Fashion and Friendship: Lessons I’ve learned from SATC 

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Holy Cross chapter.

This past summer while scrolling through Netflix, the drama series Sex and the City caught my eye and after just a few episodes, I was hooked. The HBO series set in the 90s follows a newspaper columnist, Carrie Bradshaw, and her close-knit group of three other women in their 30s navigating their relationships, careers, and lives in New York City. It was not until after I finished watching that I realized the presence of important life lessons within the show, despite all of the drama and poor decision-making among the group. 

Life lessons:

1. Cherish your close friendships 

The only consistent and lasting relationship throughout the series is the friendship between Carrie, Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte. The girls support each other through every situation you could possibly think of, and they never judge each other, even when their actions seem quite questionable. While the show focuses on the women navigating their dating lives in the city, the friendship between these women ultimately ends up being more important than any of their other relationships. One of my favorite Carrie Bradshaw quotes is, “They say nothing lasts forever; dreams change, trends come and go, but friendships never go out of style.” 

2. Self-love

While the four women rely on support from each other, they also learn the importance of putting their needs first in relationships. To me, Samantha Jones is the epitome of confidence and self-acceptance. Samantha resists society’s judgments and double standards concerning women, stating, “A guy gets angry in a meeting, he’s a pistol. A woman, she’s emotional.” She also makes it clear that she will never let a relationship define her or her happiness. I admire her bold confidence and self-love. 

In the final lines of the show, Carrie exclaims, “The most exciting, challenging, and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you find someone to love the you that you love, well, that’s just fabulous.” 

3. Stay true to your values 

While some people criticize Charlotte York for her somewhat judgmental attitude and uptightness, I think that her persistence and integrity are something to look up to. We all have our flaws, and Charlotte definitely went through her fair share of hardships. However, she stuck to her personal values through all the ups and downs of her relationships and knew her self-worth. Charlotte never gave up on finding love and her happy ending is well deserved in my opinion. 

While these life lessons have definitely stuck with me after watching the show, it would be a disservice to not discuss the iconic fashion statements made throughout the show, so here are some of the lessons that SATC taught me about fashion: 

4. You don’t always have to follow the trends 

The women of SATC never shy away from experimenting with clothes, shoes, and accessories. In the iconic first scene of the show, Carrie is seen walking around the city in a three-tiered, white tutu. Her outfits always seem to be something new and eccentric, yet she doesn’t care about anyone else’s opinions of her style. I will admit, some of her outfits seemed questionable to me at first, but I realized that there is something captivating about how she always finds a way to be confident in her outfits. After all, no memorable fashion icons stood out by following the trends. 

5. Find your personal style and own it
   1. While admiring the many fashion statements made throughout the show, I noticed that each of the girls has their own distinct style, which seems to reflect their personalities. Charlotte’s wardrobe, consisting of preppy and more conservative pieces, from Ralph Lauren sweaters to Chanel tweed jackets, perfectly encapsulates her elegance and femininity. On the other hand, Miranda’s blazers and suits contribute to her more sophisticated style as a powerful lawyer. 

While I quickly became obsessed with the women of SATC, I never thought that I would be able to take away such important lessons about life from a rom-com drama series. I hope this inspires you to watch the show if you haven’t already, and I’ll leave you with one of Carrie’s most iconic lines, “When I first moved to New York and I was totally broke, sometimes I bought Vogue instead of dinner. I found it fed me more.”