SJP in Monse
We all know that I have Feelings about Monse's work, in general, but a) I formed my opinion of this before I knew it was Monse; and b) I'm open to -- and indeed often expect to -- having my mind flipped on that at some point. This isn't going to be that night it for me. Because here's the thing: I don't even care about the Hamilton costumeyness of it all. I just don't think the statement, whatever it was, came across in an eloquent or even elegant way. The pants are a bit messy-looking. The corset is average. The coat has potential, but ejaculating that fabric from the wrists just makes her look like a really obvious shoplifter.
Hamiltranslation: Why do you design like you're running out of time?
Sarah Jessica Parker
This shows the distracting double-crotch design on the pantaloons. The shoes are her own design -- or her company's, anyway -- and I do applaud that they evoke the old-school buckled shoe favored by many a man of that era. (I can hear Daveed Diggs's Thomas Jefferson sniping, "Smells like new money/ Dresses like fake royalty.") I hope it turns out that the cameo somehow IS of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton.
Sarah Jessica Parker
And then we see that the back has a laced-up surprise. As of this writing, that's the clearest angle we have on it. And listen, we talk all the time about how, while it's a celeb's right not to smile, sometimes a big ol' grin does wonders for selling an outfit. While I'm not sold here, I do love that Sarah Jessica always pours her whole face into this. She'll strike the serious pose, but she'll laugh it up later. And this face says, to me, "YOU may never be satisfied, but I sure as hell am." Fair enough. But the theme was so big, so encompassing, so potentially architectural... I just wonder if, a teeny bit, you threw away your shot.