I say all this with reflection, though. When I first saw them, all I thought about was how cool they were, and how much I wanted to be like them. Carol with her polite, blonde exasperation and Susan with her disdain so heavy you could practically taste it — they were the perfect foil to an otherwise rigidly heteronormative, often homophobic show. This is not to say there is anything inherently 'lesbian' about their outfits. Besides the fact that ascribing characteristics to a sexuality is dicey at best — though all queer people, of course, reserve the right to call anything queer as seen through their eyes — much of what they wore was just the fashion of the era. But they did it so well, and deserve credit. They gave me a window into what would in some way become my reality (minus the ex-husband and long hair and baby) and I’ve subconsciously been trying to dress like them ever since. I'm currently searching for a similar crushed velvet masterpiece to force my girlfriend to wear on our special day. (If you’re reading this, babe, I’m kidding. Mostly.)