Some women influence fashion. Jacqueline Kennedy Onasses helped define what elegance looked like for an entire generation. From the White House in the early 1960s to the streets of New York decades later, the things Jackie wore became cultural reference points. The handbags she carried, the scarves she tied beneath her chin, the sunglasses that framed her face.
Each detail helped shape one of the most recognizable personal styles of the 20th century. What makes it even more fascinating is this. Many of the exact things Jackie loved are still available today. The bags, the perfumes, the scarves, even the skin care products behind her famously polished appearance. In this video, I’m sharing things Jacqueline Kennedy Onasses owned and loved that you can still buy today.
From the Gucci bag that eventually took her name to the fragrances, beauty products, and accessories that became part of her signature look. You’ll find links to everything I could locate in the description below, organized in the order they appear in this video. If you enjoy thoughtful explorations of iconic style and fashion history, subscribe to Cultured Elegance. And a special thank you to my channel members.
Your support truly helps make these videos possible. Let’s begin with one of the most famous handbags ever associated with the first lady, the Gucci Jackie bag. The handbag most closely associated with Jacqueline Kennedy Onases was the crescent-shaped Gucci shoulder bag, now known as the Gucci Jackie. When Jackie first began carrying the bag in the early 1960s, it did not yet bear her name.
The design had originally been introduced by Gucci under the name Constance. It featured a soft crescent silhouette and a curved piston clasp, creating a shape that sat comfortably under the arm and moved easily with the body. Jackie discovered the bag during the mid 1960s and quickly adopted it into her daily wardrobe. She did not own just one version.
Photographs show her carrying the design repeatedly in multiple colors and materials. In some images, she is seen with a rich chocolate brown leather version, while in others, she carries lighter canvas styles during travel and vacations in Europe. Because she wore the bag so consistently, the press began to associate the silhouette directly with her.
Paparazzi photographs from the late 1960s and early 1970s frequently show Jackie leaving her Manhattan apartment, boarding airplanes, or walking through city streets with the curved Gucci bag tucked beneath her arm. Over time, the connection became so strong that Gucci officially embraced it. The house eventually renamed the design the Jackie, permanently linking the handbag to the woman who had made it famous.
Today, the bag remains part of Gucci’s collection and is produced as the Gucci Jackie 1961, preserving the same distinctive shape that Jackie carried decades ago. Hermes silk scarves. Another accessory that became closely associated with Jacqueline Kennedy was the Hermes silk scarf. These square silk scarves known as carries have been produced by the French House Hermes since the 1930s.
By the time Jackie began wearing them in the early 1960s, they were already considered one of the most refined accessories in European fashion. Jackie incorporated them into her wardrobe in several distinctive ways. One of her most recognizable styles was tying the scarf neatly beneath her chin while traveling. Photographs from the period show her wearing Airmes scarves while boarding airplanes, walking across airport tarmac, and arriving in foreign capitals during official visits. The scarf served both a practical and aesthetic purpose.
It protected her hair from wind while adding a note of color and polish to otherwise simple clothing. Paired with oversized sunglasses and a tailored coat, the Hermes carry became one of the defining elements of her travel wardrobe. Because Jackie wore the scarves so frequently, they became strongly connected with her image.
The combination of a silk headscarf and large sunglasses would later become one of the most recognizable visual signatures of 20th century style. Hermes continues to produce silk carries today and the scarves remain one of the house’s most enduring designs. Cardier tank watch. Another object Jaclyn Kennedy loved was her gold Cardier tank watch. The tank is one of the most elegant watch designs ever created.
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It was introduced by Louis Cartier in 1917 and named after the rectangular shape of the military tanks used during the first world war. The clean lines of the watch, the rectangular dial, Roman numerals, and blue sapphire crown quickly made it a symbol of refined understated luxury. Jackie’s personal Cartier tank became famous decades later when it appeared at auction.
The watch had been given to her in 1963 by her brother-in-law, Prince Stannislaw Stas Radzi, after she completed a demanding 50-mi endurance walk during the National Fitness Movement encouraged by President John F. Kennedy. Engraved on the back were the exact start and finish times of the walk. Stars to Jackie February 23rd 1963 2:05 a.m.
to 9:35 p.m. For many years, the watch remained largely unseen by the public. Then in 2017, it was sold at auction at Christy’s in New York, where it attracted enormous attention from collectors and historians. The watch ultimately sold for more than $379,000, far exceeding its original estimate. Today, Cardier continues to produce several versions of the tank, including the Tank Li Cardier and the Tank Frances, preserving the same elegant design language that made the watch a classic nearly a century ago. France Pinton Jackie O sunglasses. Among Jacqueline Kennedy Onasses’s
most iconic accessories were her oversized sunglasses. During the 1960s and 1970s, she was frequently photographed wearing large rounded frames that shielded much of her face. The style became so closely associated with her that it helped define the visual language of the era. Many of these sunglasses were produced by the Parisian eyewear house Francois Panel.
