Charlotte, Lisa, Carrie, and Seema head to the bridal fashion show, where Carrie is still complaining about the restaurant she voluntarily went to, as her gaggle of yes women validates her feelings. This would bother me more if this scene didn’t provide such a feast of fashion for the eyes, so let’s dive into the looks:
Charlotte is angelic in her tonal ensemble featuring an off-white Cult Gaia coat, beaded pencil skirt, collared blouse, and nude pumps. Her outfit provides some relief when placed next to LTW’s, which is comprised of a clashing plaid Harbison suit and fall 2024 coat with burgundy lace-up Gucci boots. Carrie, meanwhile, is in arguably her best look of the season, courtesy of Patrick McDowell, who designed the matching floral shirt and skirt specifically for Sarah Jessica Parker. She wears the pieces with a brown coat, black Sonia Rykiel crystal bag, and satin Mary Jane heels. The foursome is completed by Seema in a leather coat from Fendi’s fall 2024 collection, a brown turtleneck sweater dress, green Fendi Peekaboo bag, and brown pointed-toe boots.
While costume designers Molly Rogers and Danny Santiago find their footing in this scene, the show’s writers most certainly do not. Carrie is blaming the restaurant for internalized insecurities she clearly needs to deal with. She admits these to Charlotte later, but still can’t give that poor Korean BBQ spot a break. But to me, the worst is the disrespect shown at this fashion show, which Seema and Carrie hardly peek at while catching each other up on their latest news. Charlotte and LTW are similar, though they seem to glance at the runway every once in a while. Respect the front row, ladies!
My biggest problem with this scene comes when Seema asks Carrie why she wanted to get married, and she says, “Because it meant I was chosen.” How passively pathetic? You were chosen? It places all the power into Big’s hands and says nothing about a connection, about her worth, or anything that can be described in any way as meaningful. The statement reveals Carrie’s true reasoning behind her insecurities surrounding loneliness—it means no one else has chosen her— and it makes her a little less sympathetic in my eyes.
