Style Icon Chronicles: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's Secrets of Minimalism and Style

Dive into the Timeless Elegance of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy!
Join us for an in-depth exploration of the American style icon's life, fashion, and minimalist secrets. In this episode, we chat with Sunita Kumar Nair, author of the latest book on Carolyn, and French model Mathilda Galmot, offering unique perspectives on her global style influence. Unveil the minimalist chic that continues to inspire generations!
Get the BOOK of Sunita here: bit.ly/Carolyn...
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Copyright disclaimer under section 107 of the copyright act 1976 allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticisms, comment, news, reporting, teaching, scholarship and research. Fair use is a permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing, non-profit educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
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Production ►► ParisianVibe
Art Direction ►► ParisianVibe
Sound ►►ParisianVibe
Editing ►► ParisianVibe
Follow Sunita on Instagram ►► / sunitakumarnair
Follow Mathilda on Instagram ►► / mathilda_galmot
Follow ParisianVibe on Instagram ►► / parisianvibe
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#CarolynBessetteKennedy #FashionIcon #QuiteLuxury

[@DIDDYKONG-x3r]

her skin is flawless, her hair is gorgeous, her teeth are amazing and piercing blue eyes, statuesque height. The woman could wear anything and make it look elegant, classy and chic

[@Basic_bee12]

I don't think her style was the decisive factor at all, but her charisma and attitude. She radiated a natural elegance and composure.

[@diopfifi4937]

Very true 👍

[@chloebelle4923]

Absolutely. Her lovely, slim figure and her gorgeous face and golden hair is what made her stand out. Her clothes were well-fitting and high quality for sure, yet it's her beautiful face and long, luxurious hair that caught everyone's eyes, with all the neutral clothes fading into the background, which may have been her goal, come to think of it!

[@unknown-lf6zx]

I used to be told weekly I looked like her. What a compliment! Love her style and so sad they all passed so young 😢

[@cbojorquez]

Carolyn's look was clean and minimalistic yet carefully thought and put together. Her color palette was comprised of no more than three or four colors, her make up was minimal, and she rarely wore any accesories, but every single detail was taken care of. All her clothes fitted perfectly; the trousers always cut to the right lenght; the hemlines exactly where they were supposed to be, never too short, never too long. She would only choose fabrics that did not wrinkle and her white shirts were pristine. Her hair was simple but always looked silky and shiny. She only used one shade of red lipstick but it was the right red for her. And most importantly, she knew what looked good on her. She was impeccable head to toe, as opposed to some other 'celebrities' who want to become fashions icons and wear super expensive clothes, but the style and size are always wrong, choose fabrics that wrinkle, and the tailoring is somehow awful.

[@forestnymph3000]

Yes! Perfectly put. This is what I see in her style and thank you for putting into words.

[@TheStepmonkey]

Perfectly said! She was smart about her own styling

[@Yasmina-1979at]

Her style is still good today .

[@estalagmitas4975]

Her fashion sense is iconic but I really think there's something in her face that gives her such grace

[@barrybodiongan6684]

ParisianVibe I love your videos but I would cross reference what Sunita Kumar Nair said @ 2:20 about Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy having a small wardrobe. According to her ex boyfriend Michael Bergin, "Friday I was at Carolyn's place. It was a nice building a door man building. But the apartment was unbelievable small, even for New York standards. As you entered there was a microscopic kitchen to the right, a bathroom the left. And the rest of the place maybe 10 or 12 square feet was home. There was box spring mattress pressed up against one wall and a closet just beyond that didn't even begin to hold her clothes, there were clothes everywhere, skirts, shoes, dresses, sweaters, mountains of clothes." To me this makes more sense a "minimal looking" wardrobe does not mean that she had only 34 pieces. For example she wore a lot of black tops but it would be in every classic style from long sleeve, short sleeve, sleeveless and in different fabrics from cashmere, wool, and cotton. Her clothes were refined and minimal to the eye but it doesn't necessarily mean she had less items of clothing. I referenced this KZbin this video link which goes in more in-depth with her style and the quote from Micheal Bergen: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3PagWN4n7KXrq8 Also I don't think the expression, "sexy indifference" defines Carolyn style. In my opinion her style was not indifferent but the opposite it was extremely thought out and cerebral. Her clothing was so minimal, refined and pared back that it took a lot of thought and effort to achieve it. Most minimal fashions/designs usually have very complex constructions behind them.

