Before there was the tutu, the Cosmopolitans, or the high-stakes dating columns in the New York Star, there was just Sarah Jessica. If you only know her as Carrie Bradshaw, you are honestly missing out on the most chaotic, experimental, and genuinely cool era of her life. Sarah Jessica Parker 90s energy wasn't about $40,000 shoe collections; it was about thrift store finds, oversized blazers that she probably shared with Robert Downey Jr., and a frizzy, unapologetic mane of curls that hadn't yet been tamed by a high-end salon on the Upper East Side.
The 1990s were a decade of massive transition for her. She started the era as a cult-favorite character actress and ended it as the most powerful woman on television. But the path from L.A. Story to the steps of a brownstone in Chelsea wasn't a straight line. It was messy. It was stylish. And it was very, very New York.
The Early 90s: Red Velvet, Gold Bras, and Robert Downey Jr.
Most people forget that SJP was a red carpet rebel long before Patricia Field got a hold of her. In 1991, she showed up to the premiere of For the Boys wearing a gold bralette under an embroidered Versace bolero from the Fall/Winter ’91 collection. She paired it with baggy red velvet trousers. It was wild. It was loud. It was also exactly who she was before the "fashion icon" label became a permanent part of her brand.
During this time, her personal life was just as headline-grabbing as her outfits. She had been with Robert Downey Jr. since 1984, but by 1991, the relationship was hitting a breaking point. SJP has been remarkably candid about those years. She’s described feeling more like a parent than a girlfriend, trying to help Downey through his well-documented struggles with addiction.
"It taught me a little bit about being a parent... the way I cared for Downey were things that might be more suitable for a parent," she told People years later.
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They eventually split in 1991, marking the end of one of the 80s and 90s' most iconic "it" couples. It was a heavy start to a decade that would eventually become synonymous with her liberation.
A Career in Flux: From Witches to First Wives
If you look at her filmography between 1991 and 1997, it’s a total grab bag. She wasn't looking for stardom; she was looking for interesting work.
- L.A. Story (1991): She played SanDeE*, an aspiring spokesmodel with a star in her name. It showed off her comedic timing perfectly.
- Hocus Pocus (1993): Now a Halloween staple, she played Sarah Sanderson. She brought a weird, seductive energy to a Disney villain that basically defined childhood for a whole generation.
- Ed Wood (1994): Working with Tim Burton, she played Dolores Fuller. She wore a grungy leather jacket to the premiere, proving she could do "90s cool" without even trying.
- The First Wives Club (1996): She played Shelly Stewart, the younger woman who essentially acts as the antagonist to the main trio. It was a pivotal role that proved she could hold her own against legends like Bette Midler and Goldie Hawn.
She was everywhere. But she wasn't "The" Sarah Jessica Parker yet. She was just that actress you liked in everything.
The Matthew Broderick Era and the Black Wedding Dress
By 1992, she started dating Matthew Broderick. They met through her brothers, who were involved in the Naked Angels theater company. It was a much more stable, quiet kind of love than her previous high-profile romances (which included a brief, paparazzi-heavy stint with John F. Kennedy Jr.).
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Their 1997 wedding is still talked about today because SJP did the unthinkable: she wore a black Morgane Le Fay dress.
Why black? She claimed she was too embarrassed to spend time looking for a traditional wedding dress. She just wanted to "buy something off the rack" that she liked. It was a move that screamed "cool New York girl," even if she later admitted she regretted not wearing white. The wedding itself was a surprise for their 100 guests, who thought they were just attending a regular party. It was the ultimate low-key 90s move.
1998: The Year Everything Changed
When Darren Star approached her about a show called Sex and the City, she almost didn't do it. Seriously.
She had a successful career in film and on Broadway (she had just starred in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying with Broderick in 1996). She didn't want to be tied down to a TV contract. She actually hated the pilot when she first saw it. She thought the clothes were weird and the tone was off. She even offered to do three HBO movies for free if they would just let her out of the contract.
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Thankfully, they said no.
When the show premiered in June 1998, it wasn't an instant global phenomenon, but it changed the conversation. The Sarah Jessica Parker 90s look shifted overnight from her personal, eclectic style to the highly curated, high-fashion wardrobe of Carrie Bradshaw. The frizzy curls were replaced by "beach waves." The thrift store blazers were swapped for Fendi Baguettes and Manolo Blahniks.
Why the 90s Version of SJP Still Matters
Looking back, the pre-1998 Sarah Jessica Parker is the one that feels most relatable today. She was a woman in her 20s and early 30s trying to figure out her career, dealing with a difficult breakup, and eventually finding a partner who actually suited her.
Her style from 1991 to 1996—the oversized suits, the pinstriped vests, the sheer slip dresses, and the ever-present scrunchies—is exactly what influencers are trying to recreate right now. She wasn't "polished" yet. She was gritty. She lived in the real New York, not the sanitized version we see on TV.
Lessons from SJP's 90s Era:
- Embrace the "Messy" Middle: Your career doesn't have to be a straight shot. SJP did voice work, theater, and supporting roles for years before her "big break" at age 33.
- Style is Personal, Not Professional: Some of her best looks were the ones she put together herself before she had a stylist. If you like the gold bra, wear the gold bra.
- Privacy is a Choice: Despite being in high-profile relationships, she managed to keep the details of her life relatively quiet until she was ready to speak on them years later.
If you want to channel that 90s SJP energy, stop looking at the designer labels and start looking at the silhouette. Go for the boxy blazer. Find a vintage brooch. Leave your hair alone. The magic of that era wasn't in the price tag; it was in the confidence of a woman who was clearly just having a good time.
To really capture the aesthetic, look for vintage pinstripe trousers or a simple cream mini dress—similar to what she wore to the 1997 Vogue Fashion Awards. Stick to a neutral palette but add one "weird" accessory, like an oversized flower or a pair of cowboy boots. That’s the secret to the 90s look: it’s about the unexpected contrast.