Let Us Now Praise Charlotte York

You guys have seen the Sex and the City movie already, right? If you haven't (don't worry, no spoilers), than you definitely should. It's not great art, but it is a lot of fun. Mostly, I just enjoyed seeing the four girls and being in their world again. And there's not much I can say about the fashion that hasn't already been said (I heard my mother say the word "fug" for the first time when describing a pair of Carrie's shoes), but I do feel that the time has come for me to explain why my blog name is Julia York. Charlotte York-Goldenblatt is definitely not the most sartorially adventurous of the girls, but she's easily the most consistently well-dressed. In almost every scene she's in, she makes me say, "I love Charlotte's dress! I want it!" Really, pretty much my goal in life is to recreate Charlotte's wardrobe.

I couldn't find photos of all of my favorites (why the fuck has no one put together a website that catalogs every single outfit worn on the show? Or better yet, a book? The official SATC series book-- yes, I own it-- does not do justice to Charlotte's fashion perfection), but here are a few classic Charlotte looks.

Season 2, episode 7, The Chicken Dance: Charlotte tells the girls, "At every wedding I've been like, 'No, don't look at me, look at the bride.' But this time, people are going to look at ME!" People gave Charlotte guff for being a bit risque (the dress was backless), but when Carrie was wearing a dress whose skirt was basically wisps of fabric, Charlotte was practically dressed like a nun. A super hot, super sexy, totally classy nun.

I'm always really cautious about wearing prints, but Charlotte knowns how to do it right. This combination takes the foofy out of florals and the optical illusion out of checkerboard. It's fun, but doesn't come off as too busy or overwhelm her. Cute peach purse, too.

Talk about WASP-y perfection (I think that I tend to overuse the word "perfection" when talking about Charlotte, but I can't help it). The pearls, the martini, the shiny hair, and the elegant black dress with that sporty green band at the top.


This outfit shows off Charlotte's great figure-- she has such a fantastic waistline. She somehow manages to make a tweed Ralph Lauren jacket look totally sexy.

This ruffled corset is by Ralph Lauren too, and sure, it may be a little dramatic for cocktail hour. But as a girl whose dreamed of the day she'll get an opportunity to wear a corset as a top, this outfit is heaven. I also love how underplayed her accessories are-- just the dangly earrings and her luminous skin.


More cute prints! I don't know what it is about Kristen Davis that makes her able to pull off even the busiest of prints, but she absolutely does.

Hello, Old Hollywood Movie Star/ Film Noir Femme Fatale! Why is this woman making movies where Tim Allen turns into a dog and not the hugely acclaimed and adored actress she needs to be? No woman this gorgeous should be forced to pretend to be attracted to Tim Allen.

And finally, we have the photo I've chosen as my Blogger profile pic, because it captures both one of my favorite Charlotte outfits and favorite SATC moments. Fresh from the heartbreak of a miscarriage, Charlotte gains inspiration from the example of Elizabeth Taylor and gets out of her pajamas and into this gorgeous pink dress (you can't see the black belt). She looks like Audrey Hepburn incarnate. Sometimes I think this is the closest to perfection that any human being will achieve.

I would say that at least 7 out of 10 Carrie outfits make me say "WTF?" but occasionally she gets it right.


If you're going to see your ex who you're determined not to get involved with, maybe you shouldn't wear such a lovely, feminine dress. But hey, when did Carrie ever make a sensible sartorial decision?

I've always adored pinstripes, and this Vivienne Westwood suit is an incredible take on a classic business print. Carrie looks so classy and polished, yet fashion-forward: exactly what you want to wear for your first day as a Vogue writer.


Carrie always had the best vintage sundresses, and this white number is no exception. The umbrella is a little foo-foo (it's called sunscreen, and anyway, you already look about 95 years old, so that ship has probably sailed). I seriously covet this dress and the effortless way she's wearing it.


There was a point in the third season where hair and makeup finally learned how to make SJP look beautiful (too bad it didn't take long for them to forget). There were a lot of episodes where Carrie would be standing around in some fugly outfit with gross frizzy hair and bad makeup, and a cute guy would be like, "You are gorgeous, I must ask you out immediately!" But in this episode, where she meets Aiden, you can see why he not only gave her that chair at a discount but asked for her number. She's glowing, the shiny curls are lovely, and even that flower pin looks fresh and new. How can something so right go so wrong....
Ack! This outfit always makes me scream in revulsion-- it may be the most offensive thing I've ever seen, and I used to watch the Howard Stern Show. I don't care if that top is Chanel, it's hideous, and those tie-dyed jeans and stupid do-rag make it even fuglier than I would have though possible. This episode, Hot Child in the City, is one of my favorites despite the overdone "We act like high schoolers!" theme, but this outfit? Inexcusable.

I don't want to end on such an abominable note, so here's one more taste of Charlotte. It's simple, sure. But I'd rather be accused of being boring than be mistaken for a circus clown.