In Sex and the City, Carrie Bradshaw dons a Vivienne Westwood gown for her (almost) wedding to Mr. Big. Yet while the silk duchess satin and Radzimir taffeta dress is ultimately the one Bradshaw selects for her nuptials at the New York Public Library, it’s not the only ensemble she tries on. While most brides typically consider an array of gowns by visiting various bridal boutiques, Bradshaw has a bit of a different experience in the lead-up to her big day. Upon learning that she and Mr. Big plan to tie the knot, her former editor at Vogue, Enid Frick, asks her to do a photoshoot for the magazine in various wedding dresses, which Bradshaw agrees to. In the shoot, she models a number of different looks, including ones from Carolina Herrera, Christian Lacroix, Dior, and Vera Wang. And while some of these famous ensembles are no longer available to purchase, one woman recently stumbled upon Bradshaw’s Vera Wang gown on sale at a Goodwill for just $18.99.
“Vera freaking Wang,” the TikToker, Ashley Cano, said in a video she posted detailing the discovery. “I cannot believe that I found this dress at Goodwill for $18.99. It is Vera Wang. It is the Carrie Bradshaw dress. I’m shook.” In the movie, Bradshaw models the drop-waist strapless gown (named Eleanor by the designer), which features a dramatic A-line skirt with feathered tulle, while sitting on a chaise lounge chair. While Cano is a frequent thrift shopper, the surprising find still stunned her. “I’m not sure how this slipped through the cracks, but I am thanking the thrift gods,” she wrote. However, she also expressed some anxiety about the best way to list the gown, especially since she’s never sold a wedding dress before. “I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this dress,” she wrote in the caption. “But I fear I may have bit off more than I can chew. It’s so big, so heavy. And I have no clue how to best sell it.”
Other TikTokers were just as stunned as Cano was with her unexpected find. “I immediately thought of Carrie Bradshaw before you said a word,” one user wrote. “Amazing score!!!” Some, including a few brides, asked how much she planned to sell the dress for. “I’m not trying to make a crazy amount from it,” Cano wrote in response to the inquiries. “Definitely want to spread the love and bless a bride. I’d say somewhere between 15 to 20 [percent] of retail.” Even if the TikToker only took a small percentage, she’d likely still net a sizable profit. The same gown is currently listed on other resale sites, including Poshmark, for $5,000. Cano, who’s currently in the midst of a divorce, added that the money made from such a sale would likely go toward her legal fees. “Lowkey been stressing over my lawyer bills for my divorce,” she wrote. “I needed a blessing. Didn’t think it would come in the way of a wedding dress but I’m not complaining.”