The real reason we’ve fallen for Bessette-core
If you thought we’d reached peak Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy style this summer, well think again. The signs are pointing to a Bessette-core fall.
Why? It’s so simple. All the Bessette-Kennedy house codes very easily translate to autumn; the black-and-white 90s minimalism palette, the stovepipe pants and dark denim jeans, long pencil skirts and tall boots, and definitely the ¾ single-breasted coat (think Calvin meets COS – and here’s just the thing*).
The stars are also aligned since I think we’re about to see a deluge of 90s Calvin Klein nostalgia with the in-store arrival of Veronica Leoni’s first Calvin Klein collection. (Let’s not forget that Bessette-Kennedy was a CK publicist and had the brand at her disposal.) Not to mention we’re already entering a seemingly conservative fashion era of inoffensive demure dressing that steers more ‘feminine’ than androgynous, more fitted that oversize. For those on a budget who want to shop, it’s hard to argue with classic-leaning slingbacks, shift dresses, Birkin-esque bags* and Helmut Lang-style acetate hair bands*.
Of course, what made Bessette-Kennedy’s style so of-its-time was the mix. 90s fashion of the Helmut-Calvin-Prada variety riffed off a fine contrast of 60s classics (the aforementioned shift dresses, slingbacks and twinsets) but with a jolie-laide twist.
A serene DKNY suit or dress would be styled on oddball models (Kate Moss! Kristen McMenemy! Kirsten Owens!) by grungy new-school photographers (Teller! Sims! Day!). And on the street, the same understated pieces would be worn in off-kilter colour combinations or teamed with unexpected accessories. With the addition of expensive-but-unfussy-looking hair and minimal make-up apart from a perfectly applied Bobbi Brown red lipstick, the result was raw yet polished. And thus ‘Bessette-core’ becomes an easy shorthand for all these things.
Right now, there’s no shortage of reference materials to get the look. Page through Sunita Nair’s CBK: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy – A Life in Fashion* for mood board fodder. Then browse Julia Rabinowitsch’s (aka The Millennial Decorator) Instagram for her CBK messy flat lays (below). You can even shop the look direct on Bessette (below), an outlet e-tailer specialising in discounted CBK-adjacent brands like Toteme, The Row, Khaite and Metier (with a smattering of COS and Massimo Dutti).
My Bessette-core picks include a sharp-toed slingback* (with white jeans now and dark jeans for autumn), Prada’s midi skirt*, a COS croc-embossed coat* and Nili Lotan’s new line of Birkin-a-like handbags (buy here*).
NOW CLICK BELOW TO SHOP THE POST (I MAY EARN A COMMISSION ON THE BASKET VALUE OF ITEMS BOUGHT*)…
WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: Credit to come; The Millennial Decorator; Bessette
NOTE: Most images are digitally enhanced. Some posts use affiliate links and PR samples. Please read my privacy and cookies policy here
CLICK HERE to get Disneyrollergirl blog posts straight to your inbox once a week
CLICK HERE to buy my book, The New Garconne: How to be a Modern Gentlewoman
CLICK HERE to buy my beauty book, Face Values: The New Beauty Rituals and Skincare