[@karo1922]

I also think she had more than 30-40 pieces. In my opinion her style was feminine minimalism, that’s why it is much more interesting that just minimalism, and definitely not “sexy indifference”.

[@wendigo1919]

She, herself, had a "sexy indifference" quality about her, but not her clothing. I agree, I think she had a lot of clothing that all looked very similar. I completely get it. Mostly black.. Honestly, I think it's her striking, understated, refined (almost aristocratic) beauty combined with her also understated and refined wardrobe is what made her stand out. She just doesn't look like every other woman out there, and she had an air about her for sure. She had a combination of an heiress look and a model in one.

[@chloebelle4923]

@@wendigo1919 exactly -- she is the one who glowed. Her neutral wardrobe faded into the background.

[@marthamathilda]

thanks for commenting this

[@diopfifi4937]

She was. Her style was clean, simple, sophisticated and elegant ❤

[@magnificalux]

Wish you showed us her wedding dress! Her designer Narciso Rodriguez became an instant sensation afterwards. Her white silk crepe wedding dress complete with a silk tulle opera gloves and veil. She exuded simplicity even in her wedding dress. She didn't shy away from her minimalist style even on her wedding day.

[@ParisianVibe]

Wedding dress deserves a whole episode on its own🤩. In this episode we focused on AW capsule wardrobe.

[@AdrienneMint]

Great comment, i will never forget the dress

[@marthamathilda]

its not in the book as well maybe thats why

[@AdrienneMint]

@@clearsky4003 i loved it too. It became my favorite wedding dress of all time. I loved the elegance and the simplicity.

[@carolewalker2039]

And she wore no panties under the dress.

[@vanitycorner196]

I didn’t appreciate her before because she wore a lot of black (which I am guilty of as well - for many years - so I thought her style was a bit boring) but I took a closer look and I’ve changed my mind. her style still resonates with a lot of fashion influencers up to now and that makes her an icon. She had an air of mystery about her and I’ve read that she’s also super smart. See the woman, not the clothes - and don’t try too hard - that’s what I’ve learned from her minimalist style.

[@ParisianVibe]

It is so powerful the realization of and confidence in yourself which makes you rethink your own universe and meaning of things. Looking into Carolyn and her world definitely had that impact on us😌😍

[@utillisateurs]

You didn't appreciate her just because she wore a lot of black ? Ok.....🙄

[@vanitycorner196]

@@utillisateurs yes - because I wore a lot of black too and I thought back then that a minimal color palette was boring 😁

[@mantronixtube]

you have to know her background. she was a pr girl at calvin klein then. i loved her when i was little. but if you look at ck then, you will understand her vibe.

[@karo1922]

And still inspiring today …

[@ParisianVibe]

Sunita did an amazing research and spoke and included so many people and references all with an original point of view. We definitely recommend for anyone who is inspired to look and understand better Carolyn ❤️

[@robynwells8249]

I have always appreciated her style. I was in my 30’s when she and JFK married. It’s very difficult to find clothing similar to what she wore Her clothes had a Goldilocks effect, not too. During this time clothing was much easier to find and people weren’t over styled. Now everything is too something. So many years later she is style my style icon.

[@ritaamor283]

The quality even in expensive brands declined also 😢 I hear people talk about basics nowadays and it doesn’t hold a candle to 90s basics which were so well made and made to last either in the US or Europe.

