Looking back on the bold fashion wave set in motion by Sex and the City during the late ’90s and early 2000s, it wasn’t always about Carrie’s quirky-chic wardrobe. The undergarments worn by Ms. Bradshaw and her confidants, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte played a pivotal sartorial role. As she did with the tutu and Manolo Blahnik heels, costume designer Patricia Field transformed lingerie like bras, corsets, silk robes, and marabou slippers into scene-stealing accoutrements, whether they came into focus in the bedroom before a romp or as worn by one of the show’s stars while out on the town, no doubt with a cosmopolitan in hand.
The series gave us Carrie in a feathered pink nightie (chosen by Samantha) for her book-cover shoot, as well as Miranda stumbling around her apartment after a one-night stand in a pretty green robe, crimson bra, and gold choker necklace. True to form, Charlotte tended to pair her elegant slips and lacy underwear with her signature pearls and perfect coif. If there was an MVP of lingerie dressing on the show, it was undoubtedly Samantha, who had no qualms about exposing her undergarments on the street to greet a doorman or at home while seducing Smith Jerrod. The distinct personalities of the SATC ladies were highlighted and expressed not only by their striking ensembles but also by what they wore underneath them. And from that we can certainly take inspiration.
Above, here’s how to wear lingerie with effortless style like Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte.