7 Things I Learned Binge Watching Sex And The City For The First Time

Cosmopolitan in hand, of course, I have some thoughts on the show, 25 years since the first episode was released.

1. You can have multiple soulmates 

The search for the perfect partner dominates the storylines in Sex and the City, as we see Samantha, Charlotte, Carrie and Miranda go on total of over 100 dates combined, highlighting numerous failed attempts at finding the elusive “one”.

But if there’s one thing that we learn from the copious love stories in SATC, it’s that your best friends are often the true loves of your life. There’s no bond like the one between best friends you call sisters and the love you share for each other when gossiping over dinner.

2. Journalism really seems like a dream on telly 

I won’t lie and tell you I didn’t fall for this thirst trap. Growing up I idolised the way my field was portrayed on TV, from 13 Going On 30 to How To Loose A Guy In 10 Days, being a writer looked fabulous, chic and consisted of a sea of parties.

But LOL, surprise, that’s Hollywood and Sex and the City does a great job at living up to this fantasy. Not only does Carrie Bradshaw wear head-to-toe designer off the income of one weekly column, but she also lives in an apartment in Manhattan, eats out constantly and taking cabs everywhere. Journalism, my friends, does not pay like that, and in reality she’d be more Dunnes than Dolce.

3. Wearing heels all day isn’t glam, it’s just painful 

I’ve been to New York a couple of times and I can tell you, I get blisters on my feet just thinking about walking around those streets in three, four, or even five inch heels.

Thankfully, these days, mules and trainers are all the rage, so there’s no need for those awful high heel cushioned inserts, or painfully spending your night hobbling from foot to foot. Comfort over stilettos any day, thank you very much.

4. You truly are only as old as you feel 

In the words of Samantha Jones, “If I worried what every b*tch in New York was saying about me, I’d never leave the house.”

Setting boundaries defined by your age only limits yourself and the things you can do. After all, age is nothing more than a number and Samantha was the queen of breaking down these preconceived ideas of how one should act at a certain age. From dressing how she wanted to dating how she liked, Samantha gave the middle finger to anyone who even remotely questioned her choices and for that reason, we can’t help but stan.

5. If you dread going on another date, take it as a warning sign 

Can you only imagine how tired the SATC ladies would be if they threw Tinder, Hinge, Bumble and the likes into the dating mix too? As Charlotte wisely once said “I’ve been dating since I was 15, I’m exhausted, where is he?”

When really, the biggest mistake that’s ever made when dating is treating it like a sentence and both Charlotte and Carrie come to realise this when they’re worn out, unlucky in love and ready to give up. Instead, they take a break, concentrate on their careers and as cliched as it sounds, work on themselves. But the moral of the story is that dating fatigue is real, getting rejected countless times is shitty and sometimes, taking a break to focus on being alone is a needed reset.

6. There’s never a right time to break up with someone over text… or Post-it! 

Many believe it was karma for the way she treated Aidan, but you had to feel for Carrie when Berger dumped her by Post-it note in season six. Nobody deserves the lack of respect that comes with a few words flung on a sheet or tossed in a text and that’s something that will never change. As Carrie said “I remember when breaking up over phone was considered bad form”, and that’s from a script that’s almost two decades old…

7. Never underestimate the power of a nineties slip dress 

The ladies of SATC thought us endless fashion lessons over the course of the show’s six seasons and two movies (although I could write a separate feature on how dire that sequel was!) But evident throughout the whole show was an array of nineties slip dresses, saving the day on countless occasions.

The show highlighted the slip dress as a fail-safe no matter what the dilemma and now, as they cement their place as a major style staple yet again, it looks like the Sex and the City ladies were on the ball!

Images via NOW/HBO

• celeb
• Entertainment
• SATC
• TV