Can I Pull This Off? The SJP Edition

Shirtdress (Worn as Tee): Mossimo (Target) | Skirt: H&M | Belt: Donna Karan (Vintage) | Shoes: Aquazzura (Consignment) | Bag: Stella McCartney (Saks)
Shirtdress (Worn as Tee): Mossimo (Target) | Skirt: H&M | Belt: Donna Karan (Vintage) | Shoes: Aquazzura (Consignment) | Bag: Stella McCartney (Saks)

When it comes to style icons, I have my share of favorites: Patsy Stone (her Chanel cardigan!), Pablo Picasso (his polo shirts!), Emma Watson (her YSL smoking suit!).

But like every woman over the age of 30, I have a particularly soft spot for Sarah Jessica Parker. SJP epitomizes the style pragmatist ethos: she’s fabulous, but functional. (I can not say the same thing about her alter-ego, Carrie, whose affinity for hot pants and uni-boob tube tops can never be erased.)

Derek Blasberg added this outfit to his Harper's Bazaar Best Dressed list in June 2012.
Derek Blasberg added this outfit to his Harper’s Bazaar Best Dressed list in June 2012.

When I first saw this SJP outfit on the Harper’s Best Dressed List, I was thrilled that I already owned everything I needed to recreate it… Except for magenta shoes. (I’m a pragmatist! I don’t buy pink shoes without a good reason! And there’s no good reason!)

But this outfit needs pink shoes to survive. (Imagine it with black pumps. SNOOZE.) And thus, my passive, years-long search for pink shoes began.

The right pair (and the right price point) finally appeared at an Atlanta consignment store last month. These Aquazzura heels retail for more than $500, but I paid less than $100 — a fraction of what you’d pay for the eerily similar Tamber sandals that Jimmy Choo splashed across its latest Nicole Kidman ad campaign. (The Jimmy Choo sandals were originally $1,250 and are now marked down to a wallet-whomping $625.)

The fact that I was able to pair my bargain shoes with super-bargain H&M and Target purchases makes me reconsider my stance on pink suede: It is very practical, indeed.

From time to time, I’ll be recreating more celebrity looks I admire — with drastically lower prices. You’ll be able to find these by clicking the “Can I Pull This Off?” category on the right-hand menu.

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Shirtdress (Worn as Tee): Mossimo (Target) | Skirt: H&M | Belt: Donna Karan (Vintage) | Shoes: Aquazzura (Consignment) | Bag: Stella McCartney (Saks)