Column: Maybe I Met Carrie Bradshaw

“You’re going to be Carrie Bradshaw!”

That’s what my friends told me when I first told them I was writing a fashion column. It’s important to say here that Carrie Bradshaw, main character of the 1998 TV show Sex and the City, does not write a fashion column. However, there’s two things that she’s known for, even over 20 years later — bad relationships and unique, yet stylish clothing. 

Being a Carrie Bradshaw is about more than just acting like the character (because personally, I would’ve ditched Mr. Big in season one). 

The way I think of it, it’s about walking around New York City, or in this case, Chapel Hill, dressed up for absolutely nothing, ready to make a million mistakes. But I’m not the only person who dresses up on this campus (thankfully, or who would read this?)

Exchange student Tabitha Woolcott said she’s inspired by Carrie’s wildness and drive. Although she wouldn’t recommend looking to her as a role model for everything, she has been influenced in one specific way. 

“Just, she made me rip off the band-aid, and shell out, buy a fur coat,” Woolcott said. “I don’t have it with me, but I have it at home. It’s about fifteen pounds, and every time I wear it, I take it off and my muscles are like screaming, but it’s so worth it because I feel like Carrie Bradshaw.

Boots: Bershka, Jeans: Forever 21, Sweater/Coat/Scarf/Hat: Thrifted, Bag: Her Mom’s, Necklace: Rumors, Lanyard: Student Stores

Senior Rainey Campbell said she loved that Carrie made more unique clothing fashionable for younger generations. Her favorite thing about Carrie’s fashion were her choices in footwear. 

“It was the Manolo Blahniks, for me,” Campbell said. “She was always styling her shoes, and I loved her obsession with shoes.”

Campbell also said she loves listening to Carrie’s columns and they inspire her to write more (and I guess also be written about!)

Vest: Guess (Thrifted in Portland), Shoes: Puma from NYC event, Jeans/Shirt: Thrifted, Belt: Grandmother’s

Note: after talking about her outfit, I couldn’t help but wonder (see what I did there) if the future Carrie Bradshaw was right in front of me. 

Senior Elizabeth Jackson said she was inspired to get more vintage shoes through Carrie’s obsession with Manolos. Beyond just fashion, the iconic protagonist inspires her in another way. 

“I usually have really curly hair, so I love when she wears it out and she kinda embraces the big volume,” Jackson said. 

Jacket: Hollister, Shirt: Maybe Thrifted, Jeans: Pac Sun, Bag: Thrifted

As a fellow big-curly-hair girl, the hair is probably how I’ve been most inspired by Carrie as well. She didn’t have curly hair outfits and straight hair outfits: she just wore whatever she wanted and let her hair be as frizzy as possible. And no one I talked to — no matter how annoyed they were with her choices in the show — could ever really hate her, because she was always entirely herself.

I admit it’s probably easier to be yourself and dress however you want in New York City, where there’s too many people to notice and you don’t have to walk up and down hills every day.

But think about it this way: if you had dressed like Carrie (and walked around Lenoir or the Student Stores at the right time), you could’ve been in the column. 

@dthlifestyle | lifestyle@dailytarheel.com