And Just Like That... Season Three, Episode Five Fashion Recap: Enemies to Lovers?

Carrie continues her novel in her large, still-unfurnished townhouse. As of now, the writing has not shown any signs of improvement, though it does seem like she’s inspired by fellow HBO show The Gilded Age. Perhaps there’s some jealousy of Cynthia Nixon’s involvement in the Julian Fellowes-created series.

But after a quick sojourn into the past, we return to the present, where Carrie is stomping around her new place in an array of heels. Now, this montage is fun; this is what we love to see. She starts in a bejeweled dress with Rene Caovilla sandals. We then get a host of eclectic footwear, from some disco-ready Terry de Havilland platforms to bow-adorned Gucci pumps. This scene provides some covetable blink-and-you’ll-miss-it styles as well as a setup for what’s to come in the next 45 minutes with Carrie’s new downstairs neighbor.

We don’t see another full outfit from Carrie until that new downstairs neighbor pays her a visit, when she’s wearing a pink bias-cut dress and yellow Aquazzura heels. Apparently, Carrie hasn’t heard of the 80% carpet rule, and her footwork is really getting on the nerves of writer Duncan Reeves.

Duncan asks Carrie to remove her heels in her apartment (which, to be honest, doesn’t seem like such an outrageous ask; besides, those heels can’t be good for the wood floors). Carrie, though, is aghast at the request and refuses to ditch her beloved stilettos. It seems she forgot about the incident in the first season when she got hip surgery and had to wear flats while recovering. Or, the more recent moment this season when she wears Dr. Scholl’s sandals.

Despite the bickering, though, there is immediately some clear sexual chemistry between these two, and their enemies-to-lovers trope officially kicks off.

Carrie shares her run-in with Duncan at girls' lunch. Miranda tries to relate with her own annoying neighbor story, but Carrie is perturbed to find the attention has pivoted from her for a minute. After the conversation quickly returns to Carrie, the girls brainstorm ways to fix her problem, working through everything from eviction to murder. In the end, though, when her neighbor’s identity is revealed—he’s basically a hunky Ron Chernow—Miranda pleads with Carrie to just take off her shoes and let the man write.

But Carrie refuses—she can’t ditch her mismatched polka dot pumps, which act as a swan song to the now-defunct Sarah Jessica Parker shoe brand. Carrie pairs the heels with a black tank dress layered over a shirt dress. She finishes off the outfit with the same Pierre Cardin crossbody that has made many appearances throughout the series. Charlotte, meanwhile, stands in contrast to Carrie in a very colorful ensemble featuring a La DoubleJ dress and Valextra bag. Seema, per usual, is in animal print, specifically an off-the-shoulder snakeskin blouse from Simkhai, while Miranda wears a striped Palmer//Harding dress.

When Carrie and Charlotte were on their post-lunch walk, you may have thought, “Wow, Charlotte is really rubbing in the fact that she gets to wake up next to the love of her life every day while Carrie is alone.” Well, karma sadly bites back quickly when, during a passeggiata by the Guggenheim, Charlotte (in nude flats she should probably lend to Carrie) finds out that Harry’s recent pants-wetting incident led him to make a doctor’s appointment, where he learned that he has prostate cancer. Charlotte understandably freaks out, but Harry reassures her that they caught it early and the survival rate is high. Still, he doesn’t want her to tell anyone. He doesn’t want to be “the cancer guy.”

Lisa reminds her husband, Herbert, of their glamping plans in a made-to-order Cynthia Abila suit before heading off to Atlanta for the weekend. Because nothing says airport outfit like fringed trousers and a wicker toucan bag.

And if you found that conversation between LTW and Herbert exciting, you’ll just love watching Seema’s meeting at the loan office. Now that she has quit her job, she’s looking for some money to kick off her solo venture. Let the girl flirting begin.

Carrie attempts to make amends with Duncan by dropping off a welcome basket even though she’s technically the new neighbor. It is then that she reveals their mutual profession, and Duncan’s begrudging Britishness persists. He also surprises her with a gift of his own: a pair of cozy, quiet slippers. Carrie rejects the present, claiming she’s “allergic...to whatever this is.”

Another day, another apron for Charlotte, who isn’t doing too well after learning of Harry’s diagnosis. It doesn’t help that her kids are trying to weasel their way out of the glamping weekend. To be fair to Lily, having partial custody of your polysexual boyfriend can be difficult. Those weekends together are precious.

Miranda is also fed up with her nosy neighbor. But when she throws on her Lisa B. clogs and vintage robe to slide yet another note under the rocker’s door, she’s met with a butcher knife-wielding, threatening penis in her face. To Carrie’s place she goes!

So, Miranda changes into her Ulla Johnson top and burnt orange Tod’s skirt, grabs her custom Anya Hindmarch bags, and heads for a stay at Carrie’s place. Unfortunately, Carrie isn’t feeling quite like herself. First of all, it seems she’s struggling to renovate (the paint goes on the walls, not the overalls, Carrie). But she’s also stressed about the whole Duncan situation, and she insists Miranda take off her Etro heels upon crossing the threshold.

Despite some flight delays, LTW makes it to Governors Island with her over-the-top cargo pants and dual Bottega Veneta bags. It’s time to get the s’mores on the fire. Unfortunately, no one brought the chocolate. Come on, there must be something chocolatey in the two suitcases she packed for one weekend.

It has taken five episodes, but we finally get our first reference to Samantha in season three. Carrie texts her old friend in London to get some insight on Duncan. Now, we can pretend it’s Kim Cattrall on the other side of that phone, but in reality, it’s more likely an intern cracking a too-obvious sex joke that the real Samantha would scoff at.

Miranda leaves the townhouse to Carrie for the night as she heads to Joy’s for their first sleepover. The two make a cool pair with Miranda in an Alberta Ferretti jumpsuit and Joy in an Issey Miyake jacket. The journalist’s Italian Greyhounds, however, get in the way of their good time, and Miranda returns to her temporary home, where her midnight nude bathroom trip means she’s now the naked neighbor—all she needs is a butcher’s knife.

Glamping is not off to a good start since none of Charlotte’s family wants to leave the tent. The Wexleys aren’t faring too well either, and after Herbert sees a photo of Lisa’s hot new editor, the accusations start flying. Both women are cooling off on the pier when they run into each other in colorful looks and decide the only solution is time at the spa.

Seema learns she did not girl flirt enough and her loan got rejected (or maybe the bank just doesn’t want to fund the purchasing of her off-the-runway wardrobe—her current set is Emilia Wickstead spring/summer 2024). Luckily, she just got a new client in Miranda, who doesn’t care whether she’s meeting her realtor in a beautiful office or an empty townhouse on a table covered in Mexican food. Sounds like a match made in heaven.

Duncan’s negligence leads to a dinner date between the two dueling parties, and Carrie finally gets her neighbor to crack a smile. The two bond over their writing struggles, and the evening is enough to get Carrie to take off her Manolo Blahniks (which match her Plein Sud denim top perfectly). Aidan who? There’s a new man in town, and he’s much more conveniently located.