Sarah Jessica Parker Explains Why Carrie Bradshaw’s Nails Were Almost Always Naked
Carrie Bradshaw was a fashionista long before Sex and the City fans met her in 1998. The character was 32 during season 1 of the series and liked to play with mixing designer pieces and vintage finds. She played with bold colors and prints in her clothes, shoes, and handbags. As she aged throughout the series, her style changed, too. Now, 25 years later, Carrie is back in the Max reboot, And Just Like That… While she’s still fashion-forward in her 50s, her style has changed again. One thing, however, has stayed the same. Carrie Bradshaw’s nails are still naked. Sarah Jessica Parker recently revealed why Carrie Bradshaw didn’t get manicures.
Sarah Jessica Parker said Carrie Bradshaw’s nude nails were practical
Carrie Bradshaw might have spent time on her clothes. She spent countless hours searching vintage shops in New York City and even more time putting together interesting outfits. One thing she didn’t spend time doing was her nails. During a recent Glamour interview, Sarah Jessica Parker revealed why fans didn’t see Carrie Bradshaw’s nails manicured more often.
She told the publication that painting Carrie’s nails “seemed futile because it would always be messed up,” she went on to assert that a manicure would have been “an obstacle on the speedy road toward thoughts being written.” It makes sense. Carrie was busy but flighty, and we can imagine that keeping up with tips or a bright manicure wouldn’t have been a major priority.
Still, we can remember a couple of times when Carrie had her nails polished. In season 3, Carrie and Charlotte York chatted while getting their nails done. The scene served a purpose beyond styling. It allowed Charlotte to tell Carrie that she planned to keep her relationship with Trey MacDougal chaste until things got serious. The surprising proclamation overshadowed the whole manicuring process. She also sported bright red polish while briefly dating a politician in the same season.
Did the other ‘Sex and the City’ characters get their nails done?
While Sarah Jessica Parker insists Carrie’s naked nails were a practical decision, we can’t help but notice that the foursome’s nail game as a whole wasn’t particularly strong. Of the foursome, only Samantha Jones and Charlotte York appeared to have manicured nails regularly. Samantha was the only one who went for bolder looks.
Charlotte appeared to opt for muted nails most of the time, with light pinks and nude tones appearing throughout the original series. Samantha Jones, true to her character, more commonly appeared with brightly colored nails. In Sex and the City 2, Samantha’s bright pink nails are easily noticeable in multiple scenes. She also wore a deep red shade in Sex and the City: The Movie while bidding at an auction. Throughout Sex and the City, she was often seen rocking a French manicure.
Miranda Hobbes, much like Carrie Bradshaw, didn’t bother with her nails all that often. When she did, she preferred nude tones or clear polish. Miranda likely forwent nail polish for the same reason as Carrie. Miranda, a lawyer, spent much of her time working with papers and typing. Her career path would have made it difficult to keep a manicure looking perfect for longer than a few days.
As And Just Like That… season 2 is released, we’ll be keeping a lookout for colorful polish. The first two episodes were released on June 22. A new episode will be released on the streaming platform each Thursday through August.
