Instagram/@sarahjessicaparker
It was the poof of tulle seen 'round the world. When Sarah Jessica Parker hit the red carpet at the 2000 Emmy Awards in a ballerina-inspired pink tutu over a satin tank, jaws dropped. Maybe it was a fashion risk, but SJP made it look effortless. She's been rewriting the style playbook ever since, from her eclectic early days to her current refined renegade aesthetic. Through all her fashion evolutions, SJP has remained the ultimate style icon by balancing whimsy and wearability, fantasy and function. Her one-of-a-kind look is a masterclass in cultivating a signature style that's both fearless and timeless.
Center Stage Style: SJP's theatrical early fashion flair
SJP in 1991 wearing an embellished Rifat Ozbek jacket, fiery red velvet Christian Lacroix pants and golden bralette. Barry King/WireImage
Long before Carrie Bradshaw was twirling in tutus, a young SJP was already playing dress up on the stages of Broadway. As a budding actress in 1980s NYC, Parker's style was as eclectic and experimental as the colorful characters she portrayed. She'd dash from auditions in vintage finds like high-waisted sailor pants, men's dress shirts in bold patterns, and quirky hat-scarf combos that foreshadowed her future fashion icon status.
Even in those early days, the signatures that would come to define "Sarah Jessica Parker style" were already emerging. Bold colors, mixed prints, menswear with a twist—SJP instinctively understood how to clash together seemingly opposing elements and silhouettes to create magic. Her knack for sartorial storytelling shone through in every outfit, as if each look was a one-act play unto itself.
Sexpot in the City: Carrie Bradshaw and beyond
One of the most iconic Carrie Bradshaw looks captured on the set of "Sex and the City". HBO/Getty Images
When Sex and the City premiered in 1998, SJP's onscreen style merged with her offscreen persona in a way that redefined TV fashion. As the tutu-loving, Manolo-obsessed Carrie Bradshaw, Parker pushed the boundaries of what audiences expected from a "leading lady look." Carrie's outré ensembles—think giant flower pins, nameplate necklaces, and mismatched shoes—quickly became the show's fourth star.
But while Carrie's style was aspirational fantasy, SJP made it real on the red carpet. She put her own spin on Carrie signatures like fussy blouses, graphic tees and those infamously expensive shoes (albeit with slightly less puns). At the same time, SJP made pieces that Carrie would never wear, like a classic Chanel jacket, wholly her own by pairing them with something wild like striped harem pants. That high-low mix became SJP's calling card as she solidified her style star status beyond SATC.
Uptown Bohemian: Mixing high and low in the aughts
SJP attending MET Gala in 2006 with Alexander McQueen. The theme was "Anglomania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion". Stuart Ramson/AP/Shutterstock
As the 2000s dawned, SJP hit her style stride, cementing her place as a fashion original. While her SATC alter ego stayed in a time capsule of peak Y2K style, SJP kept evolving. Her red carpet and off-duty looks became a crash course in the alchemy of high-low styling. Only SJP could make a $15 vintage tee look like couture with the addition of cascades of Mikimoto pearls.
SJP's secret style weapon was her masterful proportions. She intuitively understood how to balance a billowing Alexander McQueen kimono-style coat with second-skin knee boots, or temper a micro tutu dress with an oversized boyfriend blazer. Print-mixing was another SJP specialty during this era, as she coupled polka dots with tie-dye swirls and Liberty florals with graphic stripes in a so-wrong-it's-right way. Every outfit was a study in controlled chaos that somehow looked just as at home strutting down 5th Avenue as it did sitting front row at Paris Fashion Week.
The Experimentalist: Bold prints and proportions of the 2010s
In 2019, SJP paid homage to mismatched Carrie Bradshaw's heels wearing gold and fuchsia shoes to the New York City Ballet Fall Gala. Kristina Bumphrey/StarPix/Shutterstock
Never one to rest on her fashion laurels, SJP used the 2010s as a decade of style experimentation. As minimalism and neutral shades engulfed the runways, she zagged with saturated colors and head-to-toe prints that echoed the risk-taking spirit of her most daring movie roles (see: the unhinged exuberance of her I Don't Know How She Does It press tour looks).
SJP also put her own subversive spin on the 2010s' ubiquitous throwback trends. '60s psychedelic prints got an uptown spin with the addition of a prim blouse or demure pumps. While the masses did flower crowns at Coachella, SJP brought back elegant turbans for the red carpet. And those ubiquitous 2010s peplum dresses? SJP one-upped them all with voluminous vintage capes and swing coats that harkened back to her Broadway days.
Refined Renegade: SJP's signature style today
We never know what SJP is going to wear the next time, but we can always be sure that her look will be generously accessorized. Instagram/@sarahjessicaparker
These days, SJP has distilled decades of fashion daring into a signature aesthetic that's eclectic yet elegant, timeless with a wink. Hallmarks include the artfully cropped pant (full-legged or tapered to show off a shoe), piles of vintage jewelry that tell a story, and the ever-present "third piece" (jacket, vest or statement coat) to top it all off.
Even in her current more pared-down uniform, SJP never abandons the joy of dressing up. Recent red carpet appearances see her putting a grown-up spin on her OG style greatest hits, like a shimmering pink Zac Posen ballgown worn with a sleek updo and minimal accessories save for show-stopping earrings. Or a refined spin on the SATC tutu done in sleek black and navy Monse ruffles. The effect is a little bit of uptown polish meeting that forever downtown edge.
"Every once in awhile, a girl has to indulge herself". — Sarah Jessica Parker. Instagram/@sarahjessicaparker
No matter the trends of the moment, SJP always looks like herself. Sure, today's SJP mixes her prints more judiciously and rocks the occasional casual caftan. But those sartorial trademarks (and her all-out shoe love) will never fade away. At its core, SJP's style is about imagination, reinvention, and holding onto your inner fashion dreamer no matter your age or stage in life.
So while we may never get another glimpse inside Carrie Bradshaw's fantastical closet, SJP's real-world wardrobe continues to inspire. She'll always be our ultimate style star, pirouetting to the beat of her own fashion drum forevermore. Armed with endless new ways to clash rainbow brights, out-there prints, and swooping silhouettes, this fashion icon's style story is truly timeless.