Founded in the 1930s, the company became known for designing frames for prominent cultural and political figures. Jackie developed a close relationship with the brand and Pinton eventually created a style specifically for her. That design later became known as the Jackie O. The frames were large, softly rounded, and slightly oversized, offering both elegance and privacy.
For Jackie, the sunglasses served a practical purpose as well. Living under constant media attention, the dark lenses provided a degree of protection from the glare of cameras and public scrutiny. Photographs from New York, Capri, and the Greek islands show her wearing these sunglasses repeatedly throughout the late 1960s and 1970s.
Paired with a silk scarf or a tailored coat, the frames became one of the most distinguishable elements of her personal style. Francois Pinton still produces the Jackie O sunglasses today, preserving the distinctive oversized silhouette that became inseparable from her image, Jack Rogers sandals. During the early 1960s, Jacquine Kennedy was frequently photographed wearing simple flat leather sandals while vacationing in Palm Beach and traveling along the Mediterranean.
The style reflected the relaxed elegance of her resort wardrobe. understated, practical, and perfectly suited to warm climates. The sandals she wore closely resembled the traditional leather sandals that had long been handmade on the Italian island of Capri. Capri sandals had been popular among European travelers since the early 20th century and were often produced by small local artisans who crafted them by hand.
Photographs from the period show Jackie pairing these flat leather sandals with capri pants, cotton skirts, and casual summer dresses. The clean, minimal design complimented the easy sophistication of her vacation style. During the same period, the American company Jack Rogers began producing a sandal known as the Navajo sandal.
The design featured flat leather soles with decorative whip stitching along the edge, closely resembling the traditional capri sandals Jackie wore. Because Jackie Kennedy was such a visible public figure, her frequent appearances in similar sandals helped popularize the style in the United States. The Jack Rogers Navajo sandal quickly became associated with Palm Beach resort fashion and with the effortless summer elegance that defined Jackie’s offduty wardrobe.
There is also a story frequently repeated in fashion histories, though it remains difficult to fully document. According to this account, Jackie purchased handmade sandals during a visit to Capri in the late 1950s. When she returned to Palm Beach, she is said to have asked a local cobbler to recreate the design. The sandals reportedly attracted attention among her friends and members of Palm Beach Society, eventually inspiring the American brand Jack Rogers to manufacture a similar style more widely.
While the precise origins of that story remain somewhat speculative, what is clear is that Jackie Kennedy helped establish the flat capri style sandal as a defining element of American resort dressing. Today, the Jack Rogers Navajo sandal remains one of the brand’s signature designs and continues to evoke the relaxed Palm Beach style that Jackie made famous.
Joy perfume by Jean Patu. Fragrance also played a role in Jacqueline Kennedy’s personal style and one of the scents most often associated with her was Joy by Jean Patu. Introduced in 1929 by the French fashion house Jeanu. Joy quickly became known as one of the most luxurious perfumes ever created. The fragrance was composed by perfumer Hri Almiras during the early years of the Great Depression when Patu sought to offer his clients something extraordinary despite the difficult economic climate. What made joy remarkable was the sheer concentration of flowers required to produce it.
The fragrance contains enormous quantities of jasmine from grass and may roses, ingredients that were among the most expensive materials used in perfumery. Perfume historians often note that approximately 10,600 jasmine flowers and 28 dozen roses are required to produce just a small amount of the extract.
This extraordinary composition contributed to the fragrance’s reputation as one of the most opulent perfumes of the 20th century. By the 1950s and 1960s, Joy had become a favorite among sophisticated women who favored classic French fragrance houses. Jackie Kennedy was known to wear it during the early years of her public life when her image as first lady was carefully observed around the world.
The scent itself is elegant and balanced, combining rich floral notes with a softness that sits close to the skin. It reflected the refined European sensibility that shaped much of Jackie’s wardrobe and personal presentation. Although Jean Patu as a fashion house closed in 1987, the fragrance Joy continues to exist today under modern perfume production, preserving the scent that once formed part of Jackie Kennedy’s signature presence. Criggler Lovely Puli 55.
Later in her life, another fragrance became closely associated with Jquel and Kennedy Onasses. Lovely Puli 55 by the luxury perfume house Criggler. The fragrance was originally created in 1955 by Albert Criggler whose family had founded the house of Criggler in Berlin in the late 19th century before establishing boutiques in places such as Paris, Monte Carlo, and New York.
Lovely Pachuli, 55, entered Jackie’s life after her marriage to Aristotle Onasses in 1968. According to Ben Criggler, the fifth generation owner of the company, the scent became connected to her when Aristotle Onasses purchased the perfume for Jackie on the day he proposed to her. The fragrance itself combines pachuli with warm woody notes and subtle sweetness creating a scent that feels rich and distinctive while remaining elegant.