[@tj-s6328]

💯. That's also something I noticed. As a kid in the late 90s, the basics were just fantastic. It was alot easier to find the clothes for the looks and the shoes.

[@tj-s6328]

​@@ritaamor283yes! I want to splurge on classic shoes and basics but I've heard the clothes are made of horrible materials that do not last.

[@chloebelle4923]

Look in vintage shops! Lot's of classic styles can still be found. I found a long suede coat, late 60's maybe, in a deep raisin color, with big lapels for only 60 bucks. It looked brand new. I get so many compliments on it and it fits as though it's custom. Keep looking!

[@pbj6606]

She had the right figure and height to bring out the uniqueness of the clothes she wore. The same clothes on curvy, petite women certainly would not enhance their looks.

[@ParisianVibe]

“One size / model / clothes / style fits all” does not exist😉.

[@island661]

Agree

[@carolewalker2039]

It helped that she was almost 6 ft tall, had no body fat and extremely long legs, and flawless skin. Dont forget that!

[@petitor_veritatis1936]

Correction : she was 5'9 and when she initially dated John she was heavy. Moreover, without makeup, she had horribly red skin with pimples. Please stop lying. I LOVE CBK because of her innate fashion sense. That's it!

[@thatsixtiesgirl7809]

​@@petitor_veritatis1936i see your point but she lost weight while working for CK. Wasn't that before dating John?

[@petitor_veritatis1936]

@@thatsixtiesgirl7809 Two things. First, she lost weight the closer she came to becoming John's wife and although she worked for Klein, who was impressed with her style and the manner in which she carried herself, it became more minimalist, classic, and refined when she moved to NYC and worked as his publicist and personal shopper for celebrities. She only became slender and reinvented herself the more serious she and John became. She understood that having a polished exterior would be necessary as his wife.

[@thatsixtiesgirl7809]

@@petitor_veritatis1936 Yes she became more polished and minimalist with CK peoples help. Her hair also became blonder and she lost the bushy eyebrows. She was always athletic and never heavy but did lose weight while working at CK. After all thin IS the norm in fashion. Some reports say she did pursue John but once she got him lost interest. It looked like she had the advantage in their public fights but no one really knows except them so there's only speculation.

[@petitor_veritatis1936]

@@thatsixtiesgirl7809 Absolutely! It's mere speculation about the exact nature and dynamics of their relationship. I try to stick to the facts and keenly remember the pictures of CBK and John taken around the period of his mother's passing. For instance, I distinctly remember a picture of them walking his German Shepherd and Carolyn laughing with John in central park and her cheeks were fuller as was her weight of course. She has always had a good body in my opinion, but dropped a considerable amount of weight by the time of the wedding. You are also correct in observing an entire makeover process with her hair, clothing, facial features and I was surprised to learn she got Botox at such a young age. I didn't think she needed it, but to each his own.

[@radlyn7234]

I have always been fascinated by her and her style, unfortunately not too many pictures or videos of her. What I like the most about her fashion is her wedding dress, it was quite a risky move to chose that silk minimalist white dress, but it suited her so perfectly !

[@ParisianVibe]

Definitely. Amazing to look back at it and realize she was dressing like that already back then considering « our » wedding dresses caught up only about now to that style…

[@barrybodiongan6684]

here is a link with more of her fashions: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3PagWN4n7KXrq8

[@radlyn7234]

@@barrybodiongan6684 thank you ❤️

[@denisalarrissa5874]

Thanks for this video🤍 Carolyn is simply the best minimalist and elegant icon.

[@a.williams9]

Beautiful video. Minimalism is the epitome of elegance. CBK will forever be a timeless style icon, her smile unforgettable. Great refreshing content. Merci beaucoup, PV 🙏🏻🤍

[@ashleyabbuhl6261]

Loved the story telling in this video! I’ll never be a minimalist, it’s just not who I am, but I take a lot of inspiration from someone like Carolyn Bassett Kennedy. She reminds me that less is more, and that there is no need to try and prove myself to anyone.

