When watching TV, unless it’s plot related, how often do you pay attention to what the characters are wearing? With these characters, their wardrobes are so iconic and memorable that they add to the feel of the shows themselves.
Carrie Bradshaw (Sex and the City)
Sex and the City had everything: great characters, great love stories (and tragedies) and, perhaps most memorably, great wardrobes! Miranda was always able to combine fashion with practicality, pulling off pantsuits which would make even Hillary Clinton jealous. Then there was Charlotte, who walked that fine line between traditional and dowdy, and in heels too! Of course, who could forget Samantha? She worked hard. She played hard. She dressed hard. However, my favourite wardrobe from the show’s six-season-run is that of the iconic Carrie Bradshaw.
Whilst Carrie rightfully obsessed over her $40,000 shoe collection, her most memorable looks stem from what she put on her back, not her feet, though together, they were a match made in heaven…almost like her and Aidan (yes, I’m still not over it). From her iconic tutu from the show’s opening credits, to her Vivienne Westwood wedding dress which finally answered the ‘will they, won’t they’ question of her relationship with Big, Carrie was always serving looks, and slaying every time. And just like that, it’s time to go over my personal favourites.
Credit: British Vogue
The Newspaper Dress
Extra, extra! Read all about it! This black and white newspaper print dress from Dior (third image from the left) was sure to make Carrie the talk of the town. You can imagine my unbridled joy when she sported this look again in the first of the show’s feature films. Newspaper dress, newspaper dress. So good she wore it twice.
The Boyfriend Shirt and Belt Combo
Fashioning one of Big’s oversized shirts with a Hermès belt showed that Carrie could pull off stripped back and stripped down looks as well as the more sensational ones for which she is best remembered. Simple, but creative. Her journey home was surely no walk of shame in this outfit.
The Flower Frock
Worn in the same episode as the boyfriend shirt was this floral print midi dress (see the first image from the left). This one might just be my favourite of Carrie’s entire catalogue. Chic, elegant, classy, all words you want to hear when in New York’s Upper East Side. Apparently the flowers she was modelling needed watering too, as Carrie ended up taking an accidental dip in the boating pond of Central Park. I can understand why Sarah Jessica Parker took this one home for her personal collection!
Fans of the show will remember that, strapped for cash, Carrie actually wrote for Vogue at one point, and although her time there was short-lived, I’m sure she would have gotten the nod from Anna Wintour herself.
Jack Reeves
Mabel Mora (Only Murders in the Building)
If you haven’t watched Only Murders in the Building before, I highly recommend it. It is the perfect blend of drama and comedy with a dark edge that is perfect for this time of year. Here I am not reviewing the series but rather the wardrobe of one of its main characters, Mabel Mora, played by Selena Gomez.
The series’ aesthetic was one of the first things that appealed to me when it debuted last year. I love autumn and Only Murders in the Building’s subject matter and use of a variety of reds, oranges, yellows and browns are just classic colours for the time of year. Mabel’s wardrobe takes ques from Selena Gomez’s own personal style and influences but with a distinct edge reflective of the character. In-universe, a few of Mabel’s outfits are explained as being from her aunt’s collection so some of the atypical pieces can, and do, line up with the context. Mabel’s wardrobe utilizes several autumnal staples, namely jumpers, thick (but not necessarily waterproof) coats, beanies and skirts and tights. The ’90s influence is clear. The outfit worn in the season 1 finale and throughout season 2 in the form of flashbacks is undeniably, given Gomez’s love of Friends, a homage to Rachel Green. Although this has little bearing on the plot, it does add to the overall aesthetic of the programme. A mix of vintage and modern. A blend of young and old. I don’t see Mabel’s wardrobe being viewed as dated upon rewatch, even as styles change and evolve.
Many pieces are such staples that it may go unnoticed that Mabel actually rewears a few items across different episodes and outfits. This is something that a surprisingly small number of TV characters do so its actually pretty nice to see here and adds to the versatility of any outfits earmarked for real-life recreation.
Here are a few of my favourites worn throughout seasons 1 and 2!
Via Disney
The first outfit we see Mabel in (pictured above) is iconic because it is the first. May seem obvious but it is our first taste of the character to form our impressions around. There are a few elements of this outfit that I am not as keen on, namely the jacket, but otherwise it’s a solid nine out of ten.
Via Hulu
This one is a step down from Mabel’s introductory outfit but that does not stop it from being a favourite of mine. I’m a sucker for a good cardigan, especially an argyle one so this cannot be anything but a winner. The continuation of the yellow theme, inspired by Gomez’s Mexican roots, is a nice undercurrent throughout Mabel’s outfits and it suits her to a T! Yellow symbolizes optimism and energy but it can also reflect betrayal and danger…perfect for a murder mystery show. I can take or leave the white jeans but appreciate this outfit for being a more simple and smart-casual ensemble so it firmly scores an eight out of ten.
Via Hulu
The third Mabel Mora outfit I am going to highlight here, otherwise we would be here all day, is this sweater-skirt combo from season 2 episode 8 ‘Hello Darkness’. I just think this outfit suits Selena Gomez and Mabel’s character. It looks comfortable, the colour palette is lovely and the silhouette, whilst a bit of a marmite one for some, is one that I am rather fond of. Overall, I’d say this one is a seven out of ten as, because of the marmite-factor, I can see myself falling in and out of love with this outfit.
