I’ve been watching Ryan Murphy’s Love Story, a drama depicting the relationship of John Kennedy (JFK Junior) and Carolyn Bessette, and suddenly I only want to wear little black dresses, kick flare blue jeans, crisp white shirts, headbands and loafers.
The show recreates the style, look and feel of the 90s so well that you can almost smell the CK One. And this mix of nostalgia and Carolyn Bessette’s inimitable, timeless fashion sense is making many of us rush out to replicate her most famous looks. Her brand of relaxed 90s style feels fresh and uncomplicated, which may be another reason why we’re all suddenly eyeing up mannish belts, flipping our hair and listening to En Vogue’s EV3 album on repeat. Just me?
As a Calvin Klein publicist, Carolyn wore many pieces from the brand, often dipping into menswear for her tailoring, but she also loved Prada handbags, Ralph Lauren polo necks and Yohji Yamamoto coats. Her signature oval sunglasses were by Selima Optique, the tortoiseshell hair band by Charles J. Wahba, and the jeans were Levi’s 517s.
But, if you’re looking for Kennedy style on a high-street budget, don’t worry. I've had a look through M&S’ new-season pieces and found everything you need for a capsule CBK wardrobe. It’s really all about nailing the relaxed tailoring and classic colour palette. These are the pieces to shop for the ultimate chic 90s New York wardrobe.
The beige coat
Carolyn's belted coat is Prada, but we think this Autograph trench will more than do the job, whether you want to wear it with your blue kick-flares and loafers or a midi skirt and brown boots. It's a spring staple that goes with everything.
M&S Autograph Pure Cotton Longline Trench Coat
M&S Autograph Pure Cotton Longline Trench Coat
The white shirt
A white shirt was one of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's most worn wardrobe items (alongside a black roll neck). She pared it with wide-leg black trousers for the office, or with a black statement skirt for an effortless evening look. Wear it slightly oversized and add simple gold jewellery.
M&S Autograph Pure Cotton Collared Relaxed Shirt
M&S Autograph Pure Cotton Collared Relaxed Shirt
The black trousers
A great pair of tailored black trousers are a must for this pared-back monochrome wardrobe. I've just added this pair (which come in petite, regular and long) to my basket and will be wearing them with a black belt (a gold clasp is essential) and a white shirt or black roll-neck and loafers.
The belt
The accessories really matter in CBK's wardrobe and while we can't afford the Cartier Tank watch, this belt will add a 90s spin to your all-black wardrobe. Even better, it's reversible – you can switch it for the brown side if you get bored. To reverse it, according to the comments online, you simply pull the buckle out, twist it round and insert it back into position.
The polo neck
A black polo neck is worth its weight in, well, wool. Carolyn wore hers with jeans, cords, skirts, black trousers, under sports jackets – the list goes on. M&S currently has this slim merino knit in both black and navy. We'd pair the black with these cord kick jeans from Boden.
The cropped flared jeans
Sadly, women's Levi's 517s are no longer in production (although you may be able to hunt them down on vintage and resale sites). We think these blue M&S jeans are a good stand-in though, albeit slightly darker. Wear with low-heel sandals and a tank top in summer and with loafers and, yes, a polo neck in winter.
M&S High Waisted Kickflare Cropped Jeans
M&S High Waisted Kickflare Cropped Jeans
The loafers
It's a classic 90s shoe that's very much back in fashion for 2026, and M&S is the place to shop affordable loafers on the high street. We'll take them in every colour. Well, black and brown for now.
The little black dress
In the show, Sarah Pidgeon, who plays Carolyn, spends the majority of the first few episodes in a parade of little black dresses, from shift styles to spaghetti strap designs. We think this affordable bodycon shift style dress from M&S will look chic worn with ballet flats and simple gold jewellery. You could also add a white shirt tied on top for the ultimate 90s look.
