{"id":479792,"date":"2026-05-11T21:08:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T21:08:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/479792\/"},"modified":"2026-05-11T21:08:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T21:08:27","slug":"nineties-style-its-never-too-late-to-embrace-the-love-story-look-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/479792\/","title":{"rendered":"Nineties style: it\u2019s never too late to embrace the Love Story look \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve done the 1970s retro, thrown it back to the 1980s, had a noughties revival, and now, the decade of choice for the fashion set is the 1990s, again. <\/p>\n

Blame it on Love Story, the hit Ryan Murphy-produced show for Disney+ based on John F Kennedy jnr and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy\u2019s relationship, but more precisely on the Carolyn style craze and renewed interest in her wardrobe. <\/p>\n

The result? A re-emergence of clean-line, tonal, minimalist outfits of vintage Levi\u2019s, oval sunglasses, and black slip dresses everywhere. Carolyn Bessette Kennedy has always been an enduring style icon, featured on Pinterest and moodboards aplenty, but this year, her posthumous style and influence have been referenced more than ever. <\/p>\n

So much so that brands including M&S, Uniqlo, Massimo Dutti and Reformation have run their own CBK-coded campaigns, complete with lookalike models and faux-paparazzi shots. The 1990s minimalism she represents feels like a repackaging of quiet luxury that dominated for seasons, but with a hint of nostalgia and a lot more attainability. <\/p>\n

The quiet luxury trend was supposedly on its way out, until the resurgence and interest in Love Story had it hurtling back in. (Although the spring 2026 runways tell a different story: loud, bold colour blocking at Versace, clashing primaries at Loewe, and maximalist print layering at Nina Ricci.) <\/p>\n

\"SatinSatin Midi Column Dress, \u20ac47, M&S \"Sunglasses,Sunglasses, \u20ac45, & Other Stories <\/p>\n

But it could be argued that minimalism is always in \u2013 you only have to look at pared-back stalwarts of The Row, Khaite and Toteme and their spring runways, where they still touted the minimalist message. Bessette, herself, favoured clean-lined designers, including Calvin Klein, Yohji Yamamoto and Prada, but what feels different now is the accessibility. <\/p>\n

The Love Story look is less stealth wealth and more a formula that\u2019s easily achieved, and emulated, boosted by the high street, which quickly translated the mood. It\u2019s about effortless simplicity, and because it\u2019s a reduced palette of black, cream, and camel, it\u2019s straightforward to style. It\u2019s a refreshing respite from the bombardment of must-have items and microtrends, to pared-back pieces that naturally work well together. In many ways, it forms the basis for the ultimate modern capsule wardrobe: non-trendy, well-made pieces that are still timeless today. <\/p>\n

\"TrenchTrench coat, \u20ac179, & Other Stories \"KickKick flare jeans, \u20ac135, Aligne \"SuitingSuiting Midi Skirt, \u20ac130, Calvin Klein, Brown Thomas \"Loafers,Loafers, \u20ac79.99, Mango \"CrocCroc belt, \u20ac125, Essen <\/p>\n

Another way to describe it is functional minimalism: easy-to-wear items and classic pieces worn on rotation. There\u2019s such great versatility to the items. The pieces are made to be worn again and again, as Bessette did, seen in the many paparazzi photos resurfacing of her go-to jeans and black coat, repeating the same items and formulas. <\/p>\n

Because of the simplicity, fit is key. The silhouette does the hard work \u2013 think straight or kick flare denim jeans, straight pencil skirts and crisp white shirting. Nothing is too oversized, just the right proportions. Accessories are more on the minimal side too, and, importantly, versatile \u2013 black loafers, a structured black leather bag or a thin belt. <\/p>\n

\"LaceLace detail knee-length slip skirt, \u20ac40, M&S \"LaminatedLaminated cotton canvas jacket, \u20ac495, Ganni, Brown Thomas \"LeatherLeather jacket, \u20ac349, H&M <\/p>\n

But Bessette\u2019s style wasn\u2019t always fully restrained. She often fused fun, non-sterile pieces with her simple, wear-everywhere items. She added wardrobe twists: statement outerwear like leopard print, snakeskin shoes, printed scarves tied in her hair, and her iconic hairband. <\/p>\n

That effortlessness has caught the imagination of shoppers and social media influencers alike. According to Google, searches for Carolyn Bessette Kennedy began to rise in February, just as the show aired, and are still trending globally, with Ireland showing the highest interest. <\/p>\n

Type her name into a TikTok search bar, and you\u2019ll see thousands of videos breaking down her style, recreating her looks, and sharing lessons gleaned from analysing Bessette\u2019s style. <\/p>\n

The \u201990s aesthetic is moving beyond Bessette, too. With influencers eager for the next viral moment, they are leaning into the nostalgia, adding Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Julia Roberts\u2019s wearable, relaxed \u201990s wardrobes to their moodboards and videos.<\/p>\n

\"WhiteWhite shirt, \u20ac145, With nothing underneath, Arnotts \"Blazer,Blazer, \u20ac115, Aligne \"Sunglasses,Sunglasses, \u20ac135, Jimmy Fairly \"SilkSilk twill scarf, \u20ac175, Staple Wardrobe \"LeatherLeather bag, \u20ac249, Cos \"FlipFlip flop wedge, \u20ac49.99, H&M<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We\u2019ve done the 1970s retro, thrown it back to the 1980s, had a noughties revival, and now, the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":479793,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[75],"tags":[38848,18,117,2215,19,17,361,4950],"class_list":{"0":"post-479792","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"tag-disney-plus","9":"tag-eire","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-for-you","12":"tag-ie","13":"tag-ireland","14":"tag-magazine","15":"tag-ryan-murphy"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/116557992215302561","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/479792","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=479792"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/479792\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/479793"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=479792"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=479792"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=479792"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}