She’s nonetheless turning heads — and galvanizing headbands.
Practically three many years after Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s life was lower quick in a devastating aircraft 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 turn out to be one of many hottest summer time equipment — because of a current social-media second.
Because of this, style experts at the moment are swarming C.O. Bigelow pharmacy within the West Village — the place the precise headband remains to be offered — to emulate her elegant, easy look.
“I feel the primary TikTok video in regards to the headbands [and their association with CBK] was made by someone from the Netherlands who was visiting New York Metropolis in 2023,” proprietor Ian Ginsberg instructed The Publish.
Whereas Ginsberg can’t pinpoint precisely when the shop started promoting the French-made headbands, he mentioned 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 mission 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 possibility turned a street-style staple years in the past, because of quite a few paparazzi pictures exhibiting CBK sporting oval black shades and the no-frills accent.
Ian and his son Alec Ginsberg, the shop’s COO, mentioned 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 mentioned. “The demand by no means actually died.”
Now, because of the current 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 value CBK would have paid many years in the past.)
“The headbands are undoubtedly well worth the hype,” make-up artist and sweetness mogul Olivia Barad instructed The Publish. “They really feel extraordinarily top quality and are available many alternative widths and colours.”
She added, “They’re additionally very snug, which is tremendous vital. 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, mentioned 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 affords comparable items in additional vibrant hues like scorching 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 buyers from far past Greenwich Village — and stays an NYC retail icon.
Since 1838, its combined customized cures 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 allure that’s fully in keeping with Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s model and aesthetic,” Barad mentioned.
Though C.O. Bigelow is almost two centuries outdated, Alec mentioned their buyer base has been getting youthful — most certainly because of CBK’s affect.
“I typically 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 patrons to seek out simply after I’m creating the shows,” equipment merchandiser Natalie O’Rourke mentioned.
Aside from C.O. Bigelow, the headbands are additionally out there at Zitomer on Madison Avenue — a virtually 75-year-old Higher East Aspect pharmacy the place CBK reportedly picked up shampoo and scrunchies.
Although Wahba’s hair equipment are offered in about 80 salons and outlets nationwide, the model has no web site or social media — in line with CBK’s low-key ethos, as reported by the New York Occasions.
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 feel many ladies wish to emulate however really feel they will’t afford. So the headbands present an inexpensive and accessible strategy to take part,” influencer Beverly Hart instructed The Publish.
Based on the 2023 e-book “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, typically shopping for the identical staples in each shade. Her streamlined wardrobe supposedly consisted of simply 30 to 40 objects.
The long-time publicist’s sartorial affect is stronger than ever as of late.
“I feel 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 component that makes it tremendous distinctive to her,” Barad mentioned.
“She had that ‘It’ issue. Even when an outfit regarded easy or simply thrown collectively, it was all the time completed in probably the most excellent 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 trip to work.”
However CBK’s seems are nonetheless wearable, she mentioned.
“Comfy sneakers, easy silhouettes, darkish neutrals. Virtually each outfit she wore you possibly can put on to work right this moment — that’s what makes her distinctive.”