The first time I paid really close attention to Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s accessories was when I decided to put together a vintage collection inspired by the exact shoes and handbags she wore. One piece in particular stood out: a Cartier Tank that she was pictured wearing while entering her Tribeca apartment. For years, the watch was rumored to have been a gift from her mother-in-law, Jackie Kennedy. To this day, there has been lingering mystery around the exact model Bessette-Kennedy wore. Photographed in it only a handful of times, the watch’s origin story is the stuff of lore, and one of the many pieces of hers that would go on to be closely examined.
It’s her approach to accessories that reveal the most to me. Of course, we’re all familiar with Bessette-Kennedy’s famous Charles Wahba headband and Selima Optique sunglasses, but many of the finishing touches that shaped her style were quieter—from her shoes to her jewelry, and the bags she wore day in and out. And in a time when constant rotation has become the norm, there’s something grounding about seeing a woman repeat the same shoes, bags, and jewelry until they become second nature. Her accessories, much like her clothing, were tight in number but deliberate in choice—subtle details that gained meaning through repetition—much of which is routinely passed over today in comparison to her clothing. To understand Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s style fully, let’s take a closer look at the accessories she returned to again and again.
The Headband and Sunglasses
Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images
Two of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s most enduring signatures appear here, worn exactly as she intended them to be: functional, repeated, and quietly distinctive. The Charles Wahba headband and Selima Optique Aldo sunglasses were never styled as statements, yet over time they became inseparable from her image. Decades later, they still feel current.