pictures with her son at his graduation. Selene took to Instagram to proudly post the pictures alongside her "kiddo", who wore his mortarboard and gown on his big day. 2 A mum has gone viral for the dress she wore to her son's graduation Credit: Instagram/@iamselenecastle 2 She turned to the side, which highlighted her curves even more Credit: Instagram/@iamselenecastle Alongside the snaps, she wrote: "I'm such a proud mama!! "My baby graduated at the top of his class! "I'm so excited to see what the future holds for you kiddo. "Sky is the limit!" She chose a bodycon black dress for the occasion, with the strappy number clinging to her figure and highlighting her curves. Selene also stood side on to the camera for the snaps, which drew attention to her derriere even more. She teamed the dress with a pair of black patent heels, and left her curly hair loose. And while many people offered Selene and her son their congratulations in the comments section on the Instagram post, others slammed her outfit choice. "His mum be half naked on here!" one raged. "Why would you embarrass your son like this?" another added. I'm a midsize 12 and I've found the perfect pair of jeans that suit all body shapes - they're so stretchy and affordable "You could have just congratulated him in person and kept the pics. "Take this down, you're humiliating him." "She stole his moment - why this dress for her son's graduation party?" a third commented. "She is irresponsible." "Poor kid," someone else said. "What the hell are you doing?" another shouted. What's the best style that suits everyone? ACCORDING to the fashion pros at Fabulous, there's a new style of dress that suits all body shapes. Low-slung, dropped-waist silhouette styles have surged, thanks to the Noughties fashion trend that has swept the catwalks, social media and, of course, the high street. First seen on the runways of luxury labels Molly Goddard and Jil Sander, the style typically cinches around the hip and pelvic area rather than the waist. Now a plethora of more affordable options of the dress that suits a number of body shapes have dropped just as the sun starts to come out. Clemmie Fieldsend, Fashion Editor, said: "There's something so stylish about these dresses, and I love them. "The simplicity of the top half teamed with the full skirt is like a sleeker and more grown-up tutu. "I have a short torso so the dropped waist makes my body look longer, but, thankfully, the long skirt means your legs don't look shorter. "Plus it means I can tap into the low-waist trend without baring all in a pair of low-slung jeans. "I know I'll be living in mine all summer, paired with black sandals and sunnies, but for now all I need is a blazer slipped over the top and a closed-toe shoe and I'm ready to go." Meanwhile, Fashion Director, Tracey Lea Sayer, added: "I remember dropped-waist dresses from the 80s. I loved them then and I still love them again now! "Forty years on from when they were first popular and I am not so sure they will be quite as flattering around my middle, because two kids and middle-aged spread later, my waist doesn't exist any more. "With a dress like this I can disguise my middle bit and still feel on trend for summer." As someone else said Selene's son looked "extremely uncomfortable", another called her "embarrassing". "Just had to do the side view, your poor son," someone lese commented. "Embarrassing," another shouted. "That youngster is gonna be made fun of his entire life for her poor decisions," someone else sighed. "I'm sure he's ashamed of being around you," another insisted. However, Selene hit back at the criticism, as she wrote: "I literally have a dress on all the way down to my knees, fully covered. "There was a lot of mums, aunties and grandmas wearing the same kind of dress. "But since I'm not a size 2 or shaped like a a square, it's a problem when I do it. OKAY!" And there were those in the comments who defended Selene, with one writing: "She can't help that she's fine, y'all lol!" "Nothing wrong with your outfit, you are beautiful," another added. "Slay it sis!!! You looks amazing!" a third commented. "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and you look like a proud and beautiful mum, dressed appropriately," someone else said. "You look amazing, congrats to your boy for his achievement," another agreed.
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Evening Standard
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Evening Standard
How to be the best dressed guest at every wedding
Suave, sophisticated and stylish is the goal for smart pubs or Claridge's-adjacent celebrations in town. It's the opportune moment for a killer three-piece suit — Me+Em's camellia pink number was made for it — to be paired with skyscraper heels (if you can bear it) or an on-trend, mesh ballet flat from Dear Frances, £370 (…or H&M, £22.99) for something more relaxed. Unlike more traditional countryside jaunts, there is more room to play with trends, buzzy designers and your own personal style here as well. Recognisable independent London labels are a win, and worth renting if you don't want to splurge. That means big, pastel Molly Goddard looks, a Chopova Lowena kilt-dress or a crinkled, organza midi from Simone Rocha; all come highly recommended. Finish with fun costume jewellery (Swarovski's mid-range glittering necklaces and ear candy are the ticket) because unlike the relative safety of a Cotswolds church, you don't want the diamonds going missing outside the Hackney or Chelsea town halls — and still be crying when they cut the cake.
