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?

Why not? That’s so weird. I mean, it’s kind of a boring story. It’s not like I’m Kate Moss or something. I was a Ford model in the 90s. I was Calvin Klein’s fit model (one of several, nothing special), CBK was his PA and dealt with all the models and bookings. She also booked me in for shoots with Kelly Klein, Calvin’s wife. I worked closely with Carolyn during my time working with Calvin and Kelly. We (Carolyn and I) would hang out and chat during breaks. She told me to quit smoking. It ruins skin. Good advice and I followed it. End of.

I believed you until that but she smoked .. well known fact and there are photos of her smoking too

Hmmm, I think when you are tall, blond and slim, married to a very famous handsome man the media will photograph and magazines will buy the photos. Some people are natually photogenic, and she was one of them.

She had access to all the right clothing, but I don't think her style necessarily stood out, but she wore classics with ease and grace. The fact that she died in 1999 and all her fashion choices still look elegant show that she was not a slave to trends or fads.

I don’t know what to say really. That’s a tidbit of advice she gave me. Lots of smokers will tell you not to smoke. Lots of drinkers will tell you not to drink. I mean, what can I say? I never saw her smoke during my time working with Calvin Klein. Feel free to doubt me. It’s a lifetime ago. And it’s so sad that hers was a life cut short. That was a terribly tragic event. Really, it was like a light went out. Anyway, I will now exit the thread because our conversation on the side is kinda ruining a good one.

I once worked with someone whose previous career had been in model management.

She told us Kate Moss wasn't outstanding to look at in real life but the camera just adored her.

I've seen Kate Moss in real life quite a bit as she was often in the office. She is pretty in real life and you do notice her. But she is extraordinary on camera.

I lived and worked in Manhattan in the 90’s and studied CBK’s look. As a follower, her style and shape worked well on me at a time it was cute to look like Monica Geller in the ubiquitous floral strap dress, white tee, pastel cardi, tennis shoes. I also loved Kate Moss’s look, but just couldn’t pull it off at 5”10. I wore black cigarette pants, a white shirt and black kitten sling backs to work yesterday!

CBK seemed very like her MIL to me. Not exactly beautiful, but with tonnes of charisma and a knack of working with designers that would give her access to fabrics and tailoring that fell well on her form.

The Radziwill book is heartbreaking and really shows the couple as real people.

To a large extent it's true that British and American style sensibilities don't align. Fashions differ too. British colours and patterns tend to be louder or gaudier, imo.

She’s a woman in jeans and a jumper.

But you don’t understand no one thought of wearing a jumper and jeans before CBK, it was unheard of , and those who dared were either influenced by her or didn’t look like her cause no one looks like that in real life. 😑

Just like nobody wore capri pants and ballerina shoes before Audrey Hepburn. Nobody wore wellies and a Barbour before Alexa Cheung, nobody wore a twinset before Grace Kelly, ...

This thread is so odd! 😆

in the Faily Fail today 'Kate Moss puts on a leggy display ...'. She's wearing a dress that is almost to her knees.
(I was looking for an iconic KM outfit. Jeans tucked in her boots, perhaps? Nobody had ever done that.)

Just jeans & boots 😆

Aren’t they always. I believe the internet calls it ‘bean soup theory’.

I’m a CBK fan. I always assumed her style icon status was because she looked amazing, but in a very attainable and practical way. Of course that isn’t really true once you really look at it, but at first glance: I could do that, with things I can buy. However, if the building blocks are really understated then every last detail from fit to grooming to accessories has to be spot on. A foot wrong and it is just jeans and a jumper.

I understand that not everyone enjoys a more relaxed, pared back look, but there’s more than one way to be stylish. A more eclectic and daring style is wonderful too (although I think anything requiring an instruction manual to correctly put it on would finish me off) but I find far more that I can admire and take inspiration from in a woman who looks amazing in the sort of clothes I understand and can imagine myself wearing.

although I think anything requiring an instruction manual to correctly put it on would finish me off
I bought a Buff about 20 years ago... does that count?

Classic Principal boy look - cue for some thigh slapping ..

I'd never heard the phrase 'bean soup theory' so I googled it and my word, it describes so much Mumsnet interaction.

I'd never heard of Carolyn BK but I can see she showcases (perhaps spearheaded?) a very specific look. It is not about wearing an amazing outfit people comment on, it is about having a locked-in style that influences the zeitgeist. Kate Moss very much did that in the heyday of 90s cool Britainnia, so I can see how C BK could have been a US equivalent. I have very much enjoyed the anecdotes on this thread.

I have never heard it either & you are right MNs thrives of it 😆😆

I am going to use it all the time now. Thanks @Tinymrscollings

Understated elegance because she had nothing to prove . She married into American Royalty. JFK JR was as famous then as Prince Charles was when single and thoughts of who he would marry were constant features in the press. He went about NYC without any minders as did his mother . Real stylish NYers did then . JFK JR was extremely handsome like his father but certainly lacked his intellect . Carolyn was the one who married down. He had no business flying that aircraft that night and the parents of Carolyn and her sister are the ones who suffered a huge loss.

Carolyn was a very striking woman. Sarah Harris (British Vogue) is similar in looks and style, I think. They both have this almost 'otherworldly' look that allows them to carry off outfits that would otherwise appear rather ordinary or even dull on anyone else.

I got married three weeks before Carolyn in 1996 and went for simplicity. Nowhere near as elegant, but I liked the dress and I still have it.

You look lovely @ilovecardigans .

Sarah Harris (British Vogue) is similar in looks and style not getting it, but I was probably put off by a photo of her with a french tuck.

You look amazing @ilovecardigans