Shoes

Oh, people may say "Sex and the City" is about single women looking for love. They may say it's about female friendships or the latest Manhattan hot spots or a whole lot of sleeping around. But for a certain percentage of the show's fans, it's about the fashion, fashion so distinct that it transcends pretty outfits to become a storytelling tool in its own right.

It's the stories -- and the clothes -- that have fashion fanatics counting down the days to the movie's opening Friday.

"Sure, the characters are archetypes; they each represent a genre of a single woman in a city," says Kim Martin, the editor of StyleList.com. "But their wardrobes played a huge role in the series, and in the movie."

From the first few minutes of the first HBO episode in 1998, we thought we had the girls figured out. Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) was the creative free spirit; Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), the hard-charging career woman; Charlotte (Kristin Davis) was the preppy Park Avenue princess, and Samantha (Kim Cattrall) the perennial party girl.

But that's where they fooled us. They didn't stay static characters who sat at the coffee shop, cracking wise about sexual etiquette and toxic bachelors. As the characters grew and deepened as women, so did their wardrobes, masterminded by the legendary costume designer Patricia Field.

"Pat Field is such a genius, she worked on so many levels," says Martin. "She took such care, such consideration each season about the girls. Their fashion steadily reflected where they are in their lives."

Along they way, the four women set more than a few trends.

"Like the writer she was, Carrie's clothes took inspiration from all over," says Martin. "She mixed high and low fashion, that really set a trend for society. She made it perfectly acceptable to mix designer labels and Forever 21 and vintage."

While Carrie earned fashion kudos for mixing it up, she also earned more than her share of fashion jeers for the risks she took. But is our kooky girl growing up?

"Going forward into the movie, in terms of style, people will see she is more mature -- she's 'off the market,' as Sarah Jessica has said," says Martin, who has seen the movie (and gives it a thumbs up). "She's still the creative, supercool girlfriend everyone has, and she still has a shoe collection to die for, but there's definitely less half-tops and belly-button shows for Carrie!"

As we eagerly await the movie's opening, here's a quick look at how each lady's style has changed over the series' run.

Even as Carrie added designer labels to all the vintage in her closet, she never lost her

eclecticism and creativity. Thankfully, she did lose some of the more ridiculous moments

in her fashion history -- belts over a naked tummy, anyone?

Carrie

A fashion fanatic who didn't have the financial resources to feed her habit, creative Carrie used a mix of vintage and new to create her signature looks. The rewards reaped from her growing professional success went straight to her closet -- by the show's end, Carrie was in haute couture.

Charlotte may always be pretty in pink, favoring bows, lace and headbands, but her style

definitely matured from Lilly Pulitzer-preppy to sleeker, Ralph Lauren Americana.

Charlotte

Proper and ladylike, Charlotte was never about trends. Instead, the Upper East Side denizen only wore what she considered proper, and that changed only subtly over the show's run. Her classic sense of style is the stuff that Ralph Lauren dreams of -- plaids, bows, matching suits and handbags.

The biggest transformation, Miranda wore little other than dark-hued suits off the rack and

sensible shoes as the series kicked off. But as the seasons and her confidence progressed,

she embraced color and the realization that smart girls can be pretty, too.

Miranda

For this high-powered lawyer, it was all about the suit -- at least at first. As Miranda gained more control of her career and lifestyle -- making partner, buying an apartment, having a baby -- she softened her too-harsh hair color and rigid sense of what was work-appropriate.

Ah, Samantha! Was there ever a character more of her time? Of course, that time was the

hard-partying 1980s, in which her character's style was firmly rooted. Samantha's wardrobe remained

constant in its body-baring, look-at-me-ness. And that's why we love her.

Samantha:

Talk about confidence -- this was a woman who could wear a plunging neckline to church for a baby christening and sequined hot pants for a business meeting. Her love of vibrant color was always over the top and in your face -- perfect for a powerful woman who gives parties for a living.