“Love Story,” Ryan Murphy’s new FX and Hulu limited series chronicling the turbulent romance between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, has sparked a full-blown renaissance of the leading lady’s minimalistic, chic style.
The former Calvin Klein publicist-turned-reluctant style icon (who died at 33, along with her husband and sister, in a tragic 1999 plane crash) secured her place in fashion history for her staple-forward rotation of crisp white button-downs, Levi’s 517 bootcut jeans, tortoiseshell headbands, and custom-made Prada coats.
Since the series premiered on Feb. 12 with actress Sarah Pidgeon playing the luxe trendsetter, young fashionistas have become obsessed with emulating Bessette’s cool-girl style.
“The show has helped introduce Carolyn and her chic style to an entirely new generation who are eager to embrace her timeless look,” Christina L., a 31-year-old Chelsea resident, told The Post. “She’s proof that you don’t have to follow trends to look fashionable.”
The hashtag “cbk” is trending on social media with a combined 278,000 posts on both Instagram and TikTok, featuring stylish young women in their Bessette Kennedy-inspired outfits made up of neutral shades and clean lines.
“CBK wedding ring,” “CBK engagement ring picture” and “CBK wedding dress” are also showing breakout status on Google Trends, indicating a 5,000% or more increase in searches.
“The urge all the girls have today,” styling consultant Jules Fox wrote in text overlay on a TikTok video featuring Fox in a fitted black long-sleeve tee, a tortoiseshell headband, tailored jeans and sleek sunglasses.
“Started watching Love Story so prepare for my new personality trait,” posted @sofiamiceli in another TikTok video, featuring a nearly identical outfit.
“She is such an inspiration! Can we please bring the simplicity back?” another said.
CBK’s signature headband has particularly become a hot-ticket item for those wanting to channel their inner Besette-Kennedy.
Luckily for New York City fashionistas, the exact $36, ¾-inch tortoiseshell headband by French hair accessory brand Charles J. Wahbaworn that the style icon wore throughout the 1990s can be found at C.O. Bigelow pharmacy in the West Village 4 (14 Sixth Ave.) — and they’ve been flying off shelves, even before the show aired.
“The headbands are definitely worth the hype,” makeup artist and beauty mogul Olivia Barad told The Post. “They feel extremely high quality and come in many different widths and colors.”
While a surge of fashionable women have done their best to replicate the CBK look, some are bemoaning that they can’t quite capture her thrown-together, effortless appeal.
“Was trying to give Carolyn Bessette core but failed,” posted TikTok user Nina Vukojevic over a video of herself sliding on a version of the iconic headband.
“Struggling to achieve that chic Carolyn Bessette look with my hair,” Vukojevic wrote in the caption. “I picked up this headband thinking it would elevate my style, but it just didn’t work out as planned…It’s tough when you want to embody that minimal style and fashion essence but feel like you miss the mark.”
Experts like Liz Teich, a Big Apple stylist, pointed out that the key to emulating CBK’s classic style is to prioritize the quality of the pieces.
“If you want to look like Carolyn Bessette Kennedy but don’t really have her look or her budget, start with quality, minimalist basics,” Teich said in a recent video advising how to capture the look.
“You don’t need to get a lot of jewelry — just a classic watch,” she continued. “Minimalist strappy sandals with a comfortable heel will do (and) oval-shaped sunglasses. Keep the hair, makeup unfussy and minimal for daytime, and carry a bag that doesn’t have large logos that holds a lot.”
Style expert Sandra Okerulu agrees, warning that replicating CBK’s look cannot be forced.
“Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s style was iconic because of how truly effortless it was,” Okerulu told The Post. “Much of her aesthetic was rooted in expert tailoring and her specific choice of fabrics … Everything just seemed to exist perfectly together. Her style offered such a clean junction between high-end and low-end pieces, creating a look that remains timeless.”
And it’s not just Bessette Kennedy’s style that fans can’t get enough of.
Google searches for “Carolyn Bessette Kennedy blond” are up 100%, and women like Teich and Avery Lock Miller are running to their hairstylist, showing pictures of CBK’s buttery blond to in the hopes of achieving the same look.
Miller posted a video of herself showing off her CBK-inspired ‘do, writing: “getting blond highlights, but in a carolyn bessette-kennedy kind way.”
Mariel Therese, a hair color specialist at Fourteenjay in Tribeca, isn’t surprised that his blond shade is coming back into the beauty world.
“Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s hair color is truly iconic,” Therese told The Post. “It’s a clean, bright, buttery blond that feels effortless yet refined. A sunny, warmer blond like hers is always in fashion because it instantly elevates your look.”
Female fans of the show are also trying to get the men in their lives to dress more like the late former president’s son.
“The Carolyn Bessette Effect. Transforming my husband’s style into JFK Jr. from ‘Love Story’ and I’m obsessed!!!!” a content creator captioned a social media video in which she’s shown giving her husband various Kennedy-like clothes for him to try on.
“Turning my boyfriend into JFK Jr,” a similar video echoed.
Even the men are in on the Kennedy-style renaissance, trying to capture the hunk’s laid-back prep boy look.
“Live update from the east village: the jfk jr. effect,” text overlay on a TikTok video read, showing men in a crowded bar wearing Kennedy-esque backwards hats and button-down shirts.
