The late Carolyn Bessette Kennedy is still considered the paragon of refined and classic dressing. In addition to her effortlessly minimalist style being recreated in Ryan Murphy’s new “Love Story” series, some of her wardrobe items and similar looks were recently auctioned by The Fashion Auctioneer for $408,750, all signaling her enduring influence on fashion.
Bessette Kennedy’s chic minimalism extended to her collection of staple shoes. The fashion publicist, who worked at Calvin Klein prior to marrying John F. Kennedy Jr., was known to repeatedly reach for Prada and Manolo Blahnik footwear styles, ranging from riding boots to slingback pumps. Many of her shoes were traditional, timeless silhouettes, while others subtly experimented with a more avant-garde design.
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Manolo Blahnik recently shared styles worn by Bessette Kennedy on its social media, and several are still core silhouettes for the brand. The designer himself remembered her to FN, “Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy embodied the essence of New York style: effortless and utterly timeless. The way she dressed then feels just as modern today, which is the true mark of elegance. She was also a wonderful human being, and I adored her…It is so incredibly sad that she no longer with us, but I love that she remains an inspiration for a new generation.”
Below, FN rounds up some of Besste Kennedy’s standout shoe moments.
In one of her Prada shoe moments, Bessette Kennedy was out for a walk wearing Prada’s Tobacco Capretto sandals, a block-heel style with a modern, multicolored strappy design. Here, she paired the shoes with a polished yet casual outfit of a mock neck black top and blue jeans with a slight flare.
Bessette Kennedy also kept versatile loafers in her lineup of classic shoes. Here, a dark leather pair accompanied flared blue jeans and a black overcoat and turtleneck. She also wore a headband — remembered as one of her signature accessories — an item that aligned with the preppy vibe of her loafers.
A loafer style could be seen on the set of “Love Story,” worn by Sarah Pidgeon, who plays Bessette Kennedy in the FX series.
Repping Prada yet again, Bessette Kennedy wore a brown leather riding boot from the Italian brand featuring a subtle cap toe and a block heel with a slightly sculpted look; a slender buckled strap wrapped around the lower part of the shaft. For this look, Bessette Kennedy selected the boots to complement a beige column skirt and black V-neck sweater.
Pictured here, Bessette Kennedy showcased the Carolyne style from Manolo Blahnik. The simplistic silhouette features a pointed toe and slingback strap in addition to a modest stiletto heel. Created in 1986, it was inspired by designer, author and artist Carolyne Roehm.
For a fundraising gala at the Whitney Museum, Bessette Kennedy modeled the Callasli style from Manolo Blahnik, a minimalist slingback sandal with a pointed toe and crisscrossing straps across the toes. The shoes grounded an ensemble including a white button-down and a black mermaid skirt with ruffling at the bottom.
For an anniversary event at the Whitney Museum, Bessette Kennedy wore a unique pair of black Manolo Blahnik slingback heels with an asymmetric upper. The shoes accompanied an all-black look, including a V-neck ankle-length dress.
Bessette Kennedy knew the power of a staple black shoe. Here, she was pictured wearing a classic leather boot style with a block heel. They were styled with a fastened black coat and the Spazzolato tote bag from Prada, another accessory she loved.
While some people on the internet criticized Sarah Pidgeon wearing Converse sneakers for “Love Story,” Bessette Kennedy was a fan of Chucks and was known to embrace other sporty footwear styles. The pair of Nike Air Streak sneakers pictured above provided a pop of green to her crisp white pants and black sweater.
In this easygoing look, Bessette Kennedy wore the Airwalk 19oz Skate sneaker style with a red jacket and black joggers. Other sneakers in her wardrobe included Adidas Stan Smiths and Nike Air Max 95s.