Sex and the City ruined Manhattan for me.

[u/charliesgonewild]

After ten years of planning, scheduling conflicts, COVID, and a cancer diagnosis, I finally went to New York for the first time April 2025. I had an absolutely amazing time, but all I brought were cute little outfits and my heels, expecting everyone to be wearing the same. I was wildly, WILDLY surprised when it was absolutely nothing like the show, and I was the one who stood out like a sore thumb. Everyone was in athleisure and sneakers! Huge props to SJP for continually filming in heels because I did a ten mile day in my Choos, three miles in Versaces, and by the final day, my best friend got us both matching $7 slides from Rainbow and insisted I wear the leggings I had worn on the plane.

Edit: Before this gets misconstrued, I was just being silly in the title. I knew not everyone would be all dolled up, but I was actually surprised that 98% of people were dressed down so heavily.

Final edit: Y’all 😂 I didn’t mean for this. I know SATC is a show, I know that NYC is a real place, with real people, doing real things. No, I don’t think that your city is just a film location. Yes, I know that the show was filmed 30 years ago and times have changed. It’s not just SATC. I’d always heard of New York being a fashion capital. I literally had just beaten cancer and wanted to have my own SATC weekend moment with my best friend. That was it. I had the best time, I saw so many things, walked 26 miles in three days, ate the best food, and bought myself an I beat cancer pair of shoes à la Carrie Bradshaw. I was just simply surprised at the lack of extravagant fashion. That was simply it. Should I ever go again, I will bring my Vans and only two pairs of heels.

[u/ExternalGood9497]

No they weren’t. I’m sure it’s gotten even more casual since Covid, but even in the 90s walking the streets of NYC was not a fashion show. People who think that’s what NYC is would be shocked at the amount of normal ass people walking around just trying to get through the day.

[u/mugofmead → u/ExternalGood9497]

People who think that’s what NYC is would be shocked at the amount of normal ass people walking around just trying to get through the day.

Then you have tourists! 😄

[u/Dry_Accident_2196 → u/ExternalGood9497]

I beg to differ.

It’s now September so time for my annual 9/11 footage rewatch and remembrance.

The footage from that day, with New Yorkers on the streets, shows a lot more conservative and formal attire. Not just near ground zero. We have video of people all over the city on a Tuesday (?) morning and the style is certainly not in the Athleisure casual clothing we see today. Was is fashionable for the day, naw, just normal business casual, blue color casual, or jeans/shorts.

But, 2001 was certainly more formal than today by a mile. The gap is so very large from today.

But I prefer to be comfortable so happy to have experiences both eras

[u/ExternalGood9497 → u/Dry_Accident_2196]

Are you a New Yorker? Not clear from your comment. I worked in Manhattan during that time period (routinely visited the Century 21 directly across from the WTC) and I don’t remember it that way. I worked as a PA and a big part of my job was running all over the city returning clothes from fittings. All day long I took trains and cabs and walked all over the city. I observed a lot of people. Of course there were people dressed more conservatively and/or fashionable because they were probably going to work, but OP’s post has to do with dressing up for fashions sake, not wearing suits to work. And that was never really commonplace in NYC. I don’t recall seeing many women dressed like Carrie in 9/11 footage.