She’s nonetheless turning heads — and galvanizing headbands.
Almost three a long time after Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s life was lower brief in a devastating airplane crash, her stylish, minimalist and unfussy model legacy lives on — and Gen Z can’t get sufficient.
A $36, ¾-inch tortoiseshell headband made by French hair accent model Charles J. Wahba and famously worn by the model icon within the ’90s has develop into one of many hottest summer season equipment — because of a latest social-media second.
Because of this, trend professionals are actually swarming C.O. Bigelow pharmacy within the West Village — the place the precise headband remains to be bought — to emulate her elegant, easy look.
“I believe the primary TikTok video in regards to the headbands [and their association with CBK] was made by any individual from the Netherlands who was visiting New York Metropolis in 2023,” proprietor Ian Ginsberg informed The Publish.
Whereas Ginsberg can’t pinpoint precisely when the shop started promoting the French-made headbands, he stated they have been possible there “manner earlier than” CBK began shopping for them.
The resurgence comes amid information of Ryan Murphy’s upcoming FX drama, “American Love Story,” about CBK and John F. Kennedy Jr., a undertaking dealing with backlash over so-called lackluster costume decisions.
Irrespective of — followers are skipping the display screen and heading to the spot the place CBK as soon as shopped, a truth confirmed by Vogue in 2023.
The tortoiseshell choice turned a street-style staple years in the past, because of quite a few paparazzi photographs displaying CBK carrying oval black shades and the no-frills accent.
Ian and his son Alec Ginsberg, the shop’s COO, stated C.O. Bigelow by no means promoted the items, however gross sales have exploded since TikTok picked up on the connection.
“There was by no means actually a resurgence,” Alec stated. “The demand by no means actually died.”
Now, because of the latest buzz, gross sales are spiking once more — and people within the know say they’re a steal, even at 2025 costs. (Retailer reps weren’t sure of the worth CBK would have paid a long time in the past.)
“The headbands are positively well worth the hype,” make-up artist and wonder mogul Olivia Barad informed The Publish. “They really feel extraordinarily top quality and are available in many alternative widths and colours.”
She added, “They’re additionally very comfy, which is tremendous necessary. I’m very specific in regards to the sample and colour of tortoiseshell that I put on, and these headbands get it completely right.”
Carolina DelRio, the shop’s magnificence supervisor, stated that when she first began working there a decade in the past, the Wahba headbands got here in simply three colours: tortoiseshell, beige and black.
Now the shop presents comparable items in additional vibrant hues like sizzling pink and coral.
Whereas many youthful followers are simply discovering C.O. Bigelow, situated at 414 Sixth Ave., the 187-year-old apothecary has lengthy been a family-run landmark drawing consumers from far past Greenwich Village — and stays an NYC retail icon.
Since 1838, its blended customized treatments and plant-based tinctures have served everybody from Eleanor Roosevelt to Sarah Jessica Parker and Mark Twain.
“The shop has such a basic and timeless attraction that’s fully in keeping with Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s model and aesthetic,” Barad stated.
Though C.O. Bigelow is sort of two centuries previous, Alec stated their buyer base has been getting youthful — most certainly because of CBK’s affect.
“I usually assist clients discover probably the most flattering equipment for his or her hair colour and all the time put that beloved tortoiseshell headband out for purchasers to search out simply after I’m creating the shows,” equipment merchandiser Natalie O’Rourke stated.
Aside from C.O. Bigelow, the headbands are additionally accessible at Zitomer on Madison Avenue — a virtually 75-year-old Higher East Facet pharmacy the place CBK reportedly picked up shampoo and scrunchies.
Although Wahba’s hair equipment are bought in about 80 salons and outlets nationwide, the model has no web site or social media — in keeping with CBK’s low-key ethos, as reported by the New York Instances.
As a Calvin Klein publicist with a razor-sharp eye, the late fashionista favored minimalist energy items from Prada, Jil Sander and Yohji Yamamoto — however she was additionally famously frugal.
“Carolyn represents this stylish, quiet luxurious model I believe many ladies wish to emulate however really feel they will’t afford. So the headbands present an inexpensive and accessible technique to take part,” influencer Beverly Hart informed The Publish.
In keeping with the 2023 guide “CBK: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy: A Life in Style” by Sunita Kumair Nair, CBK had full entry to luxurious manufacturers like Manolo Blahnik and will afford something — however solely purchased what she wanted and insisted on paying, as an alternative of accepting a freebie.
CBK caught to her model playbook — snapping up crisp white shirts, tailor-made coats, penny loafers and a great deal of blackout-worthy black, usually shopping for the identical staples in each shade. Her streamlined wardrobe supposedly consisted of simply 30 to 40 gadgets.
The long-time publicist’s sartorial affect is stronger than ever today.
“I believe so many New Yorkers and TikTokkers are impressed by her model as a result of whereas it’s very clear and basic, there may be all the time one aspect that makes it tremendous distinctive to her,” Barad stated.
“She had that ‘It’ issue. Even when an outfit regarded easy or simply thrown collectively, it was all the time accomplished in probably the most good manner.”
Hart agreed: “Quite a lot of model icons, whereas attractive and trendy, put on issues that aren’t sensible for, say, a 10-minute stroll and 25-minute subway journey to work.”
However CBK’s appears are nonetheless wearable, she stated.
“Comfy sneakers, easy silhouettes, darkish neutrals. Virtually each outfit she wore you might put on to work at this time — that’s what makes her distinctive.”
