3 days ago
How We Styled 'And Just Like That' – By The Show's Costume Designers
After three seasons, And Just Like That has come to a close. The Sex And The City spinoff chronicling the midlife adventures of Carrie Bradshaw, Miranda Hobbes and Charlotte York-Goldenblatt is bowing out after 33 episodes. In addition to the storylines of Big's death, Aidan's return, Charlotte parenting teens and Miranda ending her marriage to Steve, the fashion has remained a talking point, with fans old and new tuning in to see how our trio – and new characters LTW and Seema Patel – will be styled.
'There are so many good looks from season three,' Molly Rogers shares, appearing on a Zoom call with her AJLT co-costume designer Danny Santiago (both pictured left). 'I think we tried to move the needle a couple of times on Carrie, because she's writing a novel [set in 1864] and we wanted to reflect this in her clothes. So she has a lot of half booties on, a couple of hats and a few panniers [hooped petticoats] that pop a skirt out'.
'One of my favourite outfits of Carrie's is when she goes to Tiffany's with Charlotte in episode six,' shares Santiago. 'It's quite a beautiful look as she's being inspired by her book, and so it has the feeling of something from that era. She's got this beautiful vintage hat on with a beautiful dress, and underneath, these panniers that give an amazing silhouette, and gorgeous Maison Margiela pumps. For me, it's one of the best outfits from the season.'
'Carrie had on a pink nightgown in episode five. I watched them film on that day, and it was absolutely beautiful in the setting of that apartment,' adds Rogers, when questioned about her favourite look. 'Carrie's just in the kitchen with Miranda, but colour-wise, that was one of my favourite looks. We went to London and shopped, and we brought the nightgown and robe back. We also had fun styling the funeral in episode six because funerals mean hats, and us and hats, we go back a long way! We love a hat.'
As the storylines of SATC and AJLT have evolved, so too have the styles of our three leads. Has the costuming of the show now become a collaborative process with each actor? 'For sure, I think because we all know each other so well,' Rogers shares. 'Kristin (Davis) is really good about texting me something that she saw in a magazine to find out if anybody has worn it. SJ [Sarah Jessica Parker] is really hands on in her fitting. She really does know how to display a costume in its best light. I've never worked with anybody quite like her.'
Santiago agrees. 'When it comes to SJ having an accessory or carrying a bag, she's just so aware of everything, and knows how to make it look beautiful'.
Addressing some of the more controversial fashion choices this season, Rogers recalls 'Everybody went insane about the [oversized gingham] Head In The Clouds Hat that Carrie wore to the park in the first episode. But again, do you want to see Carrie barefoot upstairs in her apartment? Do you want to see Carrie in a baseball cap? To me, it needs to be 'The Carrie Show', even if the looks cause an uproar'.
On styling Miranda, Rogers explains that 'Cynthia [Nixon]'s more into jewellery choices. She is into the clothes, but she's a jewellery nut and she really loves to paw through the earrings and necklace combos; she enjoys that a lot. [Director, writer and executive producer] Michael Patrick King also wants to satisfy the audience's appetite for fashion.'
While some of the storylines and the show's sudden end have generated a lot of online discourse, Rogers and Santiago always enjoy the fan reactions to their fashion Easter eggs, like when Carrie re-wears a familiar piece from an episode of Sex And The City.
'It's so much fun, and we're so careful about where we'll sneak those rewears in. A lot of the time we'll dress the closet with something recognisable hanging in the back to see if anybody notices,' tells Rogers.
'The fans really zoom into these things, and they get so happy to see those items again. It's like an old friend,' says Santiago.
Rogers adds 'they really know what episode it's from. I don't even know that! They have watched so many reruns that it's truly incredible. It's wonderful, and I'm grateful. I'm always curious to see what the audience thinks about the fashion'.
One of these moments was the reappearance of the printed Chanel blouse, originally seen in season three, episode 15 of Sex And The City. Originally worn backwards, the blouse was reworn for season three, episode three of And Just Like That, though fans noticed it wasn't the exact same item after forensic examination of the positioning of the coloured patches.
'Molly found that Chanel blouse in a vintage shop in New York. It actually came from Karen Elson's personal collection, and more than likely it might have been a sample from the Chanel showroom that was given to her. We've found some other pieces that Sarah Jessica didn't own from the first run, but now she does,' Santiago tells.
'I think that the internet was so excited to see that Chanel blouse again. At the time we never really looked at the reverse to see if it matched the original one, but that's how closely people watch,' Rogers says.
'SJ has such an incredible archive of everything from the beginning of the show. And we're able to go in and pick out pieces that we want,' Santiago tells. 'We carefully choose where we want to place each piece. Every now and then, we'll find things out there in the market that have already been worn in the show,'.
Do the pair feel a pressure when styling one of the world's most talked about series? 'For us, what we do is very much in our own little bubble and we don't really look about to see what other people are saying,' Santiago shares. 'It's a very safe space when Molly and I are together and we're creating with the actors. It's very collaborative. We have our own little world that we create and being able to play is the best, because we can be open and creative'.
As beloved as the SATC universe is, the reboot has received scrutiny from fans and critics alike. 'I don't do anything that I don't like, so it bothers me when people jump on the train of "let's hate watch", that's not what I'm here for,' says Rogers. 'I put a lot of joy and satisfaction in getting things into the room to see SJ's reaction and I find it all a delicious experience. I just do not pay attention to the negativity. I often wonder, can people enjoy anything anymore? It's just all so judgmental. I'm not that way. I live and let live.'
In the same way as the storylines of Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte (and Samantha) will live on in television history, so too will the iconic looks and enduring fashion legacy that And Just Like That and Sex And The City have left.
And Just Like That is available to stream on Sky and Now TV, and own digitally on Apple TV and Amazon Prime.
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Esther Coombes is the Senior Ecommerce Editor at Harper's Bazaar, ELLE and Esquire, overseeing luxury shopping content across fashion, beauty, travel and homes. She graduated from London College of Fashion with a First Class BA in Fashion Journalism in 2010, and has since worked at Marie-Claire, Easy Living, GLAMOUR and Women's Health.
She held positions as Senior Fashion and Beauty Executive, Senior Lifestyle Executive and Content Lead during her nine years at HELLO! and HELLO! Fashion, creating editorial and branded content across the lifestyle sector and interviewing talent and experts including Lisa Eldridge, Jo Malone and Katie Jane Hughes for print and digital features.
With exacting standards and a critical eye for editing new launches, she enjoys recommending readers best in class products and experiences, be that a glow-giving skin tint, a boutique hotel stay or the perfect slingback stiletto.
In her spare time you can find her at a spin or reformer class or streaming the latest zeitgeisty podcast or television drama. You can follow Esther on Instagram at @esthercoombes.
