The image of Sarah Jessica Parker strutting along the sidewalks of New York, clutching a pretzel in one hand and Prada in the other, while deeply involved in conversation about the usual — sex or shoes — with either Samantha, Charlotte or Miranda, is an image that is entrenched in the minds of millions of women worldwide.

The series which ran for six years and made Manolo Blahnik a household name, not only enthralled audiences with its novel take on single women in the city, but brought high-street fashion home to women everywhere.

And there's no doubt that with 'Sex and the City: The movie' having just premiered and hitting big screens worldwide soon, the fashionistas will be first in the queue for a viewing. More designer costumes, more handbags, more Blahnik...

Now and then

The wardrobes over the years have always been put together by the fabulous Patricia Field, who knows how to break the rules, just like Samantha, Carrie, Charlotte and Miranda.

Some of Sex and the City's favourite designer labels over the years have included Richard Tyler, Jimmy Choo, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Dior, Blumarine, Chanel, Chloe, Prada, Roberto Cavalli and Manolo Blahnik.

So the big question is: What can we expect this time round on the fashion front — four years on?

Elizabeth Snead quotes Patricia Field as saying that this time around she saw Carrie differently — "A little more sexy, a little more evolved, a little more calm about herself as a woman."

Fields work included more than 80 costumes for Sarah Jessica Parker or Carrie Bradshaw alone during the film, while in total there were close to 1000 outfits — that's without mentioning the accessories and shoes…

Apparently, some of the trends seen in the film include lots more belts and stronger shoes, but we'll have to wait for the film to find out more.

At the premiere?

During opening night in London's Leicester Square, all eyes were on the arrival of the four stars of the show — Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis.

Sarah Jessica Parker wore a strapless, chartreuse tulle and feather prom dress by British designer Alexander McQueen with a Philip Treacy hat to match, decorated with flowers and butterflies.

Kim Cattrall went with the groundbreaking designer Vivienne Westwood, whose scarlet off-the-shoulder taffeta dress was quite characteristic of the vivacious 'Samantha' in the series.

Kristin Davis also opted for scarlet but went for a more vintage look, her ensemble being a sleeveless, calf-length chiffon dress with pleats defining its inner corsetry.

Cynthia Nixon wore a foxy black maxi dress by Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein, with two finely-pleated straps, cut to her waist — most definitely the winning outfit on the red carpet.