When Ashley Cano spotted a frothy, feathery wedding gown crumpled on a thrift store rack, she never imagined it would become her ticket to freedom — from divorce bills, at least. But life, like a certain HBO heroine’s love life, is full of plot twists.
Cano, a Chicago-based Poshmark reseller, was hunting for hidden gems at Goodwill when she stumbled upon a Vera Wang masterpiece priced under 19. The Eleanor Bridal Gown, valued at roughly $7,500 new, once symbolized Bradshaw’s fictional bridal fantasy. For Cano, it became an unlikely lifeline. “I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this dress,” she said.
An $18.99 price tag on a dress worth thousands. Photo from TikTok
Though Bradshaw famously swapped the Vera Wang for a Vivienne Westwood gown mid-movie, fans instantly recognized the dress’s cinematic pedigree. Cano’s TikTok exploded with overeager buyers, SATC stans, and one user bluntly declaring, “That’s like $4,000! Nice find!!!” Others begged her to keep it, but Cano shut that down. “No diet could ever have me making it work,” she joked.
Logistics posed a challenge — shipping a dress resembling a parachute is no small feat—but the real kicker? Cano plans to use the profits to fund her divorce. “Low key been stressing over my lawyer bills for my divorce,” she wrote in the comments.
I needed a blessing. Didn’t think it would come in the way of a wedding dress but I’m not complaining.”
The irony wasn’t lost on fans. After all, Bradshaw’s own marriage to Mr. Big lasted roughly as long as a Manhattan happy hour. Cano’s find struck a chord with thrifters and rom-com nostalgics alike, blending triumph and tragedy in true SATC fashion.
The iconic Vera Wang dress. Photo from TikTok
As comments flooded in — from divorce jokes to marriage proposals — Cano weighed her options. While the dress isn’t yet listed online, its viral fame guarantees a bidding war. Whether it funds her fresh start or becomes a museum piece, one thing’s clear: This gown’s second act is far more dramatic than its first.
For Cano, the thrill isn’t just in the sale. “It’s like finding a piece of pop culture history,” she said. And for the rest of us? Proof that sometimes, happily ever after looks like a lawyer’s paid invoice — and a really, really good thrift day.
The television series, based on Candace Bushnell’s column “Sex and the City” published in the New York Observer, ran from 1998 to 2004. Two movies were made before most of the cast returned for the spinoff “And Just Like That…” which is expected to release its third season later this year.
