I Lived in NYC During the Carolyn Bessette Kennedy Era—Here’s What Everyone Gets Wrong About Her Style
Women who replicate her outfits to a T are missing the point.
Spend five minutes on the internet right now, and you’ll be told all the secrets to Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s style. Black turtleneck. Slip skirt. Camel coat. Sleek bun. Repeat. As if it were a uniform that you could purchase, and poof, you’re Carolyn! Disappointingly, I’m here to tell you, no, that’s not how this works.
I lived in New York and worked in advertising during the CBK era—the sidewalks of SoHo, the flash of cameras outside restaurants, the way a simple camel coat could cause a ripple. What struck me then, and still does today, wasn’t the spareness of her clothes. It was her certainty. CBK didn’t look like she was participating in fashion. She looked like she had decided what fashion meant to her, and that’s what makes all the difference. Let me explain.
Yes, the silhouettes were clean, and the color palette was restrained. But minimalism was the byproduct. The real lesson of her style was discernment. She edited and repeated. She knew what worked on her tall, willowy frame and cool coloring. I am short, brunette, green-eyed, and slightly olive-skinned. I will never look like Carolyn, even if I track down her exact Prada skirt and Manolos.
It’s like when I brought a picture (no, more like 20 pictures ripped out of US Magazine) of Jennifer Aniston’s “The Rachel” haircut to my stylist. Jennifer has thick and wavy hair; I have very fine, somewhat curly hair. The haircut wasn’t really it—the essence was. Luckily, my stylist understood this and translated it for me and my hair type.
So, when I think about CBK now, I ask myself, What am I responding to? Is it the restraint? Then I edit harder. Is it the confidence? Then I repeat pieces unapologetically. Is it the lack of trend chasing? Then I let micro-moments pass. For me, it might mean I go for a sharper shoulder to create proportion or wear my hair back with minimal makeup. Or maybe a slightly abbreviated hem so my height isn’t overwhelmed. I’m wearing the clothes, not the other way around.
The women who try to replicate CBK's style as a trend often miss the point. The women who study her understand that true excellent style isn’t about copying a formula; it’s about refining your own. Below, find pieces that nod in her direction but can be made distinctly your own.
