CBK: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy: A Life in Fashion Hardcover – November 7, 2023

Born in the 90s, I hadn’t known much about Carolyn Bessette until only recently with the pandemic. Minimalism was all the rage, and I’d found myself recalling into some of my earliest memories of fashion… which were the pared down simplicity of Calvin Klein and Prada in the 90s and early 2000s. Never would I have thought that I’d remember recalling seeing the photo of her on a now defunct CBK fashion blog. It was the famous photo of Carolyn Bessette standing hand in hand with her husband on the sidewalk at 20 North Moore. The pair had just gotten married and it was their first public appearance together as newlyweds. Prada bag on her shoulder, blond hair pulled back. Black sweater and beige skirt perfectly tailored to her willowy form.Her beauty, patrician yet ethereal was what stuck out to me, but I’d noted that there was something more. She seemed to possess a glamour, a fire and warmth that shined brightly. Let’s just say that I was intrigued and I went down the rabbit hole of this woman’s short but vibrant life. She was a beautiful representation of less is more, but also staying true to oneself both internally and externally.Admittedly, most of the information in the book I’d already known from my own research, but this book added depth beyond the style and aesthetic choices Carolyn made. It was great to hear information from some of her closest friends and colleagues, and also from Yohji Yamamoto and Anne Demeulemeester— two designers who Carolyn loved.All in all, this book definitely is a rare treat to indulge in. A must buy for anyone looking for style inspiration, or to anyone who is beginning their minimalist fashion journey, and also for anyone who wants to know more about this woman who dazzled in just a few short years, but who reigns supreme in the minds of those who loved and knew her.10/10! I’d definitely recommend!

👍🏽

Beautiful book, stunning as a coffee table book. I wish some of the pictures were spread out across the page instead of being half eaten up by the spine. Perfect for anyone who is into CBK's style and needs a little inspiration from her now and then. Carolyn's style is a minimalist's dream and the book reflects it well. I love the textured cover, it's lovely to hold. I didn't care for some of the interviews tbh.

I loved this book from start to finish. Rather than a simple expose on CBK alone, this book features interviews from major designers that she put on the map, and how they feel about her influence on their clothes. It also covers her go to colors and styles, with personal interviews from people who knew her and her style throughout the years. I feel like I know a little piece of her through these excerpts, and of course the photos and stories are fun. This is more than a coffee table book, and if you have a genuine interest in fashion, you will love this.

I can't remember the last time I bought a "coffee table" book, but I saw this and had to have it. The clean, understated style of Carolyn Bessette is beautifully captured in photographs sprinkled with anecdotes from other fashion icons, designers, and friends. The book gives a portrait of her life with John Kennedy Jr. and the obvious timeless parallel style of her mother-in-law, Jackie. Carolyn wasn't with us very long, but the impact of her style will live on forever. I LOVE this book!

I’ve enjoyed reading about Carolyn Bessette Kennedy (CBK) and learning more about her through her close friends and colleagues.I was in my late 20s at the time of CBKs death. I knew very little about her — my mom was the fashionista of the family and had been following her style for a while.Learning more about CBK through this book has helped me to understand my mom a little more. Much like CBK, my mom always had the “basics” in her wardrobe: white button-downs, the LBD, the coat, etc. I didn’t recognize this until I found myself working in fashion in 1999.Thank you to Sunita for putting together a thoughtful tribute to CBK. Great gift to share with mom!

This book is so badly done I am sad I spent $50.00 on it and would still be mad even if I spent $5.00.For those who have "known" about CBK for nearly 30 years this book is a huge insult to her memory. The photos are so regenerated it feels like they were pulled from a literal news paper. The stories DO NOT reflect any personal relationships on a level that warrant a book. As someone noted in another review the author put her name at the top in the middle of CBK which totally ruins the impact of her initials. Note about the pictures I posted - one her MOST known shots is her debut to the press and WHAT DID THEY DO TO HER FACE????????? Then for the white shirt section - who are these two boys that get two full bleed pages while CBK has small pap shots on mostly white pages. THEN her face is in the literal GUTTER OF THE BOOK. I am so disappointed in "book". I personally could have done 1000 times better. Save your money and wait for the "used" books to start piling in. ugh.....ZERO stars. (Let's see if this review makes it since my previous review is no where to be found)

The composition of a lot of the pages were a bit strange & all over the place. One page is very empty, next is a zoom in of someone smoking a cigarette?…Not very organized as well, random insertions of interviews that didn’t really go into CBK that much or random photos of models. For instance, white shirt section didn’t have many pictures of her in a white shirt. Lastly, the sections jumped around a lot, it was hard to follow along. The Yohji section had the best page design/composition in my opinion. Photos weren’t so zoomed in & didn’t give me a headache…Yeah overall this book just isn’t very pretty to look at. I’ll be returning sorry