And it’s not just the high-fashion world that’s catching on to JFK Jr.’s styling codes. On TikTok, there are several posts dedicated to spotting JFK Jr.-inspired looks out in the wild. “NYC guys are really out here looking for their Carolyns,” wrote one TikTok user, showing a man in his backwards cap. Other TikTokers are more up-front about drawing on his looks, serving up #outfitofthedays in their best JFK Jr. drag.
While this writer can confirm that the JFK Jr. effect has taken hold in New York (especially in neighborhoods like Dimes Square), Vogue culture writer Emma Specter has also witnessed the moment in Los Angeles—though she’s not so sure the gents are totally pulling it off. “To me, the sexy thing about JFK Jr. was his lack of effort—okay, also his mathematically perfect face,” she says. “But the good men of LA are trying way too hard to give ‘boy who doesn’t even care’ while almost hitting me with their Lime scooters as I walk around the Silver Lake Reservoir. You are not a Kennedy! You are just wearing a baseball cap and an oxford!”
Photographed by Acielle / Style Du Monde
That, of course, is the danger of trying to replicate such a well-documented look: something about the original spirit and approach will always be missing. That being said, there are worse fads to follow! If a finance bro wants to jazz up his Wall Street uniform with a cheeky little shoulder sweater or saucy little hat, we say let ’em. Bonus points if you also walk around with an adorable pup named Friday.