In a poignant fashion moment, And Just Like That… brought back one of Sex and the City’s most unforgettable looks: Carrie Bradshaw’s Vivienne Westwood wedding dress. The dramatic gown—originally meant for her ill-fated wedding to Mr. Big—was repurposed for the Met Ball in Season 2, Episode 1, symbolizing resilience and reinvention.
A Sartorial Second Chance
Facing a last-minute wardrobe crisis when designer Smoke fails to deliver her custom gown, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) improvises by pairing his teal cape with her archival Westwood dress. The gown, last seen in the 2008 SATC movie when Big left her at the altar, now takes on new meaning. “And just like that, I repurposed my pain,” Carrie quips in her signature voiceover.
Costume designer Molly Rogers (The Devil Wears Prada) told CNN the choice was intentional: “It shows she has healed and is ready to replace a painful memory with a wonderful one. It’s a very Carrie moment—sentimental but with a hopeful twist.”
Vintage Fashion’s Red-Carpet Revival
Carrie’s Met Ball look taps into a broader trend of celebrities embracing archival fashion. From Zendaya’s 1982 YSL haute couture at the 2021 Black Women in Hollywood Awards to Olivia Rodrigo’s vintage Versace at the Grammys, A-listers are increasingly choosing pieces with history over brand-new designs.
“Archival gowns are like art pieces,” Rogers noted. “Celebrities understand the magic of showcasing something timeless.”
Reinventing the Past
The reboot didn’t just recycle the dress—it reimagined it. Co-costume designer Danny Santiago crafted a sculptural teal cape from a thrifted ballgown, while the original bird headpiece was updated with a white mesh veil. Even a makeshift pincushion “bracelet” from Smoke’s sewing kit became a quirky accessory, embodying Carrie’s signature improvisational style.
A Legacy of Fashion Nostalgia
The Westwood gown isn’t the only callback in And Just Like That…. The revival has reintroduced iconic pieces like Carrie’s Fendi Baguette bag and Dior newspaper-print dress, blending nostalgia with modern storytelling.
“Style isn’t static,” Rogers said. “As you grow, you reframe things. Carrie’s a risk-taker, and fashion lets her revisit the past to reinvent herself.”
For fans, the dress’s return was more than a fashion statement—it was a full-circle moment of growth, proving that even heartbreak can be rewritten with a little creativity.
Related topics：
