TWHS Reviews SATC2: The Stories. The Fashion. The Adventure.

Remember back in the day when the big Spiegel catalog came in the mail, and the world stopped as you flipped through the pages of ah-mazing fashions?

That's exactly how I felt when my copy of Sex and the City 2: The Stories. The Fashion. The Adventure. arrived. Thanks to the gracious publisher Running Press - who sent me a copy for review - my intent was to immerse myself in it immediately. Life inevitably got in the way, but I made a point to spend last night reading it, fashionably late and all.

It was exactly how I expected it to be; a visual feast detailing director Michael Patrick King's decision to film in exotic Morocco. Within minutes, I felt the same way I did when watching the movie. But this time, I was escaping in pages of saturated location shots. Oh, to have been a fly in the sand at this movie set!

But what took me by surprise was the breakdown of every single outfit worn by SJP and the girls. Vintage meets couture meets designer du jour. Patricia Field upped the ante on respecting Middle Eastern restrictions while still teasing us with over-the-top ensembles.

And the SHOES!!!!! The usual foot candy of Manolo and Louboutin are made even sweeter with Brian Atwood's arrival. Amazingly, no Choos graced Carrie's feet in the making of the movie.

When it came to staging the interior set design, NET-A-PORTER was given the honor of dressing the closet of Carrie's Fifth Avenue love nest. Their living and dining area is also broken down with designer credits, as well as the reasoning behind the color palettes King made for the on-location scenes (hey Michael, the next time you need to do "research" for an upcoming film, I'm available!). Just sayin'...

There are even quotes from the girls as to how this movie's impact bonded their off-screen friendship, as well as brief notes on the male actors' influence through the years. Which is why I don't quite get the reviews I read about how the film and book were underwhelming. At the end of the day, the message is how friendships are built to sustain, even if it means walking through the Sahara to validate them.

I strongly encourage any lover of fashion or cinema to invest in this majestic book on the making of the movie. If you don't believe me, just open it up on the gloomiest, rain-soaked day, and I guarantee it will lift your spirits.