When we had our first glimpse of behind the scenes images from And Just Like That… (the long-awaited reboot of Sex and the City, in case you’ve been hiding from pop culture for the past year), it wasn’t the old friends reunited, the potential storylines or even the shoes people were talking about. It was a simple ruched, one-shoulder blue dress that stole most of the headlines—worn, of course, by Sarah Jessica Parker herself, and subsequently claiming the title of the “Carrie Dress 2.0.”
The much-anticipated return of Carrie’s wardrobe was always going to laud attention, but this dress in particular has its own story to tell. First designed by Norma Kamali in the 1970s, it’s been a favourite of the fashion world for half a century (an achievement not many designers can claim). And to this day it still sells in the thousands per week, almost always selling out in record speed every time it’s restocked. Knowing Carrie’s love for a classic fashion moment, it’s hardly surprising the wardrobe team decided to have her wear such an iconic piece.
But it’s not just SJP the dress counts as a high profile fan— celebrities and supermodels, from the Karashians to Alessandra Ambrosio and Ashley Graham (who looked jaw-dropping in it while pregnant) have all turned to its ultra-flattering design in recent years. Not to mention the countless fashion editors and influencers we’ve seen sporting the dress— all proving just how versatile it can be.
Since the 70s the design has had just a few tweaks, including the addition of a supportive inner bodysuit (a little complicated to get on but super flattering when in place, according to our editor-in-chief Hannah Almassi who loves it) and more advanced fabrics, but the core design has remained the same. Now, you can now find the dress in both midi and mini lengths, and in a variety of colours (a whopping 31 to be precise).
As you know, we don’t like to report on a cult item or trend that is having a flash-in-the-pan, most-wanted moment without taking into account the longevity of the piece. But seeing as this dress has well and truly stood the test of time and is only growing in popularity since we first saw it featured on Carrie, we feel pretty confident by now this is a forever piece you’ll never regret investing in.
Coming in at around £200 depending on the style, it’s also at the more affordable end of the designer dress scale. And since it’s a timeless design that works for so many events—from a birthday dress to the perfect wedding-guest style to even *whispers* Christmas party season dress, we’re pretty sure the cost per wear would whittle down pretty quickly. The other option is to rent it since it’s also stocked in so many colours on HURR (always a strong indicator of a popular piece).
Keep scrolling, then, to see and shop all the different colours of the Diana dress in stock right now…
Up Next: The 9 Most Expensive-Looking Pieces on the High Street This Week
