First aired on Feb. 12, “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette” has captivated the attention of American audiences. Produced by Ryan Murphy and now airing on Hulu and Disney+, the series focuses on JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s whirlwind New York City love.
Starring Sarah Pidgeon as Bessette and Paul Anthony Kelly as JFK Jr., “Love Story” has gained popularity because of its nostalgic and fashionable portrayal of the passionate 1990s young romance. Pigeon’s depiction of Bessette has especially aroused attention due to her intelligent and poised portrayal.
The costume design and fashion choices for Bessette have received immense praise for their accuracy and ‘chic-ness.’ Taking over costume design after the Internet slammed the previous designer’s hair and wardrobe choices, Rudy Mance— the lead costume designer for series like “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”—jumped into the set and immaculately crafted Bessette’s iconic looks.
Let’s turn to where you can actually shop for Bessette’s classy, business-casual pieces. It’s important to define the parameters of her style. Bessette was known for her neutral color palette, using colors like black, white and tan. She frequently wore minimalist pieces like straight-leg jeans, kitten heels or flats, slip-dresses and white button-down shirts. Bessette never wore jewelry besides her sapphire and diamond eternity band.
Bessette wore several brands, from the luxury fashion brand Prada to the more casual Levi’s Jeans and Calvin Klein, which was where she was working when she first met JFK Jr. Fortunately, nowadays, many brands capture the essence of Bessette’s style.
Reformation is a sustainably-made, delicate yet chic fashion brand that is effortlessly feminine with its flattering silhouettes and cute prints. Many pieces “give” Bessette, but the Vida Low Rise Pant, the Max Slim Tee in white, the Walker Knit Top in black, and the Raya Fitted Silk Shirt in almond all particularly do. Each item is perfect for a capsule closet that can be mixed and matched with any top or bottom.
For a slightly cheaper yet equally elegant option, Mango is another great option. Mango has some great midi-length skirt options, which Bessette was frequently pictured wearing with a button-down shirt or long-sleeve tee. The Suit Pencil Skirt is a great, classy option, while the Midi Satin Skirt is cute for a late-night dinner date.
Truly, any straight-leg style jean would suffice, but as it was a staple in Bessette’s closet, Levi’s would be a great option. From Levi’s, you can find the Wedgie Bootcut Jean, which would be cute in light or dark wash style. If you aren’t into Levi’s, focus on finding a slim-fitting, high-wasted jean with a flare at the bottom. She often paired her jeans with a long black shirt, her iconic black coat and a pair of kitten heels.
Finally, onto shoes! Bessette usually wore black loafers, kitten heels or boots. As she loved Prada, one of the best places to start is there with their Leather Loafers. For something on the more affordable side, try looking at Sam Edelman or ASOS for a wide range of kitten heels. For her iconic knee-high boots, good options would be the Riggs Banana Leather Wide Calf boot from Steve Madden or the Cap-Toe Knee-High Boot from Tory Burch.
As the final episode airs on March 26, America will continue to be enamoured with Bessette’s style and the cinematic portrayal of her beautiful 90s romance with JFK Jr.