[@MelanieLSchmidt]

👏 wonderful video. She was and will always be CLASS ❤

[@belladt2442]

She was a beautiful woman who found her style

[@n.c.467]

Princess Diana radiated true beauty and perpetual style.

[@Fany_ND]

Love love looooove the video!! Amazing editing style👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 And the content is so interesting and refreshing 😍... Tysm PV for this new perspective on Carolyn, a truly fashion ICON! 💋🤍

[@ParisianVibe]

Thank you sooo much. Means a lot!!!❤

[@ParisianVibe]

Thank you sooo much. Means a lot!!!❤

[@StonedandRolling]

I was somewhat surprised when you mentioned Pam's Vivienne Westwood look talking about CBK style. but it illustrated the point so good.

[@ParisianVibe]

😌😌😌🤍

[@helentsokana]

I love her style, such a beautiful video. Thank you for this 🤍

[@QuangLe-nm7ck]

Effortfully effortless.

[@buggyboogle9]

And her look does not seem dated. Even 20 years later. I think it was also her wedding dress. Classic and beautiful simplicity….but also not easy for anyone to wear. My favoutite look of hers was always the one with the black knit sweater, camel skirt, brown boots and Prada bag. Such a great look. I also found it interesting that she never wore above the knee skirts or dresses.

[@brodytudury]

What happened to all her outfits and are they in any museums?

[@matthieubuisson9543]

Love the video!! Editing is amazing😍😍

[@mI-lh7ro]

She just has classic looks with the personality. She’s size 4 and tall, anything looks good. Would be interesting to use AI and see what she would look like now.

[@talitam.8414]

How do you know her size?

[@mI-lh7ro]

@@talitam.8414 I read in in W magazine

[@healingypsy]

She worked for Klein. CK embodied minimalism. We he grow up in the 90s embodied the blacks, whites, creams, browns, neutrals. I know I did too, so.

[@rachelaspogard6587]

She was also very skinny and wore a lot of black, so both will make you mysterious and elegant.

[@ferranmensa3500]

Loved the video, been a suporter of the channel for ever, but please dich the music in the background. It's terrible!

[@luxuryaesthetic8821]

🙄 The secret to her style was that she was attractive. It's really that simple. An obese slob can wear jeans and a white t-shirt and they're still a slob. An attractive person can wear the same jeans and white t-shirt and they're suddenly "chic" and "effortless" 😂 Working in the fashion industry she knew this very well. She was fairly attractive, fit, had great hair. She knew that if you possessed those traits everything looks good on you. She knew a minimal, but polished wardrobe was all she needed.

[@waynescotlukas2976]

It waa her essence , her soul. That was the magic

[@tj-s6328]

Good hair is vital.

[@tina8796]

BINGO

[@luxuryaesthetic8821]

@@tina8796 Another thing that's mentioned in this video (but was downplayed) is that her minimalistic style was a trend of the 90's, which is true. Style, fragrance, hair, vehicles, all kinds of accessories in general were toned down to a "minimalist aesthetic" in contrast to the big, loud, bright, boisterous 80's aesthetic.

[@tina8796]

@@luxuryaesthetic8821 the 80's. YIKES. Big hair, shoulder pads, etc. Over the top and tacky. Joan Collins still dresses like she just walked out of 1985. Yes, I love the black / white minimalist look in clothes, furniture, cars, etc. Less really is more. Carolyn really was so elegant with her simplicity.

[@andrearicci5154]

Forever an inspiration xo Loved this video

[@simonenin71]

Well she analyzed her mother in law’s style very well that’s for sure.

[@pinkpotatoes9849]

What she was wearing has been worn in the 60s, she was just an updated version. The current generation just hasn't experienced it before. My 87 yo mother had clothes just like that.

[@boredstrayingtheinternet2557]

"If you don't have it, you can't show it. If you have it, you can't hide it." - Common wisdom

[@ZARITA_B]

CBK was so chic 🤍

[@stephaniestanley8041]

❤Carolyn not Caroline

[@fionajackson4452]

I can't get enough of CBK style!

