Sex and the City is back. The reboot series, And Just Like That, is embracing modernity in a host of ways, including the sustainable secondhand clothes trend.
If you haven’t watched the Sex and the City reboot yet, there will be no Peloton scene spoilers here. But we are about to give away some secrets to the wardrobe stylings of costume designers Molly Rogers and Danny Santiago for the sequel series, And Just Like That.
According to Rogers and Santiago, they turned to popular secondhand platform ThredUp to help fill out the wardrobes for Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and the rest of the AJLT cast.
“When I first started styling over 20 years ago, our only thrifting option was to scour the crowded racks of NYC consignment shops,” Molly told ThredUP. “It’s amazing to see how resale platforms like ThredUP have made it that much easier to source secondhand styles. For a show like And Just Like That…thrifting can help create a unique, high-low look that tells a powerful story for each of the characters.”
Styling Carrie, Charlotte, and Miranda
The wardrobes have always been their own characters on SATC, and that’s still the case, 20-some years later.
“My initial reaction was, ‘Let’s see what the scripts are going to be about, that’ll guide us.’ Because they’re in 2021, and the world has changed so much since we last saw them in the last movie,” Rogers told Popsugar earlier this month. “Moving the girls into the future and their style, for [Santiago] and I, meant introducing new designers, and you have such a longer reach, larger reach, global reach, than we did in the original series, that it was really about bringing new things for the girls to see because the DNA style of their characters are so strong. Yes, they’ve evolved because the world has, but Carrie’s still experimental, and Charlotte is still a polished romantic, and Miranda, OK, her hair color changed, but we all have done that a million times.”
Rogers and Santiago worked with ThredUp to find the right outfits for the show; both designers have always worked with vintage and secondhand clothes. Working with the platform also brought a sustainability element to the show—by shopping secondhand instead of new, they help tamp down the fashion industry’s environmental footprint. That’s an important consideration for outfits that may only have one wear.
“Our mission is to inspire a new generation to think secondhand first, and we admire [Rogers’ and Santiago’s] commitment to more sustainable styling through thrift,” ThredUp’s VP of integrated marketing Erin Wallace, said in a statement. “Television is increasingly driving shopping trends, and this collaboration makes it possible for consumers to thrift the look in a responsible, wallet-friendly way.”
Earlier this year ThredUp predicted a “secondhand boom,” estimating sales doubling to more than $77 billion by 2026.
“We are in the early stages of a radical transformation in retail,” ThredUp co-founder and CEO James Reinhart said in the report.
Earlier this week, luxury British fashion house Burberry announced its first foray into another booming industry, the clothing rental market. It tapped fellow Brits at My Wardrobe HQ for an exclusive launch. Launches like these are becoming the norm as luxury brands seek to reduce their emissions and hit sustainability targets.
ThredUp exclusive
Now, Rogers and Santiago are joining forces with ThredUp with their own shop on the platform. The designers have pegged hundreds of items personally across three closets based on Carrie, Charlotte, and Miranda: the statement makers, polished romantics, and the laid-back power dressers.
“My goal is to show consumers that it’s not about dressing like a specific character, but really about being inspired by our work to identify your own personal style,” Santiago told ThredUp. “I believe fashion should be accessible and fun for everyone and reflect each person’s individuality, and that’s exactly what we hope to convey with this collaboration. I’m proud that these ThredUP collections showcase stylish assortments across every price point and size. And yes, there are thrifted Manolos!”
All proceeds go to The Willie Garson Fund, which helps older foster care kids find permanent homes. Garson played Stanford Blatch on Sex and the City and in And Just Like That. He died earlier this year from cancer at age 56.
“In a world of infinite choices, we couldn’t help but wonder: Is thrifting the secret to closet bliss?,” reads the ThredUp shop page. It seems like they already know the answer.
You can shop the collections here.
