The Carrie Bradshaw Tulle Skirt

When I think of a tulle skirt, a number of things comes to mind. Whimsical ballerinas en pointe to Tchaikovsky, giddy toddlers at a costume party, horrifyingly tacky cotton-candy colored prom dresses, and Carrie Bradshaw. As a former ballerina (very former, meaning kindergarten through fifth grade), wedding dress lover (Vera, Reem Acra, Amsale, Christos...) and overall connoisseur of anything rather feminine, I love the fabric, if done right. Like most things in this world, it has its wonderful moments, it has its terrifying moments (see prom dresses above). 

Let's consider the most culturally and fashionably relevant at the moment. Miss Bradshaw, an icon in her own right (although, purely fictional), donned a creamy and layered tulle skirt in Sex and the City's opening credits. If you're a regular watcher of SATC or flip to E! more than once a week, you've no doubt seen the classic scene: Carrie smugly sauntering the streets of NYC, only to be splashed by a passing bus with an advertisement of her column and picture on it. In my mind, and I hope in yours, the skirt is synonymous with her name and character. For such an iconic look, the story on how the skirt was discovered is quite diamond-in-the-rough. 

Patricia Field served as Sex and the City's costume designer for all six seasons and both movies, earning her two Emmy awards in costuming. While searching for outfits for the opening, Field found a tulle tutu in a bargain bin on the floor. On a whim, she bought it for $5. SJP, unsurprisingly, loved it, but it took some convincing to get the show's producer on board. Such a leap of courage certainly paid off, and continued to carry Bradshaw's style to the forefront of trends throughout the show's seasons. 

Perhaps taking a cue from Carrie, but more likely perhaps not, recent runway shows, too, display the ever-ethereal and statement-making tulle skirt. Starting on the left: Christian Siriano RTW spring 2012, Oscar de la Renta RTW spring 2013, and Tory Burch RTW spring 2013. Of course, tulle skirts will forever be a favorite at houses like Marchesa, Reem Acra and Vera Wang. 

On a more wearable, daytime scale, fashion bloggers have created their own perspective on the tulle skirt. Starting on the left: Jane Aldridge from Sea of Shoes, an unknown (yet well-dressed) blonde, and Blair Eadie of Atlantic-Pacfic. 

Even with Carrie Bradshaw and Patricia Field paving the way, would you wear a tulle skirt for a daytime look?

Sources: Carrie Bradshaw in cream, Carrie Bradshaw in green; Christian Siriano by George Chinsee, Oscar de la Renta by Giovanni Giannoni, Tory Burch by Robert Mitra; Sea of Shoes, Grey Tulle, Atlantic-Pacific