Carolyn Bessette Kennedy style is the quintessential example of simple, sophisticated, edgy elegance. As a professional stylist, I always ask my clients who their fashion muses are. If I were to be asked the same question, Bessette Kennedy would be at the top of my list. She had impeccable taste and a fearless approach to styling. She ignored the beauty standards and fashion rules that most of her contemporaries followed. Her minimal, unbothered glam epitomized what it meant to be chic and cool in New York in the 90s. Nowadays, her style is a reference for women who want to channel the “quiet luxury” aesthetic.
The Carolyn Bessette Kennedy Style Code
Carolyn Bessette Kennedy was a master of clean styling. Every outfit she put together was balanced yet bold, and fashionable yet functional. Here’s what I consider to be her style code.
Simplicity
Simplicity was Bessette Kennedy’s comfort zone when it came to fashion. Her wardrobe was comprised of refined, streamlined silhouettes in black, brown, camel, white, and denim. She avoided embellishments, using color blocking instead for visual impact. High contrast combinations, like brown and black for day and white and black for night, were her go tos. She favored tailored silhouettes, with the occasional statement outerwear. The bright red topcoat with a black leather belt and the vintage leopard faux fur overcoat below are two of my favorites.
Sophistication
Sophistication was Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s super power. She was a fashion lover, but she was no fashion victim. She was way ahead of her contemporaries, most of whom were dressing like their favorite SATC character. Rather than flaunt her model-worthy looks or wear flashy, branded clothing, she wore sleek, understated designs. She chose pieces that fit her busy lifestyle and career as a fashion publicist and muse for Calvin Klein.
Her go to designers were fashion insider favorites like Prada, and Yohji Yamamoto, and of course, Calvin. Her casual, seemingly nonchalant outfit combinations came from a very well curated, and very expensive closet. The way she wore her clothes and accessories are an obvious inspiration for the Olson twins and their wildly popular brand The Row.
Edge
Edge is something Carolyn Bessette Kennedy did very well. She really understood the allure of challenging fashion rules and wasn’t afraid to look a little “off.” For example, she wore little or no makeup, but didn’t seem to care if her signature hair style did not look natural. (Spoiler alert: it wasn’t – her natural hair was light brown and curly.) It’s no accident that her unique hairstyle made every one of her looks “pop” as we stylists like to say. Likewise, the sexy red lipstick she wore for formal occasions was a stark contrast to her otherwise bare face and often messy hairstyles.
She wore clothes and accessories in unexpected ways, like pairing her ultra-modern, sleek oval sunglasses (see recent shopping post here ) with a demure, oversized tortoise headband. One of her most famous looks is a white men’s style shirt paired with a long black silk skirt that she wore to a formal gala. She was not one to follow a dress code and wear a boring gown to a gala like all of the other socialites. She was too modern – too edgy for that.
The Carolyn Bessette Kennedy Myth
Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s life was glamorous, dramatic, and ultimately, tragic. If you want to learn more about her, Sunita Kumar Nair’s gorgeous book “CBK: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy: A Life in Fashion” (shop it here) does an amazing job of describing her subject’s aesthetic and mystique. It contains many never before seen photographs, and personal accounts from friends and colleagues. Elizabeth Beller’s book “Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy” (shop it here) is an in depth account of Bessette Kennedy’s life, from her childhood to her untimely death in 1999. I also just learned that a biopic from Ryan Murphy is in the works about her and John F. Kennedy Jr.’s ill-fated love story. It will be interesting to see who he will cast in the leading roles.
I can’t help but wonder what Carolyn Bessette Kennedy would think of her cult following if she were still alive today. From all accounts, she was a very private and down to earth woman. She was never comfortable with the public attention and scrutiny she received as the wife of JFK Jr. Unlike her husband, she was not an attention seeker or a people pleaser. She was always just Carolyn doing Carolyn. I’ll bet that if she had been told that she was to become one of the most influential fashion icons of all time, she would have flashed that dazzling smile of hers, tossed her gorgeous blonde hair, and said “Thanks, but that’s ridiculous.”
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