A Look Into Love Story
By Amelia Poor
Photos by Caroline Tarmy
Modeled by Ava Pihlstrom & Tyler Milne
Every time I open TikTok (which is far more than I care to admit), I’m met with another influencer trying to master the Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy uniform. The flip flops, the slim sunglasses, the tortoise shell headband, the perfect white T-shirt. The internet is obsessed.
Since Ryan Murphy’s Love Story premiered earlier this year, our generation has rediscovered the world of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and JFK Jr.. Clips from the show are posted all over the internet, but the real obsession isn’t with the couple's romance, or really even the plot of the show; it’s with their clothing.
Minimalism in fashion isn’t new, but its return is something deeper than just nostalgia. Carolyn Bessette has long been known as a fashion icon, praised for her ability to make the simplest fashion choices look intentional. But the real power of her simplicity is in what it says to others. Minimalist fashion tends to borrow its concepts from typically masculine silhouettes, whether it be straight-legged pants or button down tops. In a climate where seriousness and masculinity go hand-in-hand, ways of dressing can change how a woman is seen.
This connection between power, fashion and masculinity is seen time and time again in popular culture. In Sex and the City, when Carrie Bradshaw starts dating Wet T-Shirt contest judge (and maybe more notably, politician), Bill Kelley, she starts to give into more restrained choices. Bradshaw explained that “since most of our time was spent on the campaign trail, I decided to dress the part.” In order for Bradshaw to move within the world of politics, she’s meant to rein in her expression. While it maybe isn’t the intention of the show, this plot line is a perfect example of the connection between minimalism and discipline. As Bradshaw steps into the political spotlight, her dress becomes more masculine and, in the eyes of the viewer, more professional. This shift also shows how ideas of professionalism are rooted in gender, where proximity to masculine style is equated to respectability. In this sense, minimalism is not neutral, but reinforces standards that limit feminine expression, and suggests that in order to be taken seriously, women must conform to a more restrained and traditionally masculine aesthetic.
When a woman dresses with the restraint of a man, she appears more sensible and in control. This is, in part, what made Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy stand out in the 90s. With a booming economy, came logomania, and the fashion scene was flooded with modern maximalism. Bessette’s wardrobe was the opposite. The resurgence of her style also comes at a moment when the fashion market is incredibly saturated. Over the past decade, trend cycles have leaned maximalist, and the turnover of popular styles has been rapidly accelerated by social media. At this moment, the quietness of Bessette’s style stands out; we are going back to basics. While adopting a minimalist “uniform” can reflect the pressure on women to conform in order to be taken seriously, at the same time it offers a kind of ease. There is an appeal in the simplicity of these choices, they’re streamlined and timeless, even as they remain tied to broader expectations about gender and professionalism.
On TikTok, influencers try to recreate her uniform bit by bit. Entire tutorials are devoted to mastering the “CBK flip flop,” a shoe so unremarkable it goes for $5 at Old Navy. Where style used to be about expression and experimentation, a lack of individuality and spectacle seems to be the point.
This is why JFK Jr. And Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's style still resonates. Their style as a couple is effortless yet restrained. He’s politically powerful, and she does not distract from that. As younger audiences are introduced to the couple through Love Story, they’re stepping into a whole new way of dressing.
Minimalism isn’t just about having less, or wearing simpler outfits. It's about what your clothes communicate. As Love Story becomes more popular, a new generation is aiming to look just like Bessette, effortless and quiet. In reality, people are looking for the authority that minimalism, and masculinity, has always signaled. But this raises a larger question; is minimalism a way to command respect, or a way to disappear into it, making gender less visible in order to be taken seriously? What we read as seriousness may not be neutral at all, but instead coded as masculine.