Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, photo by Lawrence Schwartzwald for Sygma via Getty Images
Carolyn Bessette Kennedy perished in a plane crash off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard in 1999, along with her husband JFK Jr. and older sister Lauren. Tuesday, July 16, marked the 25th anniversary of the fatal accident. There were more articles and postings than usual last week in remembrance.
One Instagram post caught my attention. It started with this sentence, “Model-tall and a perfect size 6, Carolyn presents herself with calculated casualness.” The author notes that CBK “jams hats on her head, sticks pencils in hair buns. On her honeymoon in Istanbul, she wore a head scarf.”
Carolyne Bessette Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr. on their honeymoon in Istanbul, Turkey, Getty Images
The post continues with the observation that Bessette Kennedy is “borderline grunge!” an “alluring female version of JFK Jr.” who was always sloppy enough to make people think you aren’t obsessed about your looks.
Francoise Hardy, 1966, photo by Dezo Hoffman Rex Shutterstock
That phrase, “calculated casualness,” really speaks to me as it sums up my approach to fashion. Somewhere between athleisure and “dressed-to-the-nines” lies a perfect combination that is sporty, casual, and easy but done in a highly considered and polished way. Moreover, isn’t it ideal to look as though you are not obsessed with your looks, but somehow, the result is “comme il faut,” as the French call it?
Francoise Hardy, 1966, photo by Dezo Hoffman Rex Shutterstock
Unsurprisingly, the French have long excelled at this. It cemented Jane Birkin and Francoise Hardy’s status as style icons and is an elusive quality that many women would love to cultivate. Emily Cronin wrote an article titled “The ‘Effortless Style’ of Celebrities Isn’t Effortless at All. These Tips Make It Close” for The Wall Street Journal on May 24, 2024.
JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy wearing turtleneck, corduroys and loafers
Emily, who interviewed several stylists for the article, offered rules and tips for “fuss-free dressing,” but in the end, she observes that “such apparent indifference can require a lot of fuss.” Unless, of course, it comes naturally, as it did for Carolyn Bessette Kennedy.
“Currently, 90% of public figures or celebrities have a very engineered, curated look. It doesn’t read as authentic. When you look at pictures of Carolyn, you get a sense of her personality, and she looks comfortable, both in the clothes and in herself. Those are the components of [true] effortless style.” — Sunita Kumar Nair, author of “CBK: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, A Life in Fashion”
Pernille Teisbaek on Instagram
While CBK looked wonderfully elegant when dressed up for a special event, Bessette Kennedy’s spontaneous, off-the-cuff, everyday style captured the imagination of the fashion world. I am still looking for a contemporary equivalent. That being said, there are a number of women, many of them I’ve previously profiled, who have their own appealing “calculated casual” approach to style. Instagram star Pernille Teisbaek is one of them.
Pernille Teisbaek’s sporty ease, Instagram
Like CBK, Pernille is a tall, lanky, and beautiful blonde who disarmingly offsets her beauty with a dose of androgynous toughness. The 40-year-old Danish influencer, with 1.4 Million Instagram followers, is known for her love of a minimal palette often played out in chic monotones and timeless designs mixed with a Scandinavian essence.
Rory Gevis casually mixes stripes, bandana print, and denim, photo by Instagram
A perpetual style hero of mine is painter and MAC Cosmetics creative consultant Rory Gevis. I adore how Rory uses the right amount of creativity and eccentricity to balance the casual, classic clothes (striped shirtings, striped Breton tops, turtlenecks) she favors, always adding that artistic touch.
“A more casual lifestyle has always been true to who we are as individuals and true of many women in our lives. We are excited to finally have a range of easy, casual things to offer.” — Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, Proenza Schouler
Casual and polished, Bottega Veneta Fall 2024 Ready-to-Wear, photo by Filippo Fior for Gorunway.com
Keeping fashion easy and casual yet making it memorable is always appealing, perhaps even more so right now. There are some designers (Miuccia Prada, Dries Van Noten, Phoebe Philo, Hedi Slimane while at Celine, Bottega Veneta’s Matthieu Blazy, Jil Sander’s Luke and Lucie Meier, Khaite’s Catherine Holstein, Proenza Schouler’s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez among them) who do this exceptionally well. There’s an art to it, predicated on mastering offhanded mixes.
Casual luxe, Sleeveless shirt in ivory, $990, patch pocket silk cargo trousers, $2400, phoebephilo.com
Dressed Up and Dressed Down sums up Phoebe Philo’s aesthetic and aptly describes Philo’s eponymous luxury collection of modern yet wearable wardrobe-essentials, many of which are imbued with a sporty ease. Miuccia Prada excels at mixing fashion metaphors, as perfectly exemplified by images of the Miu Miu Fall 2024 ad campaign posted on WWD Monday morning.
Cara Delevingne stars in Miu Miu Fall 2024 Ad Campaign Photo by Zoe Ghertner Courtesy of Miu Miu
Like Miuccia Prada, Dries Van Noten’s runways are always rousing from a creative point of view. Dries, who announced his retirement from fashion this past March, effectively mixes day and evening, street and couture, masculine and feminine, high and low, humble and fanciful.
Dries Van Noten’s casual opulence, Vogue March 2020 photograph by Jackie Nickerson
When you hear the name Dries Van Noten, you might not necessarily think of the words sporty and casual. Still, Dries was always at his best when that casual, easy element was mixed in with his luxurious and opulent designs.
Dries Van Noten oversized coat with contrasting denim sleeves, $2195, sweatshirt trousers with topstitch detail, driesvannoten.com
The result is a personal, individual, idiosyncratic way of dressing that is slightly ‘off.’ It is perfectly imperfect and looks uniquely modern.
Latest Comments:
Marilyn! What a wonderful and informative article you have written. I so loved Bendels, although (in my opinion) it was…
Merci beaucoup for the article!
Thank you for featuring me and my designs in your article! What a lovely event and how many gorgeous ensembles!
How interesting! Bendel’s was always a favorite store of mine. Miss those days…Thanks for another great article.
Such a LOSS! I feel Bendels was to NY what Venice is to Italy.
Love the stories you create around elements of design!
Always love the look of a high “pussy “ bow. Especially now that I am older, it hides the neck…
Fascinating profile on Jennifer Creel—her jewelry designs are truly unique and elegant!
Thank you….yes!!!!!!
I can absolutely picture you in this trompe l’oeil style, Marilyn. Great article!
What a refreshing viewpoint in an era when so many are over done and cinched within an inch of their lives; allowing their wardrobes to wear them and their labels to define them. It is the rara avis indeed who knows the difference between fashion and style. Thank you for putting such a fine point on effortless glamour.