Why Carolyn Bessette Kennedy Is Our Forever ’90s Style Muse
With the final episode of Ryan Murphy’s Love Story poised to hit our screens, the late Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s impeccable minimalist style is inevitably more sought-after than ever. Here, COLLEEN ROSS takes a deep dive into the former fashion publicist’s effortless outfit formulas
Few women personify ’90s minimalism better than the late Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. Whether dressed in a simple black turtleneck, blue jeans and penny loafers while running errands in New York, or a strapless LBD for a black-tie event in the city, the American style icon and former publicist mastered understated elegance. It’s no exaggeration to say her style was to the ’90s what her mother-in-law Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s style was to the ’60s – enduring and truly iconic. “I think her style resonates a great deal today because it’s timeless and we still find elements of her dressing very appealing,” says creative director Sunita Kumar Nair, who wrote Carolyn Bessette Kennedy: A Life in Fashion. “She understood how to wear classics.”
Prior to her marriage to John F. Kennedy Jr., Bessette Kennedy worked as a publicist for Calvin Klein (rumor has it the pair met while he was shopping for suits in the brand’s Manhattan store), which no doubt helped shape her preference for minimal, unfussy silhouettes and sleek, logo-free accessories – think oval-framed sunglasses, tortoiseshell headbands and dainty gold hoops. And yet, however simple her outfits seemed, a closer look often revealed an unexpected, avant-garde element that made them uniquely hers – Ann Demeulemeester, Yohji Yamamoto and Helmut Lang were her go-to brands for more directional pieces.
Fashion was a means of communication and self-expression for the notoriously private Bessette Kennedy. “I loved getting to know Carolyn through her clothing,” says Kumar Nair. “It was an essential piece of her, because she didn’t speak in interviews… Everything she did was thoughtfully curated and considered.”
You can imagine the fashion world’s collective excitement, then, when it was announced that Ryan Murphy’s latest anthology series, Love Story, would chronicle the relationship between Bessette Kennedy (portrayed by Sarah Pidgeon) and JFK Jr. (Paul Kelly), offering fans an excuse to obsess over her impeccable style once more.
Despite early test shots of the series coming under fire for what critics believed to be an inaccurate portrayal of Bessette Kennedy’s wardrobe, the reception to the costumes in the show has been largely positive. Costume designer Rudy Mance sourced several of the pieces worn by the style icon throughout the ’90s, including multiple pairs of her beloved Manolo Blahnik slingbacks and that ruffled Yohji Yamamoto skirt she wore to the Whitney Museum gala in March 1999. Mance and his team also went to great lengths to recreate her iconic wedding gown by designer and friend Narciso Rodriguez, even managing to source the exact fabric used to make the original.
Read on as we decode Bessette Kennedy’s iconic outfit formulas…
Her downtime denim was still cut to perfection
“Carolyn always knew the importance of each piece – the right jeans, say – and she would take great care with the cut, the length, the kind of worn-out essence within the fabric or the denim, and pair it in a way that was very ‘Carolyn’,” says Kumar Nair. Bessette Kennedy often sported straight-leg styles, but her preferred denim shape was boot-cut (she was loyal to Levi’s ‘517’ style), which suited her tall frame and became a staple in her wardrobe all year round. Find your perfect pair in Slverlake’s ‘Jade’ style, which pair beautifully with Joseph’s exquisite wool and cashmere-blend ‘Arlina’ coat – both highlights from our NET SUSTAIN edit.
JOSEPHArlina belted wool and cashmere-blend coat€915.00View Product DetailsSelect a Size32 - out of stock34 - out of stock36 - out of stock38 - low stock40 - out of stock42 - out of stock44
MIU MIUOval-frame tortoiseshell acetate sunglasses
SLVRLAKEJade high-rise bootcut jeans€316.00View Product DetailsSelect a Size24 - low stock2526 - out of stock27 - out of stock2829 - out of stock30 - out of stock31 - out of stock32
SAINT LAURENTLaurent glossed-leather loafers€850.00View Product DetailsSelect a SizeEU 34EU 34.5EU 35EU 35.5EU 36 - low stockEU 36.5 - low stockEU 37EU 37.5 - low stockEU 38EU 38.5 - low stockEU 39EU 39.5EU 40EU 40.5EU 41EU 41.5 - out of stockEU 42
She elevated the status of the white shirt
“Her style was classic and modern at the same time,” says London-based tastemaker Evie Henderson, who has been a fan since she was in her late teens and is inspired by Bessette Kennedy’s ethos of building a sustainable, wear-forever wardrobe. “Nothing felt trend-driven; she was focused on good tailoring and high-quality pieces.” Indeed, Bessette Kennedy knew how to make every piece in her closet work overtime, such as the menswear-inspired white shirt she wore to the 1999 Whitney Museum gala – one of her most iconic looks. Considered touches (the open collar and folded cuffs) added a sense of undone elegance to her ensemble, which she styled with nothing more than a chainmail clutch. Róhe’s soft cotton-poplin shirt from our edit comes in an hourglass shape we’re confident would be CBK-approved.
