THE STYLE OF CAROLYN BESSETTE KENNEDY
Austere, simple, and elegant, with a minimalist style that continues to be admired and emulated today. Hailed as one of the greatest references of contemporary style, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy (7 January 1966 - 16 July 1999) possessed an innate gift for looking impeccable and always appearing elegant. As a publicist for Calvin Klein, another 90s fashion icon, she rose to fame through her relationship with John F. Kennedy Jr. Photographs of her personal style quickly became a regular feature in the leading magazines of the time.
Today, thanks to the return of 90s minimalism, her figure has re-emerged as an influence on brands such as The Row, TOTEME, Jil Sander, and many others. Her famous simple and elegant style deserves its own space as a source of inspiration. We explore the key elements of her aesthetic:
A Sense of Minimalism and Sobriety
Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy was the personification of elegance, even before her rise to fame. After graduating from Boston University, she began working at the Calvin Klein store in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Her personal style led Susan Sokol, an executive at CK, to recommend her for a role as a publicist for the brand. Not long after, she was in charge of organising the house’s fashion shows. However, it wasn’t until 1994 that she made her media debut as the partner of J.F. Kennedy Jr. 
Her particular approach to fashion avoided any excess or ostentation, focusing on clean lines, elegant silhouettes, and a neutral colour palette. Whether casual or slightly more formal, her look aligned perfectly with the image created by brands like Jil Sander or Calvin Klein at the time.
Bessette-Kennedy preferred classic tones such as white, black, beige, and navy blue. The result was a sophisticated appearance and a timeless look.
A Contemporary Fashion Icon
A key aspect of Bessette-Kennedy’s style was her preference for high-quality, well-crafted garments. She opted for pieces that combined the best craftsmanship with simple design, which allowed her to maintain a selective but versatile wardrobe. The garments she chose, from her blazers to her pencil skirts, were made of luxurious materials like wool, cashmere, and silk, contributing to the longevity and elegance of her wardrobe.
The entire wave of minimalist style reflected the era of political turmoil in the international community. Not coincidentally, after the pandemic, we have seen a return to sobriety and simplicity driven by the search for security and simplicity. Today, as in that time, the keys were simplicity and functionality, all crafted from luxurious, high-quality fabrics to endure both physically and stylistically. Carolyn had a unique talent for combining masculine and feminine pieces in her looks. She could wear a tailored suit with the same elegance as a fitted evening dress. This play of contrasts between the masculine and feminine added a special depth to her style, far from the hyper-femininity of many looks from the previous decade.
Key Pieces in Her Wardrobe
Exhaustively compiled by hundreds of outlets and digital media, Carolyn’s style can be broken down into wardrobe staples combined with an air of elegance and simplicity. Carolyn has inspired women from generations who never even saw her alive, becoming an eternal fashion icon. 
The white shirt and the little black dress were two classics of her style. The silhouettes of these garments were fitted, but not overly so, creating more relaxed shapes and volumes. Both her formal and informal looks were centred around simplicity, elegance, and comfort. Even the absence of jewellery, or the presence of very discreet pieces, was an essential part of her statement. In her daily life, accessories like simple oval sunglasses and ludicrously capacious bags (trendy silhouettes today), even for parties, her choices were simple elements like clutches or small handbags with minimal embellishments. Nowadays, we can imagine her with The Row’s Envelope bag for evening and Margaux during the day.
Carolyn’s accessories were classic pieces like pearl earrings, thin gold chains, and watches. This minimalist filter also extended to her makeup, which was natural and understated, aiming to highlight her natural beauty rather than conceal it.
Her Style in Brands
Brands like TOTEME, The Row, Jil Sander, Bottega Veneta, Prada, and even Jacquemus perfectly represent her fashion preferences. All these brands are key in the current resurgence of minimalist and conceptual style. And probably all of them, to a greater or lesser extent, have been influenced by Bessette-Kennedy’s style.
