Carrie Bradshaw's look for less

If, like me, you read fashion magazines, you cannot have missed the information that Matthew Williamson is the latest designer to collaborate with H&M.

What I failed to know was that, even one year after the release of Sex and the City: The Movie, the Carrie Bradshaw look - i.e. as featured in the movie - still prevailed. Why else would Williamson design a dress highly inspired from the pink dress she wore in the movie and a similar studded belt?

Strangely, the H&M dress seems to be of better quality and cut than the number - certainly a designer item- worn by Carrie as the fabric is all crinkled at the front.

Personally, I always recommend wearing tulip shape skirts/dresses. It is broad on the hips and thus comfortable but more to the point, most of us can wear it and look good in it. Of course, to wear anything short, one has to have nice legs.

Below, find how to emulate that look. Nothing easier.
The shoes though, are customized: Patricia Field explained she added a mesh upper to the Dior black pumps. Personally, I don't really like that pink dress with these shoes as they shorten the leg because of the dress's length.

Why not wear any gladiator heel like the character who couldn't get enough of the gladiator heels Extreme by Dior she wore throughout the movie. The Bakers and the New Look number were the closest to it but gladiator heels are everywhere in many variations:

Age and style in TV Series

Many women I know who are over 50 yo often express the fact that it is difficult to remain stylish when menopause kicks in and body shape changes, usually getting rounder around the waist. The few brands targeting elder women often are old fashion and others such as Prada - yes, Prada dressing women the age of Miuccia Prada - are somewhat more expensive than what most people would like to pay for their everyday's life wardrobe. Even Jaeger is now targeting a younger crowd.

Although little place is made in most markets for people over 49, I gladly noticed that a noticeable place was made on TV for elder women, and especially women who look great for their age without forcing on cosmetic surgeries. One of my favorite is 59 y.o. Candice Bergen who totally does look the part in Boston Legal and whose appearances in Sex And the City really made my day. Her stylists do a fantastic job and I am here trying to recompose a few of the guidelines principles that seem to rule their work:

1) Chunky necklaces: when one grows older, the neck has a tendency to crease and chunky necklaces hide the wrinkles and the few dapples that may come out with age. The chunky necklaces add structure to the area while distracting the eye from small details that might complex women.

2) Crisp Shirt and collars up: it is great to lighten the collar with white crisp shirts and give structure while drifting the looks upward.

3) Simple Cuts: it is sad to say that while we grow older, the features have a tendency to collapse under the weight of years... Lean and slick lines always are better because it balances the overall.

4) Contrasting colors: for both white and black complexions, contrast is a great ally, especially when used in very simple cuts. Women over 50 should dare wearing wide colors accessories such as Orange Scarves, Turquoise Blue necklaces, Ruby skirts as featured above...

5) Simple designs: Straight skirts are nice, even if one has bloated legs since style often is a question of proportion and thus, "short" length dresses are good looking when one has nice knees even when the legs are not skinny.