(Warning: Spoilers ahead.)
We’ll always have the tutu.
The And Just Like That finale is a bumpy ride—did we expect anything else?—that dishes out one final eye-catching ensemble proving Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) will not fade into the night. It is a playful confection of cranberry red tulle, hot pink sequins, and plaid, underscoring her desire to live boldly, with or without a man by her side.
Of course, it is impossible to see Parker in a tutu without conjuring the image of a bus driving through a puddle, splashing Carrie in the opening Sex and the City credits, all while a picture of Carrie stares back at her from the bus. Those titles are so burned into my brain that when I see the HBO logo, the opening bars of the SATC theme immediately play in my head.
Regardless of whether this was originally intended to be our final farewell to Carrie, having her sport a voluminous Molly Goddard confection is a full-circle moment. Sure, this tutu is far more outrageous in size than the OG white garment that SATC costume designer Patricia Field famously found in a $5 bargain bin in 1997, but the connection is undeniable. AJLT designers Molly Rogers and Danny Santiago—who both worked with Field—ensure that Carrie’s party attire nods to the past while ensuring all eyeballs are on her as she steps into whatever the future holds.
As Carrie fires up “You’re the First, the Last, My Everything” on the karaoke machine (of course, Carrie is using this as a stereo), the single woman bops through her spacious house. The hot pink satin peep-toe stilettos have stayed on, now that Duncan (Jonathan Cake) is no longer living below—though I have a feeling he would be less bothered by the clack-clack now than when they first met.
It takes a beat to sidestep the link to Ally McBeal (Stevie Wonder sang this signature track on the show), but seeing carefree Carrie twirling and strutting through her house is enough to make me shake off whatever the f— just happened at Miranda’s (Cynthia Nixon) Thanksgiving. While we don’t hear what the guests at Miranda’s are thankful for this year, I am just glad Carrie’s ensemble escaped the events in the “powder room.” Those are not the shoes to be wearing when experiencing plumbing issues.
But not everything has gone to s–t.
Much like the vintage Vivienne Westwood showstopper that led to Carrie’s fairy tale moment with Duncan a few weeks ago (the aptly titled “Cinderella” frock was a favorite of the iconic British designer), Carrie turns to a special look for the holiday.
Rather than play at Pilgrim chic, Carrie has bedecked herself in her geegaws. If there is a contemporary character worthy of this phrase from The Gilded Age, then it is Carrie. Think of all the shiny trinkets and baubles worn over the last 25-plus years. And to steal a line from a character who can’t drop by for some pie, I did say “absof—inglutely” upon seeing Carrie wearing this getup while delivering baked goods across Manhattan.
Pairing hot pink with deep red could be a recipe for disaster. Ditto accessorizing it with a jaunty little hat, held in place by an extra-long velvet ribbon. However, this headwear pales in comparison to the oversized floppy gingham hat from the season premiere. All the individual pieces come together to create one of my favorite looks this season. Carrie is celebrated for her frocks, but her collection of outerwear is equally divine, and this red and brown plaid is no exception.
A great outfit can’t erase how patchy these 12 episodes have been, but it is also a reminder of Carrie Bradshaw’s enduring appeal. However, as with the overall direction of AJLT, the reaction to some of Carrie’s fashion choices has been polarizing to say the least (“I’m shocked that at this point that people even bat an eye at Carrie in some wackadoodle great hat,” Rogers told R29). Still, Carrie has always been one to take sartorial risks, refusing to fade into the background regardless of whether she is asking for a table for one or two, or if she is in her thirties or fifties.
Aging is not a reason to turn down enthusiasm for fashion; there is no danger of Carrie embracing neutrals or quiet luxury. Thank god for that. Pink of all shades has been a recurring theme this season. From the palest Simone Roche ethereal blush in the premiere to standing out in Vivienne Westwood fuchsia during the disastrous trip to West Virginia. It is also the color of Carrie’s outfit on the memorable Season 3 artwork, prompting comparisons to a certain scene from Bridesmaids. All the clues were there that a bathroom disaster was on the cards. Luckily, no couture is ruined in Miranda’s toilet emergency.
It also isn’t the first time Carrie has worn tulle in a series finale.
Cast your mind back to 2004 when Carrie put on her glad rags for a book party in Paris, changing her plans last minute at the request of Aleksandr Petrovsky (Mikhail Baryshnikov) and his pathetic ego. Bradshaw has previously cited the whimsical sea-foam green tutu dress as her favorite because it tells so many stories: “It was an outfit that was about an image that Carrie had, which was, like so often happens to Carrie, what she wanted to project onto the scenario of wearing that dress, a pie in her face.”
Coincidence or not, but at least one character does end up with a literal pie in their face in the final AJLT montage that cuts between Carrie dancing on her own with the rest of the ensemble. Instead of running across the French capital in a romantic, delicate-looking tutu as she did in the past, a jovial Carrie makes her way across the city delivering pies before attending Miranda’s disastrous gathering. By the end of the finale, Carrie hasn’t been rescued by the love of her life in Paris; instead, she gets a ride home alone.
The Gramercy home bookends Season 3. The romance of the roses that decorate Carrie’s opening look has not been diminished; they also adorn the Molly Goddard tutu in the finale. Being single is not a tragedy. Instead, there is joy and twirling in a house that felt like it was waiting to be filled while Carrie was waiting for Aidan. Now that was tragic.
Carrie takes this moment of Stevie Wonder-infused inspiration to type a new ending to her book. It turns out this heavenly tutu is also a perfect writing look (let’s pretend I am wearing something equally decadent as I type this), and the sequins catch the sunlight of the antique glass that Aidan did not smash.
She is on her own, not alone. When we next see Carrie (because there will be a next time), she will still be wearing a tutu and dancing boldly to her own beat—and I will be watching.
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