Gen Z Hates Carrie Bradshaw, But I Still Love Her—Here's Why

There’s a particular kind of woman Gen Z struggles with, and her name is Carrie Bradshaw.

Spend five minutes on TikTok, and you’ll find the Sex and the City character's trial laid out in full: financially irresponsible, emotionally chaotic, not a “girl’s girl,” and chronically drawn to men who should have been blocked by episode three. The verdict, it seems, is unanimous. And yet, you can’t convince me.

Because, while the charges are not entirely inaccurate, they miss the most endearing part about Carrie: she refused to be categorized. And in a culture increasingly obsessed with neat identities—clean girl, quiet luxury, coastal grandmother, balletcore—this may be her greatest offense. Carrie was never one thing, but I think that was the point.

One day, she was in a razor-sharp three-piece suit, and the next, a tulle skirt that had no business being worn after the age of five (but she did, and then we all wanted to wear tutus too!). She paired vintage fur with bare legs, sequins with sweatshirts, and wore sky-high stilettos to casually pick up milk. Nothing “matched” and yet everything worked.

In the end, it wasn’t even really about the style. It was about permission. Carrie gave us permission to wear a slip dress at noon. To treat a sequin skirt like knitwear. To carry a tiny, impractical bag simply because it delighted her.

In Carrie’s world, which became all of ours, nothing belonged to just one category. She dismantled the idea that clothes had rules—and replaced it with something far more interesting: instinct.

Gaining entry into Carrie-esque dressing requires not falling into the obvious trap of treating her like an aesthetic to replicate. No, Carrie is an attitude to adopt. You don’t dress like Carrie. You dress like yourself…just braver. That said, if you’re looking for entry points, here are some cheat notes.

The Unexpected Pairing

Take something traditionally “precious” and ground it. Consider a tulle skirt with a grey sweatshirt, satin heels with worn-in denim, or a silk blouse half-tucked into something almost too casual.

The Statement Shoe

Carrie understood the power of a shoe that delivers. Think: a strappy sandal in an impractical color, or a heel that feels slightly excessive for the occasion. That’s the good stuff.

The Wild Card Piece

Every outfit needs one item that doesn’t quite make sense on paper. A vintage brooch. A feathered bag. A belt that feels borderline unnecessary.

The “Why Not?” Dress

Wear the dress. Not later—now. To dinner, to errands, to nowhere in particular. Carrie democratized glamour long before it became a buzzword.