The true story behind the mysterious and tragic American icon

She’s also the subject of a new nine-part drama from Ryan Murphy, creator of American Horror Story and American Crime Story. The first season of his latest series, Love Story, revolves around the engagement and marriage of Caroline and John F. Kennedy Jr., the son of the former president and his wife, Jackie. The show has already sparked controversy. Jack Schlossberg, nephew of the late John F. Kennedy Jr., criticized Murphy for “profiting” from his uncle’s story.

Subtle simplicity

Bessette fans were furious online over some test shots of actress Sarah Pidgeon as Caroline, and what they insisted was the wrong hair color (Caroline wore her hair in what her hairstylist described as “buttery blonde”), wrong accessories, wrong shoes, wrong everything. Author of CBK: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy: A Life in Fashion for 2023, Sunita Kumar Nair writes of her style: “Her mastery lies in the simplicity of her clothes: a collection of carefully considered separates, meticulously fitted in a strict range of tonal colours.” Crisp white T-shirts, loafers, acetate sunglasses, tortoiseshell headbands, Levi’s 517s and long black coats were among her staples. She was also associated with high-end brands like Yohji Yamamoto, Ralph Lauren, Prada, and of course, Calvin Klein.

Journalist Liz MacNeill, co-author of the 2024 book JFK Jr: An Intimate Oral Biography, tells the BBC: “Even now, almost 27 years later, Caroline makes it seem like everyone is trying too hard. There was something about her that seemed like she wasn’t trying to be anything other than herself. She had an amazing eye for lines and little touches that were hers alone, like the gold mesh evening bag with the white button-down and the long one.” The black fishtail skirt was incredibly gorgeous, it had an aesthetic all its own.

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However, her style has evolved over the years. One photo from the show that caused a lot of outrage was of Pidgeon while Caroline was wearing Converse. Instagram users insisted she wouldn’t have worn the iconic high-top sneakers, but she actually did. She has been dressing casually before being in the public eye. Sometimes she preferred sweatpants. She was a natural brunette, and would let her hair air-dry on the subway, giving it a tousled look. A friend described her as “more like a tomboy.”