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Left to right: Cynthia Nixon, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kristin Davis in And Just Like That.Craig Blankenhorn/HBO MAX

“They’re really like characters in the show.” That’s how Danny Santiago, one of the two costume designers on the Sex and the City update, And Just Like That, describes the significance of the pricey, eye-popping apparel and accessories that have become synonymous with the series.

When AJLT debuted on Dec. 9, fashion fans eagerly awaited the return of Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte et al. We looked forward to seeing how the show would move the characters’ lives ahead from their 30s to their 50s. But let’s be honest – we mostly couldn’t wait to see what they’d be wearing. There’s a cohort of fashion fans whose sense of style came of age with the original show, which debuted in 1998. We learned our Fendi from our Ferragamo and came to appreciate how the humble hair scrunchie could polarize opinion.

As the new series opens, Carrie turns up at lunch in a trademark kooky chapeau. Charlotte doesn’t seem overburdened lugging around garment bags from Oscar de la Renta (one of her favourite uptown brands). Miranda carries a swish tote from the Spanish label Loewe, a beloved brand of the style set but not an overtly “look at my It bag” choice. For those really in-the-know, seeing Carrie with a piece from the Gucci Aria collection, a recent collaboration with the house of Balenciaga, was the insider nod we needed to re-engage.

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But it’s not until new character Lisa Todd Wexley, played by Nicole Ari Parker, saunters up to the ladies’ lunch table that things really get relevant wardrobe-wise. When complimented on her bracelet, Lisa responds that it was made by a young creative she discovered online. SATC was notorious for promoting Carrie’s tech hesitance and designer-label lust, so this notion – particularly coming from a character described as appearing on the International Best-Dressed List – is a definitive wink to how fashion today is more focused on discovery and diversity versus jumping the queue for a Birkin bag at Hermès.

“We didn’t really follow any trends,” says Molly Rogers, And Just Like That’s other costume designer, who, along with Santiago, previously worked alongside SATC’s original wardrobe tastemaker Patricia Field. “We really focus on things that we like. We want to have longevity in the style, and longevity in the pieces that we put together, to try to create something that’s more special. Maybe for viewers that would turn into a trend [and] be something that they’ll want to try within their wardrobe.”

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Charlotte with dresses from Oscar de la Renta, one of the character's favourite uptown brands in the show.Craig Blankenhorn/HBO MAX

As the look of the series spills over into the zeitgeist, we’ll undoubtedly notice more fearless fashionistas rocking outsized jewellery – particularly the over-the-top rings sported by Lisa and another new character, Seema Patel, played by Sarita Choudhury. The bold bling speaks to a moment when, after years of dainty accessories dominating the scene, we’re feeling ready to get our more garishly garmented groove back.

Reclaiming a sense of self through style is one of the themes that’s tenderly explored in AJLT. Rogers notes that she and Santiago had access to Sarah Jessica Parker’s wardrobe archive while working on the show. In the first episode, we see Carrie revisiting one of her most memorable fashion moments via footwear (the sapphire-blue Manolo Blahnik heels she wore to her wedding to Mr. Big). We also get a glimpse of Carrie’s Gucci belt bag, notably worn with a body-conscious crop top and midi-skirt in SATC’s fourth season to accentuate her washboard abs. It’s now worn slung over her shoulder, reminding us that Carrie is in a different place in so many ways, but the core of her aesthetic – and ultimately who she is – is as strong as ever.

A few episodes in, upon finding herself having to recalibrate after a dramatic change of circumstances, Carrie finds herself back in her old apartment fondling the frippery that’s so tied to her past – pieces surely embedded in the minds of many viewers, too. Beyond emphasizing the idea that what’s in one’s wardrobe should be treasured, not tossed, the nod to the importance of what we wear – how it can define and redefine us, and say so much without saying a thing – is, as it always has been, one of the more potent takeaways from the show. That’s why those of us who unabashedly love and appreciate wearable art are back tuning in once again.

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In the first episode of And Just Like That we see Carrie revisiting one of her most memorable fashion moments, the sapphire-blue Manolo Blahnik heels she wore to her wedding to Mr. Big.Craig Blankenhorn/HBO MAX

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