By now, everyone knows that New York City’s favorite foursome are back in Sex And The City 2. The plot of this sequel is—no surprise here—thoroughly predictable, and totally out of sync with the current world economy (when Mr. Big complains that the market dropped 100 points, the line falls a bit flat). But for fashionistas everywhere the big question is: What about the clothes?

The girls work current trends with all the vigor they did 10 years ago, but—like the movie itself—the fashion is excessive, and not in a modern way. Stylist and designer Patricia Field is well recognized for her SATC series work, but much of the film wardrobe feels like a greatest-hits compilation. Maybe it’s because the characters have become caricatures of themselves, but it would have been gratifying to see these former party girls transition into their mid-years and dress in a manner that reflects the recent economic turmoil. Instead, what we get is four women who seem desperately out of touch with reality.

Fans of SATC will flock to see this movie, as they did the first one. But the characters—along with their fashion sensibility—need to evolve with their age and their times, and until that happens, this franchise will not have the pop-culture relevance of the HBO series.—Georgia Alexia Benjou