No one does fashion quite like Sarah Jessica Parker. The actress, who turns 59 this year, is known for her role as Carrie Bradshaw in HBO’s “Sex and the City” — a character whose wardrobe is as eccentric as her love life.
Related Articles
Through the years, many of Parker’s style choices seem inextricably linked with Carrie’s: several of the actress’ best red carpet looks are obvious nods to outfits worn by the fictional columnist.
Ahead, a complete timeline of Parker’s best fashion moments.
“Sex and the City”
Parker wore many memorable looks on “Sex and the City,” but her tank top and tutu in the show’s opening sequence is perhaps the most recognizable. Costume designer Patricia Field famously fished Carrie Bradshaw’s white tulle skirt out of a bargain bin, paying just $5 for what would become a piece of fashion history. One of the white tutus used in the show (multiple were made) was auctioned off by Julien’s in January, fetching $52,000 — more than 10,000 times its original price.
The VH1 Vogue Fashion Awards, 1997
At the 1997 VH1 Vogue Fashion Awards, Parker nodded to Carrie Bradshaw by wearing the character’s iconic “naked dress,” a pale beige DKNY slip. Parker famously sported the itty bitty shift in season one of “Sex and the City” — she’s also pictured wearing it on a bus advertisement seen in the show’s opening sequence.
The Golden Globes, 2000
To accept her first Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series (Comedy or Musical), Parker sparkled in a blush halter-neck gown adorned with rows of rhinestones. It was designed by Richard Tyler, who also made Carrie Bradshaw’s floral off-the-shoulder dress featured in season three of “SATC.”
The Emmys, 2000
For the 2000 Emmys, Parker eschewed the traditional gown, wearing a tea-length frock by Oscar de la Renta. A clear reference to Bradshaw’s trademark tutu in the opening credits of “Sex and the City,” Parker’s pale pink dress featured a flared skirt covered in feathers.
At the time, Parker’s look was panned by fashion critics, but today, its silhouette aligns with style trends from the balletcore craze.
“I remember the first time I was invited to Mr. de la Renta’s office and asked if he might build a dress for me for the 2000 Emmys,” Parker wrote in a 2014 essay for The Hollywood Reporter. “It turned out to be a pink dress with a feathered skirt that people had a lot of opinions about — mostly because I tied a big piece of tulle on my arm.”
The Golden Globes, 2004
Featuring a high-low hemline and a skirt festooned with lace and sequins, Parker won her fourth Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series (Comedy or Musical) in a strapless pewter dress by Chanel. Parker added on a pair of teal square-toe pumps adorned with bows.
The Met Gala, 2006
Parker attended the Anglomania-themed Met Gala alongside British designer Alexander McQueen. The duo twinned in tartan wraps resembling traditional Scottish fly plaids — Parker’s was belted and layered over a nude strapless dress with lace embroidery.
“Sex and the City: The Movie”
Carrie Bradshaw’s walk down the altar may have been cut short, but her Vivienne Westwood wedding dress is forever. In the film, the designer gifts Parker’s character a silk duchess satin and radzimir taffeta gown from her label’s fall 2007 collection.
The Oscars, 2009
Parker presented the award for Best Costume Design in a Dior haute couture gown embellished with silver beads. On the red carpet, she described its hue as “barely mint, maybe seafoam.” This time around, the actress’ look was well-received: Parker made several best-dressed lists following her Oscars appearance.
The Met Gala, 2014
At the 2014 Met Gala honoring designer Charles James, Parker sported a black and white Oscar de la Renta dress accented with a lattice pattern, taking inspiration from James’ frequent use of boning. De la Renta’s signature was emblazoned on the gown’s train — a detail personally requested by Parker. “I said to Mr. de la Renta, ‘Please let me use scarlet embroidery thread and splash your name across the back,'” the actress told Vanity Fair at the time. “It was my idea. He would never in a million years have done it, he’s far too modest.”
Parker’s Met Gala gown was one of de la Renta’s final completed designs before his death in October 2014.
The New York City Ballet Fall Fashion Gala, 2019
At the New York City Ballet’s annual gala, the actress popped in a fuchsia gown by Zac Posen. Featuring a corseted bodice and layers upon layers of taffeta, Parker paired her dress with a pair of mismatched satin heels from her eponymous label.
“SATC” fans were quick to draw comparisons between Parker’s Posen gown and a pink Oscar de la Renta shift she wore in season six. In the episode “The Ick Factor,” Carrie Bradshaw’s boyfriend Alexander Petrovsky (Mikhail Baryshnikov) gifts her the dress, which she wears on a date to the ballet.