Carolyn Bessette Kennedy has become a fashion icon to a whole new generation of young women, almost three decades after her untimely death, aged 33, thanks to the new hit drama Love Story. This is a limited 2026 TV series streaming on Disney +, dramatising the romance and tragic deaths of John F Kennedy Jr and the beautiful Carolyn Bessette.
Now, fans (like me) can recreate her effortlessly chic and minimalist style from none other than M&S.
While Carolyn loved Prada clothes, carried a Birkin and worked as a publicist for Calvin Klein, those with more modest budgets can emulate her ‘quiet luxury’ wardrobe with a £26 white shirt and a £20 black tote bag from the high street giant.
Branded the ’90s Edit’, the capsule collection is marketed as a ‘nostalgic and wearable’ collection that signals a ‘renewed appreciation for the enduring appeal of 90s style’.
Campaign shots featuring a willowy blonde model appear to replicate some of the most famous snatched photos of Carolyn strolling through the streets of New York in her signature camel coat, loafers and a black headband.
She’s accompanied in some images by a male model, holding her hand or pushing a bike – perhaps a nod to ‘America’s Prince’, John F Kennedy Jr , the other half of New York’s ultimate “It” couple of the 1990s.
Standout pieces include a Pure Cotton Girlfriend Shirt. Carolyn famously elevated a white shirt into evening wear when she paired it with a floor-skimming tiered skirt for a black-tie gala at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
The high street hero has also recreated Carolyn’s denim collection including a kick flare, cropped style, as well as bootcut jeans that retail for £38 and £26 respectively.
Carolyn’s fondness for classic outerwear is well-documented, and M&S’s new collection comes equipped with a lightweight, camel-coloured car coat for £70 – currently the brand’s number one bestseller.
Finally, there’s a spin on some of Carolyn’s favourite accessories – including cat eye sunglasses and headbands – to round off the collection.
Sarah Pidgeon’s portrayal of Carolyn has sparked a wave of copycat looks across the high street, with Uniqlo and Massimo Dutti also promoting their own edits.
Carolyn’s glittering life came to an end in July 1999, in a plane crash that also killed her husband JFK Jr and her sister Lauren.
Pure Cotton Girlfriend Shirt £26
High Waisted Kickflare Cropped Jeans £38
