A Chicago-based thrifter thought she scored the ultimate fashion find when she spotted a Vera Wang wedding gown at Goodwill for just $19. Sharing her discovery on TikTok, she claimed it was the same style worn by Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City, sending fans into a frenzy. But while some celebrated her major thrift-store win, others questioned whether it was the exact dress from the show. Now, the internet is buzzing with debate—and potential buyers are flooding her inbox.
On Feb. 26, 2025, Ashley Cano posted a video to her TikTok account, @aileenscloset90, where she showcases a wedding dress on a hanger while saying off-screen, “Vera Freaking Wang. I can’t believe I found this dress at Goodwill for 18.99. It is Vera Wang. It is the Carrie Bradshaw dress. I am shook.”
@aileenscloset90 I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this dress. 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. Any help? #thrift #resellercommunity #resell #thrifthaul ♬ original sound – Ashley Cano
The video then reveals a photo of Carrie Bradshaw—played by Sarah Jessica Parker in the show and its subsequent films—in the dress for comparison, proving that the dress she sees for sale is the same brand and style of dress worn by Parker from the franchise.
The TikTok quickly went viral, garnering over 138,000 views, 10K likes, and hundreds of comments. “You could resale this for thousands,” “amazing score,” and “this is my dream dress,” wrote TikTokers.
On Feb. 27, @aileenscloset90‘s TikTok video was shared on X by user @DLVermeer. While it accrued 2.4 million views and 93,000 likes, some of the comments on the post were a bit more critical of the find, noting that this exact dress was not the one used in the film.
“A similar idea but the bottom half is quite different,” read one comment. “Show me the designer tag, looks shorter than the real one.” Read another. “I don’t know about that.” Still another comment read. “It may be a replica but the original clothing from the show and the movies are archived. That’s how they were able to pull them for the new SATC, And Just Like That.”
Others reflected more excitement and jealousy at such a promising thrifting find. “I’ll never stop thrifting,” read one comment. “Why this never happens with me?” Lamented another.
Was this the Carrie Bradshaw wedding dress?
Cano hasn’t listed the item for sale on her online shop yet, and admitted in the original video that she’s not quite sure how to sell an item like this.
In two subsequent videos, Cano says that finding the dress has “been a wild ride,” and she’s been very busy fielding inquiries from buyers.
@aileenscloset90 Replying to @Sara Dodd ♬ original sound – Ashley Cano
The thrifter also clarified what many commenters had pointed out—that the dress is not the exact one featured in the film, and also that Carrie Bradshaw does not specifically get married in the style dress.
In the film, Bradshaw gets married in a Vivienne Westwood dress, but wore a Vera Wang dress extremely similar in style to Cano’s before her wedding day, during a Vogue photoshoot about being a 40-year-old bride.
@fashionthroughthescreen carrie bradshaw’s famous bridal photoshoot #satc #bridal #bridalstyle #couture #highfashion #dior ♬ son original – Fashionthroughthescreen
The HBO show based on Candace Bushnell’s column “Sex and the City” ran from 1998 to 2004. Two films, Sex and the City: the Movie and Sex and the City 2 were released in 2008 and 2010 respectively.
Though a bit more polarizing than the original series, the SATC spinoff And Just Like That… is expected to return to Max later this year.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @aileenscloset90 via direct message on TikTok. The creator did not immediately respond to the request for comment.
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