What does it take to have your love story become the subject of every headline? As Ryan Murphy would have us know, the lives of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr. might give us a clue. Over the past few weeks, the whirlwind romance of the ’90s It-couple has been the talk of town, spurred by Murphy’s anthology series on Disney+ titled Love Story, committed to the retelling of their spectacular—and tragic—love lives.
Inspired by Elizabeth Beller’s Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, Murphy’s nine-episode series lifts the veil on their sensationalised romance; the fierce, charmed love that once had the zeitgeist in a chokehold. She, once a sales assistant at Calvin Klein, before rising the ranks to be one of the designer’s publicists and trusted confidantes. He, son to 35th U.S. president John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy, a bonafide celebrity from birth.
The press was enthralled; the world even more so. But if the show has been demonstrating anything else apart from just how intensely their private love lives were scrutinised, it’s that Bessette-Kennedy herself wrote the playbook for ‘cool girl’. At some point, she might have been synonymous with the Calvin Klein woman, her singular style spattered over every girl’s Pinterest board. Everything felt naturally effortless; her make-up kept minimal, with a red lip every now and then when it was time to zhuzh it up. She was the very definition of chic.
Whilst this polished yet pared-back energy proves hard to achieve on screen, the beauty team aces it with Sarah Pidgeon’s transformation for the screen—and we’ll posit that it boils down to her hair, brought to reality by hairstylist Barry Lee Moe. There’s that muddy blonde perfected by hair colourist Kari Hill, the way it’s tied up in a messy bun (exactly as Bessette-Kennedy would have had it), and the nonchalance that comes with her natural tresses on a regular day traipsing through the city.
Below, some of the best hair looks worn by Pidgeon as Bessette-Kennedy in Love Story, all of which only further cements the OG ’90s style icon’s status, and the very reason the idea of the cool girl could even come into fruition in the first place.
1 / 8
Nonchalant chic
This is peak Carolyn—and how we meet her. Throwing on a pair of jeans, a well-fitted top, and leaving her mane to fall naturally over her shoulders—all mussed up and dishevelled—paints the very portrait of the unbothered woman she always was.
2 / 8
Coy mood
There’s an undisputed allure about the first night she meets John. After an initial introduction from Calvin Klein, sparks fly but she maintains a facade that doesn’t let up for him just yet: defined in her more manicured beach waves and hair pulled back behind her ears on one side.
3 / 8
Flirty and divine
There’s the perfect score of insouciance that Carolyn achieves on this particular evening out with John. Her waves feel less defined, as if she’s run her fingers through them a tad too many times, but her attitude starts to shine through.
4 / 8
Dressed to impress
It’s a nerve-wrecking night for Carolyn, who’s given the dinner table treatment with Mrs. Kennedy for the first time. Her hair worn up in a chic bun, she lets a few strands fall forward, as if to frame her face—casting her in a feminine light.
5 / 8
Accessories galore
Back then, the style icon was also known for her knack for hair accessories. With later episodes promising to show more of her headband styles, this is the first inkling of her tendency towards accessorising: a headscarf bandana, better paired to her trusty pair of sunnies, for a meet-up with an old fling.
6 / 8
Slicked back
She means business—and she wants to be accepted by the Kennedy family. There are brief moments in Love Story, when Carolyn’s attitude feels stripped back, her hair tied up in a sleek, clean ponytail—a marker of the moments she feels like she wants to portray a more elegant, or sophisticated side to herself.
7 / 8
Coming undone
The fight in the park is a moment of unravelling. Her messy half bun is the exacting image of this moment, when Carolyn feels like she’s being confronted and nothing seems to be going right for her.
8 / 8
Saying 'I do'
The famously hush-hush wedding was the stuff dreams are made of, and the intimate portrait of their communion demonstrates how Carolyn has grown into her position by John’s side. Wearing an elegant low bun with some face-framing pieces left loose, it feels effortless and true to Carolyn’s nature: someone who looks put together, without feeling too polished around the edges.
