The second Sex and the City lady to join the On screen style report cohort is Charlotte York. Charlotte was forever the optimist, believing marriage to a rich man and a penthouse on Park Avenue were always around the corner – and she was right. The ‘Charlotte York’ aesthetic has been sweeping TikTok recently, and it’s essentially the Park Avenue princess. In the original series, Charlotte was often seen in clean and simple lines that reflected the sophisticated and elegant life she dreamed for herself.
Sex and the City fans tend to ignore the recent reboot And Just Like That… not only because it’s objectively bad, but also because it seems to have forgotten its characters. In the reboot, Charlotte’s looks are often very structured and dark compared to the pastels and soft lines that characterised her looks from the 90s. So, what would Charlotte really wear strutting the streets of Manhattan in the modern era?
Classic Ralph Lauren style
Charlotte loved to mention to the girls over brunch how she was a teen Ralph Lauren model, and in the reboot she gets to relive the glory days when one of her children follows in her footsteps becoming one too. Charlotte loved a classic Ralph jumper, usually with pink always in the mix. Even when she’s wandering around the bookstore looking for advice on how to start again after a divorce, she still looks effortlessly elegant and put together. So, we can almost guarantee Charlotte would still be loving timeless Ralph Lauren pieces, but would most likely be pairing them with an amazing pencil skirt or straight, tailored jeans instead of skinny.
Burberry, Burberry… and more Burberry
Charlotte was the classic Burberry poster girl, she owned a Burberry luggage set, a Burberry trench, and even Burberry ear muffs and scarf. Over the years, Burberry has kept its old-money vibes, so there’s no way Charlotte would abandon her signature style. We can imagine Charlotte sporting this amazing Burberry jacket on her daily run around Central Park, and this amazing trench on a rainy walk with the dogs to Magnolia Bakery for a croissant.
Plaid… but make it pastel
Charlotte’s first marriage was to cardiovascular surgeon Trey, who came from a long line of proud Scotsmen. After the marriage ended, Charlotte wore one of her most memorable outfits when deciding to sell her Tiffany engagement ring: the blue plaid Moschino dress. The dress was quintessentially Charlotte’s style, and in 2024 with the current gingham resurgence, we would most likely see Charlotte in some gorgeous plaid looks, accessories, and Chanel tweed pieces.
The little black dress
No matter what, we could always rely on Charlotte to pull out an amazing black dress for every occasion. Whether it was working at the gallery or as a bridesmaid, Charlotte owned the room in the little black dress. It’s hard to modernise an already classic look, so we think Charlotte would look to her favourite brands, old and new, for the next perfect LBD. Miranda was the Celine-lover of the group, but Charlotte would kill in this classy LBD by them. Charlotte could also never go wrong with Saint Laurent or Prada, hence why their LBDs are perfect for Charlotte’s style.
Charlotte was unapologetically herself in the best way: she never feigned her beliefs that she was going to marry up, and was always there to support her friends whenever they needed her. Charlotte’s style is, perhaps, the most timeless of all the Sex and the City women: classic, understated, and versatile. According to Sex and the City costume designer Patricia Field, “Charlotte is a little less girly girl, more sophisticated, more Jackie O”- does it get more timeless than that?
Want to know what iconic on-screen law student Elle Woods would wear in the 2020s, check out the On Screen Style Report #5 on Elle here.
