These 7 Items Owned by Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy Are Still Sold Today
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Decades on, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s 1990s style is still the envy of fashion fans far and wide. Her minimalist approach to dressing was definitive of the decade, which saw designers like Calvin Klein, Jil Sander and Helmut Lang usher in a craze for clean lines and sleek silhouettes.
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While much of the contents of Bessette-Kennedy’s closet are no longer available to purchase, some items she coveted are still sold today. From her go-to red lipstick to her preferred cut of Levi’s, here are several of Bessette-Kennedy’s timeless staples.
Selima Optique Sunglasses
Bessette-Kennedy’s favorite sunglasses are made by the New York-based label Selima Optique. Handmade in France, the late Calvin Klein publicist loved their ovalular Aldo frames, which she owned in black and tortoiseshell. Selima also sells a “twin sister” shape, the Carolyn, a slightly larger version of the Aldo specs. Both retail for $475.
Levi’s Boot Cut Jeans
Everyone needs a good pair of Levi’s, and Bessette-Kennedy was known to be a fan of their 517 boot cut jeans. She owned at least two variations, one in medium wash and one in dark.
Featuring a slim fit through the hip and thigh, these high-waisted jeans are still sporadically made by Levi’s today, though they also offer a large selection of other boot cut styles. Originally a men’s jean, the 517 was introduced in 1969 and became a popular cut in the 1970s.
Bessette-Kennedy preferred her 517s vintage, and she even shopped for them at What Goes Around Comes Around, the SoHo, New York boutique founded in 1993. WGACA still attracts celebrity clientele, with Kim Kardashian, Rihanna and Hailey Bieber being repeat customers.
L.L. Bean Boat and Tote
L.L. Bean is known for its practical approach, and the company certainly struck gold with its classic canvas Boat and Tote launched in 1944. Bessette-Kennedy was spotted with the durable carryall — which was originally invented to haul ice — while vacationing at the Kennedys’ Hyannis Port compound in Massachusetts.
Eighty years since its inception, the Boat and Tote is still manufactured in Maine, and its sturdy silhouette holds up to 500 pounds. Featuring double-stitched seams and customizable embroidery, the affordable sack (starting at $29.95) comes in a range of sizes and colors. For those looking to emulate Bessette-Kennedy, purchase the large Boat and Tote in black.
L.L. Bean Boat and Tote, Open-Top
$39.95
Price upon publish date of this article: $39.95
Bobbi Brown “Ruby” Lipstick
Bessette-Kennedy rarely wore makeup, but for events, she loved a red lip. The style icon wore shades ranging from scarlet to crimson, though as for the latter, she relied on Bobbi Brown’s Ruby Stain Lip Sheer.
Two of Bessette-Kennedy’s close friends — RoseMarie Terenzio and Carole Radziwill — confirmed that she wore the shade in their books, “JFK Jr.: An Intimate Oral Biography” and “What Remains.” Per Radziwill, Bessette-Kennedy owned a cat named Ruby, which is also why she gravitated towards the lipstick.
Ruby Stain is now discontinued, but its sister shade, the Bobbi Brown Crushed Lip Color in Ruby ($33), is still available for purchase.
Bobbi Brown Crushed Lip Color Moisturizing Lipstick
$33
Price upon publish date of this article: $33
Hermès Birkin
Bessette-Kennedy owned Hermès Birkins in two of her preferred shades: black and tan. Released in 1984, the classic calfskin tote was named for another style icon, Jane Birkin. The late actress and singer sketched the design herself after meeting Hermès executive Jean-Louis Dumas on an airplane. Birkin’s blueprint was based on one of the brand’s other popular models, the Haut à Courroies.
The politics of buying a brand new Birkin are complicated — limited quantities of the bag are produced every year, so customers must typically have a purchase history at Hermès before being put on the Birkin waitlist. Still, many are available on the resale market via sites like The Real Real or Vestiaire Collective, or through auction houses such as Sotheby’s and Christie’s.
Charles J. Wahba Headband
Bessette-Kennedy’s acetate headbands were her signature staple, and luckily, the exact ones she wore are still sold in 2025. Bessette-Kennedy was a frequent customer at C.O. Bigelow in the West Village, known as the oldest apothecary in America. The pharmacy opened in 1838 and remains a family-owned establishment. Through the years, they’ve catered to fellow famous fashionistas like Sarah Jessica Parker, Diane von Furstenberg and Marc Jacobs.
The brand of Bessette-Kennedy’s headbands is Charles J. Wahba, another New York-based business founded in 1959. Their accessories are made in France and come in several shades, including tortoiseshell, Bessette-Kennedy’s favorite. Priced between $20 and $35, they can also be purchased at another long-standing Manhattan pharmacy, Zitomer. The Upper East Side shop has carried Wahba’s headbands, claw clips and barrettes since 1976.
Unfortunately, Charles J. Wahba doesn’t have an online store, but the brand also sells its products at roughly 80 locations nationwide, including hair salons. Zitomer has tripled its inventory of Wahba accessories in 2024, while Wahba has sold 10 times more headbands this year than it did in 2023. This is likely due to the resurgence of Bessette-Kennedy’s go-to accessory on TikTok.
Cartier Tank Louis
Bessette-Kennedy had a penchant for sleek accessories, and her Cartier Tank Louis was no exception. The heirloom timepiece may have been passed down from her mother-in-law, Jackie Kennedy, though this isn’t known for certain.
There are multiple models of the Cartier Tank watch, with the first designed by Louis Cartier, grandson of the label’s founder, Louis-François Cartier, in 1917. Inspired by Renault army tanks he saw while serving in World War I, Cartier eventually launched the Tank watch in 1919. They later introduced the Tank Louis, which has also been worn by Andy Warhol and Yves Saint Laurent, in 1922.
The Tank Louis comes in both women’s and men’s sizes and features a leather strap. Cartier currently sells small or large models with gold or rose gold faces. Prices range from $7,000 to $24,800 depending on the size and any potential add-ons (read: diamonds).
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