The current penchant for retro accessories isn’t merely about nostalgia, but about giving modern looks an added touch of character. In the pre-fall 2026, Chloé showed pillbox hats worn with ’80s power shoulders and bubble peplums, while beaded tassel brooches dotted Dior, and Balenciaga styled full-length gloves with sports bras and hoodies. It was a continuation of spring 2026, where Chanel featured floral pins of all sizes and Prada paired with candy-colored statement gloves with house dresses.
But how did these accessories gain traction in the early ’60s to begin with? The short answer: Jackie Kennedy. Though her husband, President John F. Kennedy, favored forward-looking policies, the first lady’s fashion reflected classic, traditional femininity. Jackie’s ladylike style–including pillbox hats, brooches, gloves, and headscarves–quickly influenced the country’s idea of elegance and progress, one that was aspirational to women watching her on television. So while the average woman couldn’t exactly get her hands on Chanel couture, she could channel the first lady through her styling.
Many used accessories as a shortcut to getting Kennedy’s polished, new-Americana aesthetic. Investing in the finishing pieces instantly elevated a department-store look. “Women in the early 1960s often owned fewer suits or dresses, relying instead on accessories to refresh and vary their wardrobes,” explains Elizabeth L. Block, author of Gilded Age Fashion. “A well-made suit or day dress could be reworn again, with hats, gloves, brooches, jewelry, or a different blouse. Especially in winter, this approach was very practical.”
For Jalil Johnson, writer of the Substack Consider Yourself Cultured, the ’60s resurgence isn’t just an aesthetic choice—it also reflects certain similarities in the atmospheres of then and now. “JFK and Jackie Kennedy represented a breath of fresh air in the United States,” he points out, and New Yorkers in 2026 are experiencing something akin to that. “Just look at the mayor and the first lady of New York—they’re a young couple, bringing a new life into the city, and it feels like there’s new energy, new possibility,” Johnson says.