At Princeton, there doesn’t need to be a special occasion to dress up. Wearing pieces from Ralph Lauren button-ups to thick knit sweaters on a random Monday, Princeton students’ prep and prestige in clothing don’t fall far from presidential fashion taste.
In mid-February, Hulu released a limited series titled “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.” Depicting the romance between the two iconic 90s figures, played by Paul Anthony Kelly and Sarah Pidgeon, the show immediately took the world by storm. As an avid TV watcher and fashion enthusiast, I was instantly compelled to watch the show while browsing Hulu, especially after seeing a wave of TikTok videos from Princeton students raving about how hooked they were. Despite it being midterm season when the show was released, students still kept up with its weekly Thursday episodes, pausing their problem sets and exam prep to invest in the drama-infused series.
In an interview with The Daily Princetonian, Jillian Vacha ’28 said, “[I am a] huge fan of biographies, so any media that is inspired by people’s lives is something [I] find cool. And the first few episodes are really, really cool because they really captured that 90s, early Hollywood glam.”
Though 90s fashion has long been a driving force in the current fashion space, its influence reached a new level on social media after the show’s release, with people constantly attempting to recreate and embody both the effortless cool of JFK Jr.’s stylish sunglasses, knit sweaters, wool vests, and suits, and Bessette-Kennedy’s simplistic and chic style that featured neutral colors, trench coats, pencil skirts, and slim pants.
On the reemergence of fashion trends, Zoya Jadhav ’28 said, “Through the continuous loop of rediscovery, fashion ensures cultural memories are not only remembered, but also actively worn and lived.”
While people have been inspired by Kennedy Jr.’s outfits, it’s truly Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy who has taken the fashion game by storm. Since the show’s first episode, creators on platforms such as TikTok have put together endless Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy-inspired outfits, leading to the trending hashtag #cbk.
One reason I believe people find Bessette-Kennedy’s look so captivating is its timelessness — with every outfit I’ve seen her pictured in being just as stylish today as it was in the 90s. This season, I’ve seen lots of students on Nassau St. and on campus embodying CBK’s subtle sophistication, wearing trench coats, monochromatic, neutral looks, and minimalist accessories. In such a chaotic modern world, returning to the understated cool and the mythology of these figures and their fashion sense is a way to escape into a romantic past with brownstones, Sade songs, and rollerblade rides in Central Park.
Katelynn Lee ’28 shared similar sentiments, commenting that “90s fashion, seen through the lens of music, media, film, TV of the era, is so iconic.”
“I think it’s easy for people to romanticize the 90s because the great pop culture born during that time feels classic and timeless but also nostalgic,” Lee added.
Lee is a former staff News writer for ‘Prince.’
The best part of the new emphasis on fashion from this time period is that many Bessette-Kennedy-inspired looks can be recreated using pieces already in your wardrobe. Taking a simple monochromatic look and spicing it up with a thick headband, black sunglasses, and a loafer is a simple yet successful method for “CBK-ing” your look and making it more exciting. Now that spring has sprung, I’ve had ample opportunities to experiment with outfits while picnicking on Poe Field with friends or going for a matcha run at Sakrid.
Whether wearing a striped, fitted button-down shirt, a maxi skirt, or slouchy jeans, I love drawing inspiration from Bessette-Kennedy. Furthermore, it’s simple and classy to spice up a seemingly basic outfit with accessories such as sunglasses, my acai-colored Emerson Free People tote, and my silver Repetto ballet flats. Considering how much I love accessories, I can’t wait to make a quick trip to C.O. Bigelow, the historic apothecary in Greenwich Village, where Bessette-Kennedy purchased her iconic tortoise shell headbands and hair accessories.
Despite the limited series’ season finale having aired on March 26, I have no doubt that the Kennedy flair will maintain its influence on Princeton’s campus. With warmer days approaching, I’m sure students will find stylish and refreshing ways to spice up their outfits in true Bessette-Kennedy fashion.
Monica Zepeda is a contributing writer for The Prospect and a member of the Class of 2028. She can be reached at mz9063[at]princeton.edu.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.