[@lovelifementoring5399]

Amazing I loved this thank you ❤

[@myhottea]

Great video!!! Thank you!!!

[@Stas95]

As Tom Ford said of the late fashion icon: “She chooses simple, severe looks that not everyone would wear. She knows how to set off her beauty with clothes. That’s a rare gift.”

[@alexiawagner2514]

Lovely topic🙂

[@ParisianVibe]

Glad you like it😌

[@ZoeFinkelson-vn2np]

Such a good video!!

[@ParisianVibe]

😍😍😍😍😍

[@ChannelStyle1]

❤

[@deepestvermillion]

If you are 160cm and a bit curvy can you ever do a striking minimalist look?

[@maureenturk8578]

She was simply a stunner - the one you couldn’t take your eyes off. And isn’t that who you’d guess would hold her own with JFK Jr.?

[@SusanB16]

this made me purchase a pair of oval sunglasses and a plastic headband 🤣

[@Uno.minimalist]

Class vid !!

[@chicanapunkLA]

The first photo sessions with the models as "John & Carolyn" clothing have huge brand logos that say "Sports and Rich Club" yet the book states do the exact opposite of branding, ego & showing off wealth, confusing 😕

[@ParisianVibe]

Please refer to the context of the conversation. There is a reason they are mentioned when discussing the point made in the book😉

[@julietteyork6293]

If you’re tall, thin and blonde it’s not hard to look fabulous. Lightening her hair several shades took her from pretty to head-turning. The hair was key. Her fashion choices emulated Jackie’s - timeless, elegant design, simple silhouettes, nothing fussy or loud.

[@barbettecaravaggio7675]

One very important aspect of her style is missing in this analysis.. perhaps it is in the book? But that one very important - unmissable, if you ask me - fashion accessory that Carolyn had on her at all times was very clearly a friggin Kennedy! Nobody is going to mention this? Without the Kennedy draped nonchalantly on her arm, none of her "minimalism" would've ever been noticed. It is the opulence of a Kennedy that allows her to dress so minimally. And what made it stand out so very much. Not her style by its own means. Carolyn without a Kennedy would've just been a girl in a white shirt. Fact.

[@waynescotlukas2976]

Then you don't know carolyn

[@barbettecaravaggio7675]

@@waynescotlukas2976 not trying to be shady, but... here comes the inevitable retort: you do? :)

[@barbettecaravaggio7675]

@@waynescotlukas2976 P.S. I am not discrediting her as a character, she definitely is a fascinating person, and she worked incredibly hard to climb the ladder. Seeing where she comes from and how she climbed that ladder, and how hard she worked to get what she wanted it only made sense that she would land herself a Kennedy. I am not disputing any of that. I am simply saying, if she wasn't that type of woman, the type that would only settle for a big fish like Kennedy (THE ULTIMATE catch back then), nobody would care that she wore a white shirt. There is nothing iconic per se about the white shirt, it is the fact that she caught the big fish that makes people take notice. If you know anything about society and fashion, this should be very clear. Status.

[@waynescotlukas2976]

@barbettecaravaggio7675 you don't really get the nuance do you. She was with Michael Bergin and others for years. John pursued her not the other way around. She was always much cooler in her white shirt than many even before John. She slid up the ladder ... not struggled and climbed it all was amazing as the pieces fell into place. There was something about her that " thing" that not everyone has that really made the white shirt sing... way before John had anything to do with her

[@barbettecaravaggio7675]

@@waynescotlukas2976 I've read fascinating accounts of her saying that she was coming for John way before she even moved to NYC. These things work in symbiosis. Things don't "just happen". This sort of magical thinking is very enchanting, I get it... the people want to think it's a storybook romance :) but things often are more complicated. I will definitely agree with you that she had something. She knew how to create an aura around her, and how to style and behave. To me, that is a form of magic, a self imposed glamour that is only allotted to those blessed with the know-how and intelligence to implement. Like I said, no discredit to the woman at all.. Basically we are more in accordance than not. But no Carolyn was not some ethereal mythical creature. She was calculating, smart, and highly manipulative - none of these things are necessarily negative, in my book, anyway :) - from all i have read about her, is that she was kind and generous. That is how you do it. She was definitely a woman to remember. And yet again. Without JFK, the "magical white shirt", means absolutely nothing.

