Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy a style icon?

[narniabusiness]

Recently I’ve seen a lot of references to Carolyn B-K as a style icon and I’m not sure that I fully understand the love. For those who are unfamiliar with her she worked for Calvin Klein, married a Kennedy and died tragically young.
Since the Kennedys seem to be the American equivalent of our Royal family, is it that the gives her a touch of glamour? Especially when combined with her tragic death, like Princess Diana?
Or is it that she really did look more stylish than her contemporaries? Does her frequent referencing in style guides mean that minimalism is having a moment?
Anyone else noticed these frequent references to her style and do you like it or think its unremarkable?

Apparently the cast was removed the day before the crash. Funny, my initial googles did not come up with anyway, but googling 'JFK Jnr's broken leg' came up with plenty of reports.

It's all very sad.

When you say she looked a bit unfinished … then I think that is the lesson, the French have a saying “a little bit imperfect” and I think that’s true … something just slightly off actually makes a person, the person wears the clothing, not the other way round.

She was absolutely stunning.

I’m watching Love Story now, it makes me really wish I could have been a young adult in 90s NYC. ♥️

She is certainly having a big impact today almost 30 years after her death. I think a huge part of why she’s considered a style icon is she was tall, thin and blonde with an interesting face and gorgeous smile. Not necessarily the most beautiful in the room but she had something that made you look twice.

She also wore black clothing the majority of the time, especially for evening wear. Simple, well cut black clothing is always considered stylish as it never comes in and out of fashion.

I also think it’s what she didn’t have which contributed to her style - no tattoos, no multiple piercings, no Botox/fillers, simple hair and make up and minimal jewellery.

I think if you replaced her white blonde hair with a brunette bob no one would have looked twice at her . I don’t think she had a beautiful face but she absolutely made the best of herself . I think she’s someone who automatically had an aura about her because she was married to a Kennedy , a very handsome Kennedy and who doesn’t love a good looking couple . I also wonder if dying young catapults some people into icons , Diana POW, falls into this category aswell .

She was very thin and tall with blonde hair. She would have looked great wearing a bin bag.
Such a shame how her life ended.

Sorry, but I think her wedding dress was ugly, so plain and boring.

I don’t see it as iconic, just a horrible boring dress, even now I hate fitted wedding dresses, give me a full skirted dress any day!

@Lavenderandbrownposts “….. I often wonder about her parents. To lose both daughters Carolyn and Lauren in the plane crash……”
It must have been horrific for the family, her parents and for Lauren’s twin, Lisa Ann.
Horrific too for Caroline Kennedy losing her only brother. She has suffered great loss recently too with the death of her daughter Tatiana.

I thought her dress was the most beautiful one I’ve seen. Hated the gloves, but the dress was utter perfection and hasn’t aged a day.

I got married the year before them, and I also wore a sleeveless silk slip dress, so I’m biased!

She would have looked great in any style of wedding dress because she was thin.
Most brides would look awful in that style of dress.
Its not my favourite celebrity dress by any stretch, but each to their own.

She was definitely known in the UK, I was 23 when she died and remember her being constantly in all the magazines in the late 90s. So sad how she died and so young. Hard to believe it is almost 27 years ago.

I loved her style. I dress similarly in 2026 . It’s the perfect low-maintenance, tall girl style.

Am a huge fan of early Prada, as was CBK. We even had the same shoes! - see the image earlier on this thread where she is wearing in the picture of her with their dog (and she's swearing a black sleeveless turtleneck and kick flare jeans. Another poster said they're Gucci, they're not, they are Prada (as are the knee high caramel boots she's wearing in another picture).

I was an avid reader of W Magazine back then, and her style was cool Manhattan, at least to my mind. I love the simplicity of her outfits - a great coat, a good handbag - all things that looked like she has just thrown them on, but each piece had been carefully considered. Whereas Kate Moss looked cool, CBK to my eye was considered rather than stylish. She knew what suited her, yes, but she also had a particular frame of reference for her personal style. And that's the one thing that I hope we can agree one, CBK had a very definite idea of her persona style, something many celebrities/people in the public eye do not have, even when working with stylists and designers. One could go out in any of the pieces of clothing and/or accessories CBK was photographed wearing today and be considered current.

For many, yes, CBK is an absolute style icon, but for others, no, not at all. Am not surprised that many have never heard of her, but as this thread testifies, many of us did.