To understand Jackie Kennedy fashion style better, I think the best way is to understand who she was and the cultural background at that time first. So, I bring you some fun facts about Jackie Kennedy, particularly related to her fashion, which you may find interesting…
She Was A Fashion Leader As A First Lady
People usually follow the fashion style of pop stars, actors, and actresses like Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, etc. Jackie Kennedy was unusual. She was the first lady, a woman who had an outstanding achievement in the political field. Moreover, she was different from other first ladies who dressed conservatively and tediously. She was young and refreshing.
She wore outfits strategically. When I learned about her fashion, I felt she was very smart. She knew how to dress in public and create a good image. For example, she often wore colorful clothes with simple designs. The bright colors made her stand out in the crowd, and the simple designs made her look classy. Some other first ladies may also wear like that, but does anybody dress better than Jackie Kennedy? I don’t think so. As a first lady, she was very sophisticated and powerful.
During her time in the White House, she restored the White House and made it beautiful like a museum with professional assistance. We can see that she had brilliant taste not only in fashion but also in art and aesthetics.
If you ask who is the first lady who is most stylish and most influential in the fashion world, Jackie Kennedy will definitely appear on the list. (Probably on top) Because of her fashion style and her contribution to the country, she is still one of the most popular and beloved first ladies in US history.
She Was More Popular Than The President
John F. Kennedy was popular. But guess what? Jackie Kennedy was even more popular than her husband. She was young and beautiful, she was fashionable, she was cultured, and she spoke different languages. She was loved by Americans and people around the world. She was very welcome when she visited foreign countries as a first lady.
Especially when visiting France, she stole French people’s hearts because she was fluent in French and had a deep understanding of French culture and history. Here is the famous quote John F. Kennedy said humorously:
“I am the man who accompanied Jacqueline Kennedy to Paris, and I have enjoyed it.”
John F. Kennedy
You can tell from this quote that people cared more about Jackie Kennedy than President John F. Kennedy. Not only the public but also the international dignitaries. When a photographer asked Nikita Khrushchev (the former leader of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union) to shake hands with President Kennedy for a picture, he said: “I’d like to shake her hand first”. (Her means Jackie Kennedy.) You see how powerful she was? Those little stories are just the tip of the iceberg that shows how much people were attracted to Jackie Kennedy.
Because of her popularity, Jackie Kennedy helped her husband’s political career tremendously. You see, fashion is not less important than politics. If you have good taste in fashion, people tend to love you more even if you’re a politician. And dressing well is one of the good (or essential) strategies for politicians to let people focus on them.
She Was The Fashion Icon of The 1960s
When it comes to 60s fashion, Jackie Kennedy will never be absent, undoubtedly. Why? Here are some of the reasons:
- She was famous because she was the first lady. Plus, she was the wife of the youngest US President elected who was from the Kennedy family, one of the most well-known families in the US.
- She was young, beautiful, elegant, and she dressed extraordinarily well. She became the first lady at the age of 31 and was the youngest first lady in the US since the 20th century except for Margaret Wilson.
- She had a great image to the public. Besides her appearance, her contribution to the country was also admirable. Jackie Kennedy was the “ideal woman” that the women at that time wanted to be like. There is a principle that never changes: To be a fashion icon, you have to be likable and desirable.
- Before she became the first lady (1961 – 1963), television was growing. The number of televisions in American homes grew from 6,000 to about 12 million in the 1940s to early 1950s. By 1955, half of American homes had a television and the number kept growing after that. The growth of television helped her become even more famous and popular. Especially, people watched the tragic news of the assassination of President Kennedy on television. It was such a huge and dramatic event that made the public pay attention to the deceased President and his wife: Jacqueline Kennedy.
- There are tons of evidence that she was the fashion icon of the 1960s such as countless photos of her fashion looks and books, magazines, and blog posts about her fashion style, not to mention the honors and titles she was given by authoritative magazines.
Now you know she was meant to be the fashion icon of the 1960s! She popularized skirt suits, shift dresses, pillbox hats (of course!), and other stuff in the early 1960s. Since the late 1960s, when she was no longer the first lady, she spread the “Jackie O Look” which featured oversized sunglasses, scarves, Gucci bags, etc. And I will talk about them in detail later in this post…
She Was The Icon of Preppy Fashion
She was a true preppy. She grew up in a wealthy family, went to top private prep schools and colleges, and loved horse riding. Although preppy fashion has evolved over time and looks a little bit different from the past, I believe Jackie Kennedy played an important role in defining and popularizing preppy fashion. For example, she often wore shift dresses and pearl jewelry, and they are considered the essentials of preppy style.
She Loved French Designers and Brands
It is not a surprise that Jackie Kennedy loved French designers and brands when you get to know who she was. She was so connected with French culture and she was a genuine Francophile. Here are some examples:
- Her maiden name was Bouvier, which is a French-origin surname.
- She was 1/8 French.
- She studied abroad in France during her junior year. She said, “I loved it more than any other year of my life.”
- She had a French literature degree. She was good at speaking French and other languages.
- She had a French poodle called Gaullie, which was named after the former French President Charles de Gaulle.
- Her principal fashion designer during her time in the White House: Oleg Cassini was a French-born American. Many of his designs for Jackie Kennedy were inspired by French designs.
- She loved French clothing brands such as Chanel, Balenciaga, Dior, and Givenchy. So her style as a first lady was very similar to the clothing from those brands at the time.
It is very likely that growing up in a wealthy family, being a preppy, and her experience in France formed the Jackie Kennedy fashion style.
She Had A Secretary of Style: Oleg Cassini
Oleg Cassini was a French-born American fashion designer. He was a costume designer at Paramount Pictures and he made costumes for Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, and other Hollywood stars.
In 1960, Jackie Kennedy appointed Oleg Cassini as her exclusive couturier (also known as her “Secretary of Style”). From 1961 to 1963, Jackie Kennedy and Oleg Cassini collaborated: She gave him ideas and he designed over 300 outfits for her. They worked well together and created the iconic “Jackie Look” that will never be forgotten in fashion history.
The relationship between Jackie Kennedy and Oleg Cassini reminds me of the relationship between Audrey Hepburn and Givenchy. When a fashion designer and a fashion icon collaborate perfectly, they create a legend.
If you want to learn more about the story of Jackie Kennedy and Oleg Cassini, I recommend you to read a book written by Oleg Cassini: A Thousand Days of Magic: Dressing Jacqueline Kennedy for the White House
This book is about Oleg Cassini’s memoirs during the time he was Jackie Kennedy’s secretary of style for about 1000 days. You will also see Oleg Cassini’s original sketches and a great number of photos of Jackie Kennedy as the first lady in this book.
Besides, you can visit the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum to learn about who Oleg Cassini was and see his clothing designs. There are many pictures and descriptions for you to check out, which are super useful and helpful!
This post is not completed yet. There is so much more I want to talk about Jackie Kennedy fashion style and I will keep updating this post little by little…