[@oneluxelife]

She was amazing, and too good for him…

[@Carorawoodlands]

Can we get the list of items used to recreate these looks please

[@luisamorri7178]

Classe da vendere!!!

[@maliciousdelicious]

At the beginning of the video you talk about not having logos and then later in one of your outfits you show someone wearing an Hermes logo belt and an extreme recognisable Celine bag. So don't get your point.

[@DIDDYKONG-x3r]

I read that she had an entire room of clothes and accessories. This documentary says otherwise

[@심하윤-c8c]

❤❤❤

[@witoldgowny9865]

❤❤❤DZIEŃ DOBRY DOBRY WIECZÓR WSZYSTKIM MOIM UKOCHANYM ZNAJOMYM PRZYJACIOŁOM KOBIETOM SIOSTROM BRACIOM PRZESYŁAM GORACE CAUSY BUZIAKI OD POLSKIEGO PLEY BOJA KOWBOJA GOLASA TAK MNIE NAZYWAJA DZIEWCZYNY W PROGRAMIE ŻYCZĘ DUŻO SŁONECZKA W CUDOWNYM PIEKNYM UKOCHANYM SERDUSZKU DLA MOICH UKOCHANYCH PRZYJACIÓŁ ZNAJOMYCH KOBIET SIUSTR BRACI FANÓW ❤❤❤❤❤

[@franterrible747]

🤍

[@lynnienorris5776]

She should have kept her eyebrows

[@RegularHuman]

This is what Heily Biber could have been if she didn't marry Justin

[@ParisianVibe]

You definitely have a point👌

[@DIDDYKONG-x3r]

not even close by a mm. she isn;t even 5ft 6 in height. she has had numerous procedures and surgeries to rid herself of the Baldwin dad gene.

[@NoodlesEaton]

I read she did a lot of blow and her husband did not like it at all. She had some shady characters gloming on her, Her style is perfect for her. She was 5'9" and weighed 128 ln.

[@J-zr9lg]

She wasn't all that, facially. She and Jnr would have surely split up.

[@AriadneZekala]

Po co ich usuneli. Bez sensu.

[@MaribelMartinezMata]

Wichita Kansas City Lady Gaga nun sister Hi

[@susangavaghan]

I think she overdid the black.

[@Lorii7411]

People are so judgy of her in these comments let me remind you these were the 90s and also John shouldn’t wouldn’t have picked you

[@lempicka2011]

Why should you try to imitate the style of someone who had millions of dollars to spend on Prada, CK etc? This is just marketing tricks making us live the life we can’t afford!

[@marleneyanchus4644]

Her wedding gown looked like a slip or nightgown , if she wasn't tall and thin she'd look ridiculous

[@sdmsdm7926]

Is this new to the French?! Give me a break! Americans like myself much rather forget this whole sad story about John already! Move on....

[@ParisianVibe]

Not all stories have a happy ending. If you watched the episode, you would see that we interviewed the journalist to discuss the first book dedicated to the style icon CBK, commemorating her memory.

[@SummerofKittyLove]

No I didn’t like her. Something cold and mean, and those screaming matches in public.

[@ryanscottlogan8459]

Carolyn Bessette was hardly a style icon!

[@validpoint9854]

She was no style icon. She was plain with a large nose. She was only popular for who she married at the time. He needed a beard. He was known for visiting gay cruise spot before internet hook ups.

[@dmbdmb3828]

🌸