Carrie Brashaw wears an orange dress and pink gloves as she prepares to spread Mr. Big's ashes in Paris in season 1 of 'And Just Like That...'

Have You Noticed This Key Difference in Carrie Bradshaw’s Style Between ‘Sex and the City’ and ‘And Just Like That…’?

Carrie Bradshaw has retired one staple clothing piece. She doesn't seem to be wearing sleeveless garments any longer. Is there a reason?

by Andrea Francese

Published on July 9, 2023

2 min read

Carrie Bradshaw was always known for her innovative and off-the-wall style. During Sex and the City, Carrie experimented with different looks. She wore dresses, shorts, skirts, jeans, and even a bandeau or two. Designer garments were mixed with vintage pieces, and her look evolved over time. One thing was a constant, though. Because Sex and the City was shot in perpetual spring, Carrie often wore sleeveless tops. And Just Like That… has brought many changes to the Sex and the City universe, and Carrie’s style is one of those changes. Now a 50-something widow, Carrie has mostly abandoned her sleeveless style options and is opting to wear long-sleeved dresses, visually interesting overcoats, and even a cape.

Carrie Bradshaw’s sleeveless wardrobe seems to be a thing of the past

Carrie Bradshaw has returned to her old apartment and found comfort in old friends. She keeps her old clothes around too. See, Carrie Bradshaw is a creature of habit, but she’s deviated from one of her staple looks. Throughout season 1 and season 2 of And Just Like That… the iconic sex columnist has rarely shown her upper arms. Carrie Bradshaw’s style decision has not gone unnoticed.

Since the show premiered in December 2021, Sex and the City fans have dissected every episode and storyline decision. Carrie Bradshaw’s sleeved style options have been discussed. In fact, eagle-eyed fans have quickly pointed out that the character only appeared sleeveless one or two times so far in the series. In the original, she almost always rocked sleeveless tops and dresses. The style change could be due to the character’s age, the actor’s preference, or it could somehow play into a future storyline. For now, we remain in the dark, but we have theories.

Is there a reason behind the decision?

So far, Carrie’s move toward sleeves doesn’t have a specific reason. At least, nothing has been mentioned in the show’s storyline up until now. That, of course, could change, though. Season 2 is not even at the halfway point yet.

Carrie Bradshaw sits in her apartment in season 2 of 'And Just Like That...' — Carrie Bradshaw in her apartment | Craig Blankenhorn/HBO Max

While we don’t know for certain why Carrie has fallen i love with long sleeves, we can make an educated guess. A couple of different factors are likely behind Carrie’s stunning wardrobe change. First and foremost, a new styling team is responsible for the looks in And Just Like That… Patricia Field, the stylist who worked on the original series and both Sex and the City movies, opted not to return. She took her signature style with it, and the new costume team brought their own touch to Carrie’s outfits.

The movement of time in And Just Like That… also lends itself to more style choices. Sex and the City actively avoided the change of seasons and passage of time, but And Just Like That… is leaning into it for the story’s progression. With that decision comes colder weather and the chance to style the characters for it. Cooler weather in New York means sleeved styles.