The Independent
22-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Paint it black: London Fashion Week's designers reflect dystopic doom with distinct lack of colour
London Fashion Week has a way of holding up a mirror to the state of the world. More so than the adjacent counterparts in New York, Milan and Paris, which are defined by established designers, here it has always been about emerging talents who are, by their nature, more susceptible to societal and political instabilities. Whether it's Brexit, supply chain disruptions, or the cost of living crisis, these issues force a response from young designers because they cause such a direct impact they cannot be ignored. This season, we've seen this tension play out more potently than ever before, with a string of notable absences on the schedule. Gone are the usual big hitters – and celebrity favourites – like JW Anderson, Molly Goddard, Nensi Dojaka, Chopova Lowena, and 16Arlington, who this season has forgone a traditional show format by way of an intimate dinner where guests will wear the new collection. Instead, the lineup feels more pared down than ever, as designers reassess how to present their new collections in response to financial challenges that have prompted a major rethink. Put the money stuff aside, though, and there's hardly a dearth of concern elsewhere in the world – lest we forget, this marks the first LFW under a second Trump presidency. Cue a total wipeout of diversity and inclusion policies as well as a crackdown on immigration, sending a very loud and hostile message to communities that have always been integral to the fashion industry. Perhaps it was no surprise, then, that the resounding trend from the runways so far can be best described as back to black. The colour, or lack thereof, was simply inescapable. The tone was set at Harris Reed with a collection titled 'Gilded' that was mostly made up of black sculptural gowns featuring mere flashes of gold and blue. The naked dress saw a reinvention by way of a birdcage that encased and entrapped the model's near-nude body underneath. Other pieces were more armour-inspired, with Florence Pugh opening the show in a black gown fitted with tall spikes that shielded her face on either side. 'With a sense of the world in turmoil, Reed was drawn to punk references, finding inspiration in the counterculture of rebellion and individual freedom,' the show notes explained. At jewellery and ceramics brand Completedworks, Entourage star Debi Mazar performed a QVC-inspired skit, playing the role of a frazzled, unhappy woman who, while entertaining ('god I need to take a piss [...] in the 80s I pissed twice a month!') was the perfect avatar to mask a lingering sense of despair. An interior monologue ricocheted from lamenting how young people 'don't smoke, drink or f***' to contemplating how she might murder someone. The mood was peppier over at S.S. Daley, the zeitgeisty Harry Styles-backed label that is now sold in John Lewis. A celebration of British style at its core, the collection was outerwear focused, with checked trenches, jacquard bomber jackets and puffer jackets with corduroy collars. While full of colour, black pervaded throughout: many of the models walked the runway with a single black feather tucked into their chests, while one of the standout pieces was a black puffball skirt worn with nothing but a matching blazer. Even at Bora Aksu, whose designs are usually defined by girlish joy and euphoria, a more sober mood was afoot, quite literally. The models wore mostly black laced ankle boots and the typical paintbox frothy frocks were largely absent. In their place? Black and navy polka-dotted smocks inspired by the subversive but deeply troubled Empress Elisabeth of Austria, whose 19th century aesthetic was imagined by way of several dark pieces, ranging from netted veils and skirts to velvet gloves and lace trims. Even when colour made an appearance, it did so with flourishes of black in skirts, sleeves and ribbons. Even the models' hair, which was unusually and intentionally frizzed, alluded to the possibility that something less put-together and more melancholic might be looming. Richard Quinn tapped into this too, setting his show within the context of a gloomy, snow-covered London street. Framed by tall lampposts and with actual snow falling from the ceiling, the runway saw models glide slowly through the frost to the sorrowful orchestral sounds. The first portion of the collection was almost exclusively black, whether it was an elegant full-skirted brocade gown, an upscale velvet bodice, or even a ribbon-covered netted T-shirt dress, black was everywhere to be seen. Not to mention the tights, ribbons, and long velvet gloves worn by most of the models. But the latter half of the collection saw a tonal shift. The tights were suddenly white, the music was brighter and more upbeat. What had previously looked like a very glamorous funeral procession became more of a bountiful floral celebration filled with shades of scarlet, purple and mint green – one floor-length velvet gown was fitted with three-dimensional roses on the neckline. For the final few looks, Quinn turned full bridal, spotlighting a stream of stunning stiff silk pieces in a range of silhouettes – think mesh fishtails, mini dresses, and layers upon layers of tulle. Quinn's optimism concluded the show with a joyous finale, playing out to 'Always on My Mind' by Pet Shop Boys, which transported the entire tiered audience to a nostalgia-fulled rave. Looking at the snow-covered runway and seeing the models come together, many with snowflakes clinging to their eyelashes, served as a much-needed reminder that, although times of turmoil are challenging, they do eventually pass. Because even in the depths of despair, creativity never flounders. It flourishes.
