00:00Thanks to FX's love story John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, one of the ultimate 90s
00:05style icons is back in the spotlight. Carolyn Bessette Kennedy became an overnight star when
00:10she began dating JFK Jr. in 1994. The pair married in an intimate Georgia ceremony two years later,
00:16with the bride wearing a simple white silk slip dress designed by her good friend Narciso Rodriguez.
00:22And 25 years after the couple's tragic death in a plane crash, CBK's minimalist fashion legacy lives
00:27on. In today's episode of Currently Trending, we're taking a closer look at her signature style.
00:37When Carolyn met her future husband, she was working as a publicist for Calvin Klein,
00:41whose clean-lined clothes are as classic as they come. Here, the pair are seen at a 1992 fundraiser,
00:46with Carolyn wearing a little black dress designed by Calvin himself. Calvin Klein was far from the
00:52only designer in Carolyn's mostly monochromatic closet, however. She was a major Prada fan who
00:57amassed an extensive collection of chic pieces from the Italian luxury brand. She was often spotted
01:03carrying her glossy Spazzolato tote, which she alternated with her overstuffed, well-loved Birkin
01:08bag. She was also fond of Yoji Yamamoto's avant-garde designs, like the long, ruffled black skirt she
01:13paired with a crisp white shirt for a 1999 Whitney Museum gala, or the sculptural two-tone jacket she
01:19selected for an awards ceremony hosted by JFK Jr.'s political magazine, George, that same year.
01:25But make no mistake, CBK wasn't a label lover. In fact, she once famously asked Prada staffers to
01:31remove a prominent logo from a ski suit she'd just purchased. She also adored a good pair of jeans,
01:37Levi's 517s, to be precise. The men's bootcut style was the fashion icon's favorite,
01:42and unlike so much of what Carolyn wore, they're still shoppable to this day. Fans of CBK's style can
01:49also still scoop up her signature tortoiseshell headbands, made by Charles Waba, and her go-to
01:54sunglasses, the oval-shaped Aldo from Salima Optique. Less accessible, but no less iconic,
02:00was Carolyn's engagement ring, a sapphire and diamond eternity band inspired by former First Lady
02:05Jackie Kennedy's so-called swimming ring. Carolyn never met her mother-in-law, who died before the
02:10couple's engagement in 1994, making the ring's story particularly poignant. Her influence, especially
02:17with the rise of the quiet luxury trend, has influenced so many women. I feel she invented
02:22quiet luxury, vintage expert Janet Mendel told Page Six Style of CBK. For many fashion enthusiasts,
02:28she has become a perennial reference for clean, understated dressing. For more on Carolyn Bessette
02:33Kennedy's enduring influence, head to Page Six Style.
Comments