Style Muse: Carolyn Bessette-Kenndey
one of the greats
Dear Reader,
When I got married, I wore an understated, inexpensive silk slip dress.
I didn’t want anything too fussy, and hoped to look back at photos one day and say, okay, this makes sense, unlike my mother, who always questioned her outrageous wedding hat that was quite (literally) big in the early 80s.
During a meeting with my florist, I showed her a photo of my dress for inspiration, and she said:
Oh my, so classic! Just like Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy!
At that time, I didn’t know much about Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. I opened Google images to find her wearing a similar slip silk wedding dress beside her beloved John Kennedy Jr. Instantly, I was drawn to her.
Long story short: Carolyn was an American publicist for Calvin Klein, and also, the wife of President John F Kennedy’s son. Paparazzi were dazzled by her 90s style, but also, how it compared to her mother-in-law, Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, who wore perfectly tailored skirts, feminine bows, and coordinating pieces.
Both Jacqueline and Carolyn are timeless (to me, timeless design is when you combine the past, the present and the future), but Carolyn’s style is bit more approachable, IMO.
Carolyn wore inexpensive tees paired with a expensive jacket (the “high-low” trend of today), a lot of paired neutrals (she combined browns with blacks, a supposed no-no before her time), and embodied quiet luxury (she never flaunted labels — for example, she never wore a Rolex or Cartier, though I’m sure she could have if she so desired). Understated, in the truest sense, but also completely elegant.
Elegant, but also, chill… like, wearing a baseball cap backward type of chill.
She always played it cool, never embellishing too much. Even on her wedding day, she was jewelry-less — she herself was the jewel.
Perhaps that’s why I’m so drawn to her. Maybe it’s less about her bootcut denim and penny loafers, but more so, the level of self-assuredness and confidence that bring character to otherwise simple pieces.
Although mostly neutral, Carolyn didn’t fear a bit of sass — a leopard coat, a python heel, a fun floral. However, her sass was accommodated by simple garments in a way to draw attention to the sass itself (e.g., casual denim with a python heel). I think of a single flower in a bud vase — there’s not a lot going on, other than the single blossom, which is captivating in its lonesome.
To be clear: I am by no means a scholar on Carolyn. All I know is this girl had a VIBE. One I wish I could see more of today (RIP to the beautiful couple).
Perhaps my number one style muse of all time.
Love you, Carolyn.
xx
Oh I just love her style! It's so timeless. Looking at some of the photos, the styles translate seamlessly today in the 2020s as it did in decades past. I've always loved that thick tortoiseshell headband! xx
Her style was one for the ages for sure