RÓHECotton-poplin shirt€237.00View Product DetailsSelect a Size34 - out of stock36 - out of stock38 - out of stock40 - out of stock42 - out of stock44 - out of stock
KHAITELoxley satin-crepe maxi skirt€1,650.00View Product DetailsSelect a Size024 - low stock6 - out of stock8 - out of stock10 - out of stock12 - out of stock
MANOLO BLAHNIKViera 50 satin mules€578.00View Product DetailsSelect a Size3536 - low stock36.5 - out of stock3737.5 - out of stock38 - out of stock38.5 - out of stock39 - out of stock39.5 - out of stock40 - out of stock40.5 - out of stock4141.5 - out of stock42 - out of stock
GIVENCHYCotton-poplin shirt€1,300.00View Product DetailsSelect a Size34 - out of stock36 - out of stock38 - out of stock4042 - out of stock44
She knew how to work leopard print with elegance
Bessette Kennedy rarely wore print, but did have a soft spot for a leopard-print coat (she owned at least two, both believed to be vintage), which she often styled with jeans and a turtleneck in the fall. Although it may seem at odds with her pared-back aesthetic, leopard print acts like a neutral and is incredibly versatile – qualities Bessette Kennedy always looked for – so she was able to treat it the same as any other staple in her wardrobe. And you can, too, with Khaite’s chic ‘Aleena’ mini dress.
KHAITEAleena leopard-print calf hair mini dress
TOTEMECashmere turtleneck sweater€600.00View Product DetailsSelect a Sizex smallsmall - low stockmedium - out of stocklarge - out of stockx large - out of stock
FRAMEThe Arrow high-rise flared jeans€201.00View Product DetailsSelect a Size23 - out of stock24 - out of stock2526 - low stock27 - low stock282930 - out of stock313233 - out of stock
LE MONDE BERYLCarole 35 leather ankle boots€595.00View Product DetailsSelect a Size3535.5 - out of stock3636.5 - out of stock37 - out of stock37.5 - out of stock38 - out of stock38.539 - out of stock39.5 - low stock40 - out of stock40.54141.542 - out of stock
Proportion was everything
“When people try to recreate a ‘Carolyn Bessette Kennedy outfit’, they often copy the items but miss the blueprint,” says the curator of the Instagram fan account @allforcarolyn (run by an anonymous stylist). “Carolyn understood how a specific hemline, shoulder drop or rolled cuff could change the energy of a look. It wasn’t just about the clothes; it was about the spatial relationship between the fabric and her frame. Without adjusting for your own proportions, an outfit risks feeling like a costume,” says the stylist. If you’re petite and love pencil skirts like the one Bessette Kennedy is pictured wearing here, consider opting for one that hits on, or just below, the knee – such as Stouls’ ‘Gilda’ skirt in camel suede – and style it with Toteme’s turtleneck and Chloé’s chocolate-brown ‘Phoenix’ boots.
TOTEMEKnitted cardigan
THE ROWBourse XL gathered leather shoulder bag
STOULSGilda suede skirt€534.00View Product DetailsSelect a Sizexx small - out of stockx smallsmall - out of stockmediumlarge - out of stock
CHLOÉPhoenix leather knee boots€1,350.00View Product DetailsSelect a Size36 - out of stock36.53737.538 - low stock38.5 - out of stock39 - out of stock39.5 - out of stock4040.5 - out of stock41
Her evening style was equally effortless
When dressing for a formal event, it’s easy to fall into the trap of wearing something that you don’t feel entirely yourself in. But not for Bessette Kennedy – her evening looks all felt entirely in tune with her everyday style and seemed as if they’d been thrown together at a moment’s notice (and we mean that as a compliment). Case in point? This understated off-the-shoulder look from 1997, consisting of separates that you can imagine her repurposing for different events. Follow her lead by teaming Lemaire’s sleek off-the-shoulder top with Colleen Allen’s figure-skimming maxi skirt, tying everything together with a red lip, heels and dainty diamonds by Sophie Bille Brahe.
LEMAIREOff-the-shoulder stretch organic cotton-jersey top€162.00View Product DetailsSelect a Sizexx smallx small - out of stocksmall - out of stockmedium - out of stocklarge - out of stockx large - out of stock
SOPHIE BILLE BRAHEFleur Bisou 18-karat recycled gold diamond earrings
COLLEEN ALLENStretch TENCEL™, silk and cashmere-blend maxi skirt€795.00View Product DetailsSelect a Sizex small - out of stocksmall - out of stockmedium - low stocklarge - out of stockx large - out of stock
MANOLO BLAHNIKMaysli 70 buckled suede slingback pumps€865.00View Product DetailsSelect a Size35 - out of stock36 - out of stock36.53737.538 - out of stock38.539 - low stock39.5 - out of stock40 - out of stock40.5 - low stock4141.5 - out of stock4242.5 - out of stock43 - out of stock
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