Big Talk About Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's Style as Her Story Hits the Screen

It looks like Ryan Murphy's upcoming show, American Love Story (formerly known as Love Story), is finally going to happen after all the hype and speculating. This series will be about the love affair of Carolyn Bessette-kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr. I think a lot of us who lived through that time recall their tragic, stylish story. It got the world's attention. Of course, Ryan Murphy is making a TV show out of it. It has money, dating, politics, power, and ultimately a sad ending.

We just seen the lead actors in their costumes as John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy for the first time. And wow, those photographs really got folks talking. People have strong opinions, especially concerning the style choices. Many folks appear to think that the show isn't quite getting Carolyn's iconic minimalist look right. This is a prevalent worry when someone famous's look is copied on screen.

There are a lot of stories and books concerning these two. John F. Kennedy Jr. was the only son of President John F. Kennedy who lived. In 1963, we all saw him as a tiny boy saying goodbye to his father. A lot of people expected he would go into law or politics once he completed his legal exam. Instead, he launched a political magazine named George that was quite well-known. He also went out with prominent celebrities like Madonna and Daryl Hannah. He was really handsome and fit. He even tried to act once.

Big opinions are stirred up by early looks at Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's on-screen style.

Why Some Fans And Fashion Experts Don't Like The New Show's Costumes And Hair

When Carolyn Bessette met JFK Jr. in New York, she worked for Calvin Klein. They had a strong relationship, yet it was often turbulent. The news sources even saw them fighting in public at times. She became a fashion icon. But the press was always following her during their relationship, which made things even more stressful. In 1996, they got married. In 1999, John flew a tiny plane with Carolyn and her sister Lauren. They were on their way to a wedding in the family. The plane crashed close to Martha's Vineyard, killing all three people on board. The end of their story was really tragic.

This Ryan Murphy production is different from his others in that it seems to feature largely models, theater players, and new screen actors for many of the prominent roles. Paul Anthony Kelly is the son of the late president. In the play Stereophonic, Sarah Pidgeon plays Carolyn. The show also said that Noah Fearnley would play Calvin Klein model Michael Bergin. Bergin and Bessette were together, and he says that their connection continued while she was married. This role could suggest that the show would have a love triangle, which would definitely make the tale more interesting.

There will be some people from Ryan Murphy's other programs, of course. Jackie Kennedy is played by Naomi Watts. Calvin Klein is played by Alessandro Nivola. There are also some kids of prominent individuals in the cast, which is typical in Hollywood. Caroline Kennedy is played by Grace Gummer, who is Meryl Streep's daughter. Kelly Klein is played by Leila George, who is Vincent D'Onofrio's daughter. Lauren Bessette is played by Sydney Lemmon, who is Jack Lemmon's granddaughter. In a story about the Kennedys, this kind of casting is almost to be expected. Henry Winkler's son, Max Winkler, will be in charge of the first episode.

People have had various opinions to the casting. A lot of the bad things people say about Sarah Pidgeon are about her hair and clothes. People knew Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy for her simple, classy style. Some people thought her wig was too light. It is still early in the process of making. The costume team might be able to hear what fans are saying. Sarah Pidgeon was seen in character as Bessette in New York City on June 17, 2025. The pair lived in the city center. She had a cup of coffee in her hands. Photos from the scene showed magazines and newspapers that looked like authentic headlines from that time concerning Kennedy. These little things can make a performance seem more real to people.

Brad Johns, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's hair colorist, gives his honest opinion on the hair in the show.

What the expert says is wrong with the hair color and what it should really look like

The color of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's hair has sparked a lot of talk. Vogue got in touch with Brad Johns, who did Carolyn's hair color in the 1990s. He was well-known for making her hair blonde. Before Vogue got in touch with Johns, he had never heard of American Love Story or seen the pictures. After seeing screenshots of Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn, he made a very clear decision: "No one would believe that Carolyn in the '90s would ever have that hue from me. It's too 2024.

Johns has been doing Carolyn's hair since 1996. He remembers that they worked hard to get her beautiful blonde hair just right. Carolyn's hair was naturally a light brown color. He changed it to what he dubbed a "toffee" color. After then, he used his unique "chunking" method. He said, "I went in and put the highlight chunks in three foils around the front of her face and two underneath for when she wore her hair up." These hidden highlights were vital for her wedding day, when she wore her hair up. They made it look natural.

Johns stated he wanted a color that looked like a "child of the beach." He said Carolyn had "beautiful hair." She was "so beautiful and so funny." He thinks she would be "swirling in heaven" if she saw the color she had. But he stated the hair color in the American Love Story pictures is "totally wrong, the opposite of what we were going for." He was anxious that fashion people would see it on TV and wonder why her hair was "all ashed out with her hair only one color." When an expert gives you this kind of direct criticism, it really makes you think about how much work goes into making someone appear like they do.

People in the fashion world agree with this. Virginia Smith, who currently works at Vogue, was one of Johns's clients when she worked at Calvin Klein. She claimed that Johns always had strong opinions and would tell you how it was, even if it was hard to hear. But she said, "the thing is, he was always right." At one point, he did everyone's hair in fashion. Kate Young, a stylist, was also a customer. Her hair was the same "stripey yellow 'butter blonde'" as Carolyn's. While working as Anna Wintour's assistant, she looked great in her outfit. Johns thinks that Sarah Pidgeon's hair right now is not a wig. He has even said he would call his protégé to help Sarah acquire the proper color for her hair. He definitely wants this to be done right for Carolyn's sake.

Ryan Murphy defends the show's costume choices in the face of public outcry.

How the creator is reacting to the strong reactions and why he thinks they are wrong

People on social media have had a great reaction to the costumes. A lot of individuals are outraged because they think the garments appear like cheap copies of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's well-known simple style. Even big names in fashion have spoken out. A well-known French fashion editor from the same time as Carolyn just said, "Wrong!!!" So horrible..." about the choices for clothes. This is a lot of noise.

Ryan Murphy gave an interview to Puck to defend his choices since he knew his fans wouldn't just let it go. He answered specific complaints. He explained, for example, that the "incorrect understuffed Birkin" bag seen in the first pictures was only a test shot. "We just grabbed a Birkin that was in our costume department for another show, just to sort of try," he added. Murphy said that the Converse high-tops seen in paparazzi images from the beginning of filming were not a mistake. "There were a lot of pictures of her in those shoes," he said, "but they were private pictures." They weren't pictures taken by the paparazzi. That was in 1993 or 1994, before she became famous. He also said, "I look at that picture and think, 'People are wrong to criticize it, to be honest.'"

Murphy also said that the costume crew for his production has uncovered a lot of exact pieces from Bessette-Kennedy's closet. He stated they have a ruffled skirt by Yohji Yamamoto from 1998, a floral dress by Chanel from 1996, and a tan camel blazer by Prada from 1996. He said that they are "spending a lot of time, money, and effort to get her closet right." An advisory board will also be used for the presentation. It sounds like they are really serious about the job. He said he was "naive" about how much people cared about Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's style and called her "sort of a religious figure in style circles." Many fashion trends have been inspired by her plain but stylish style for a long time. I wonder if this defense will quiet the criticism once additional official pictures come out.