Chances are when you think of American style icons, you think of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. Her minimalist, effortlessly chic style is as relevant today as ever. The beauty of her style is how timeless and simple it all is. The perfectly tailored coat, heeled black boots, a crisp white shirt. These are classics that she wore over and over again, and you can wear them too.
My all-time favorite Carolyn look is her artfully unbuttoned white shirt tucked into a long black skirt. You need a slimmer cut shirt, like J.Crew’s Garçon poplin, but Anine Bing’s menswear-inspired Mika shirt is perfect for kicking around during the day. It’s elegant and cutting-edge at the same time, and you can wear your pieces separately to great effect. Veronica Beard’s silk-charmeuse black skirt wears with a blazer or your favorite sweater.
Carolyn Bessette’s casual street style is just as good as her red carpet looks. I love the dark indigo jeans she was often wearing, with some kind of boyfriend-y slouch or a perfectly cropped leg. COS’s column jeans gives you the look, as do & Other Stories’s slightly slimmer cut pair.
Whether she was wearing pants or a pencil skirt, she was usually rocking a tall black boot with them. I love these Aeyde square-toed pair, which resemble her beloved Pradas. A classic pair of black slingback gives you the same understated vibe.
There’s also one very fabulous picture of Carolyn in a leopard print coat, proving my theory that leopard is indeed a neutral. This Donna Sayer coat looks especially CBK-esque when you pair it with minimal pieces to let it shine. Don’t forget a tortoise shell headband to tame any flyaways from your ponytail, and a red lipstick to reapply on the go.
Shop the rest of our Carolyn Bessette Kennedy inspired edit below:
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