Jackie Kennedy: First Lady of Fashion
She gave the world a symbol of hope
First Lady. Jackie hated that silly title.
She thought it made her sound like a “saddlehorse.”¹ Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy was not about to be a trained pony, but she was savvy enough to know that a president’s wife had to play her part and that meant dressing with grace and style.
Let’s start with what she is most remembered for: the pillbox hat.
In the 1960s, respectable ladies never left the house without wearing a hat. (It would be like leaving the house today without underwear.) Most 1960s hats had large rims, demure veils, and wedding cake concoctions of flowers and feathers. Just like any accessory, the right hat could make or break an outfit.
Jackie had one problem — she hated hats.
And she had a good reason, as she had a rather humongous head for someone her size. So when she stuck a large hat on her large head . . . well, she looked like a bobblehead doll.
Enter the pillbox hat — a small hat with a flat crown that made Jackie’s big head look smaller. Pillbox hats were worn before Jackie in…
