Look of the Week: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and the heightened stakes of costume design
A tortoise shell headband and kick-flare jeans are among the key elements of Bessette-Kennedy's signature look.
By Leah Dolan, CNN
(CNN) — The “wrong” shade of blonde; a deflated, empty Birkin bag; and a camel coat so stiff it looks “like a brick,” according to one Substack writer. These are the main complaints of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy fans, who this week jumped to the defense of the late fashion publicist, whose memorable style many considered was being inaccurately portrayed in Ryan Murphy’s latest biopic.
On Saturday, Murphy, the TV producer and creator of “Glee,” and “Pose,” shared a first look at the upcoming drama, “American Love Story,” which chronicles the tumultuous relationship and untimely demise of Bessette-Kennedy and her husband John F. Kennedy Jr. (played by Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Kelly).
A “fashion travesty” is what one user commented underneath the Instagram post teasing the images, noting that “Carolyn would never put these looks together. The fabrics are shoddy. Drape all wrong.” Indeed, in Murphy’s lighting test shots, the trusty, well-worn black Hermès Birkin bag that Bessette-Kennedy was often photographed carrying looked box-fresh, rigid and flat. Her camel coat appeared waxy and poorly tailored — something, commenters pointed out, went against everything the fashion titan stood for.
Others also pointed out that Pidgeon’s hair was incorrectly colored, washing her out and making her look ashy. Even Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s original hair colorist, Brad Johns, joined the conversation. “No one would believe that Carolyn in the ’90s would ever have that color from me. It’s too 2024,” he told Vogue. “When she sees that color, she’s going to be swirling in heaven.”
At first glance, the internet’s visceral reaction to a piece of streaming entertainment may appear outsized. But it also reveals a new, intense standard which biopic costume designers are expected to adhere to, and the depths of public emotions that remain for Bessette-Kennedy even 25 years after her death.
‘The wardrobe is a main character in this story’
Bessette-Kennedy’s journey from the Calvin Klein public relations department to becoming in-laws with then-US first lady Jackie Kennedy has captivated public interest for years. But her legacy extends far beyond the Kennedy surname, thanks to her strong visual identity and knack for sleek, casual dressing.
In 2017, Gabriela Hearst told Vanity Fair that Bessette-Kennedy had an “inner elegance” and was “not of this earth, in a way.” Sotheby’s, which auctioned off a series of Bessette-Kennedy’s personal pieces (which included clothing from Yohji Yamamoto and Prada) for a total of $177,600 in 2024, called her “the closest thing America ever had to their own Princess Diana.”
As reverence for Bessette-Kennedy endures, it is perhaps unsurprising that any on-screen portrayal of the style icon would be subject to extreme scrutiny. Only two actors have dared take on the role before: Portia de Rossi in 2003 for the TV movie “America’s Prince: The John F. Kennedy Jr. Story,” and Erica Cox, who in 2017 briefly appeared in the four-episode mini-series “The Kennedys: After Camelot.”
Today, the stakes for Murphy’s project — perhaps the most mainstream example, set to premiere on Hulu in 2026 — seem higher, as interest in Bessette-Kennedy has not only maintained since 1999, but mounted further. From recent books dedicated to her enviable dress sense and the details of her marriage to JFK Jr. to the Instagram accounts with thousands of followers dissecting her aesthetic, Murphy’s new film has the potential to capitalize on a new wave of CBK adoration. However, the downside of more fans means more opinions.
In the age of biopics — more than 20 were released in 2023 alone, and another 10 in the works currently — a passing likeness to the public figure in question will not suffice. In 2018, Gary Oldman spent more than 200 hours in the hair and makeup chair, weathering heavy prosthetics that added over half his body weight to accurately portray Winston Churchill. Part of Lily James’s transformation when starring in the controversial “Pam and Tommy” 2022 Hulu series was a fake forehead and custom-made dentures.
In the fashion department, costumes are expected to be original items. Marisa Abela wore a cardigan and Pink Ladies varsity jacket that belonged to Amy Winehouse for the 2024 film on the late singer-songwriter. And when struggling to access Bob Dylan’s personal wardrobe for “A Complete Unknown” (a fictionalized account of the musician’s life), the film’s costume designer Arianne Phillips partnered with denim specialist Levi’s to recreate an exact bespoke pair of the same Super Slims silhouette that Dylan wore.
This high standard of character embodiment has given audiences a discerning eye, where even the slightest perceived inaccuracies are considered irredeemable. In the case of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, it feels particularly egregious because “the wardrobe is a main character in this story,” as one disgruntled stylist wrote under Murphy’s post. “This breaks my heart.”
Perhaps the pain also runs deep because fashion enthusiasts understand the importance of clothes as a medium to express one’s identity to the wider world — and the strife of making sure you feel like yourself every day. Not only did Bessette-Kennedy seem to have mastered that difficult task; she also embodied the minimalist style of the decade while simultaneously being ahead of her time. Little wonder she has remained a mood board fixture for designers and editors alike. To sully that legacy seems like sartorial sacrilege.
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