Unlike the bright floral character of Joy, Lovely Pachuli carried a deeper, more sensual profile. Over time, the perfume became widely referred to as the Jackie O scent, reflecting how closely it became associated with her later years. Criggler continues to produce lovely pachuli 55 today and it remains part of the house’s collection preserving the fragrance that accompanied Jackie Kennedy Onasses during the second chapter of her life. Gerlin Jiky.
Another fragrance connected with Jacqueline Kennedy was Jiky by the historic French perfume house Gerland. First introduced in 1889, Jiky is widely considered one of the earliest modern perfumes. It was created by Ameura and became revolutionary in the history of fragrance because it combined natural ingredients with newly developed synthetic notes allowing for a more complex and lasting scent.
The composition blends lavender and citrus with deeper notes of vanilla, tonka bean, and woods. The result is a fragrance that moves between freshness and warmth, developing gradually as it settles on the skin. By the mid 20th century, Ji had developed a devoted following among women who favored classic French perfumery. It was known for its distinctive character, elegant, layered, and slightly unconventional compared with lighter floral fragrances that dominated department store counters.
Jackie Kennedy’s connection to Jiky, reflected her broader appreciation for traditional European houses such as Gerlin, which had long been associated with refinement and heritage. More than a century after its introduction, Ji remains part of Gerlain’s fragrance collection today, making it one of the longest continuously produced perfumes in the world. Dorothy Gay moisturizer.
During the early years of her public life, Jquelyn Kennedy used skin care products from the American cosmetics brand Dorothy Gray. Dorothy Gay had become one of the most prominent beauty companies in the United States during the midentth century. Founded in the 1910s, the brand gained widespread popularity through department store counters and magazine advertising, offering colds, moisturizers, and complexion products that formed the foundation of many women’s daily beauty routines.
By the 1940s and 1950s, Dorothy Gay products were considered staples of American skinare. The brand emphasized thorough cleansing and moisturizing, reflecting the beauty philosophy of the period when maintaining smooth, well-hydrated skin was considered essential to a polished appearance. Jackie Kennedy used Dorothy Gay moisturizers during the years when she was first lady.
At that time, department store beauty counters played a central role in shaping women’s skin care routines, and brands like Dorothy Gay were widely trusted for their classic formulations. Her use of the brand reflects the broader beauty culture of mid-century America, when elegant presentation relied less on heavy cosmetics and more on maintaining healthy, well-ared for skin as the base of the entire look. Erno lazlo skincare.
As Jqueline Kennedy’s public life became more demanding, her skin care routine evolved under the guidance of one of the most famous dermatologists of the 20th century, Dr. Erno Llo. Lazlo was a Hungarian physician who developed a highly disciplined approach to skinare centered on cleansing, balance, and maintaining the skin’s natural oils. By the midentth century, his treatments had attracted an extraordinary list of clients that included Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Greta Garbo, and Jackie Kennedy.
Lazlo believed that healthy skin required a carefully structured routine rather than occasional treatments. His method became known for its emphasis on thorough cleansing and maintaining equilibrium in the skin’s natural chemistry. Several of the products associated with Jackie’s regimen remain part of the Ernollo collection today. Sea mud soap.
This distinctive black cleansing bar contains minerals derived from the Dead Sea and was designed to deeply cleanse the skin while helping regulate excess oil. It became one of the brand’s most recognizable products. Cleansing oil used as the first step in Las’s famous double cleansing method. The oil dissolved makeup and impurities before the skin was washed with soap and water. Fel oil.
This treatment oil was formulated to help maintain the skin’s natural pH balance, keeping the complexion supple and hydrated without heaviness. Light controlling lotion applied after cleansing. This lotion helped refine the skin’s texture and maintain clarity across the complexion. Formula 3 to9 repair balm. Originally created to restore damaged skin, this rich balm became one of the brand’s most iconic treatments and was used to support healing and renewal. Laslo’s philosophy emphasized consistency and discipline.
Clients were expected to follow the regimen carefully, often washing their faces many times throughout the day. Jackie’s association with the brand reflected the importance she placed on maintaining a polished composed appearance during years of intense public scrutiny. Lavender hair oil Jacqueline Kennedy’s hair was one of the most important elements of her appearance.
The softly structured buffon she wore throughout the early 1960s became synonymous with her image. Maintaining that hairstyle required careful attention to the condition of her hair. Her hair stylist, Peter Lamos, recommended that she use lavender oil to help keep it healthy, glossy, and protected from damage.
Applied in small amounts, the oil helped smooth the surface of the hair and enhance natural shine without creating heaviness or stiffness. Lavender oil had long been valued in traditional hair care for its gentle conditioning properties. Treatments like this helped nourish the strands, protect the hair from dryness, and maintain the flexibility needed for structured styling. Today, modern hair care lines continue to produce similar conditioning oils using lavender and other botanical ingredients.
Products from brands such as Kristoff Robin are often suggested as contemporary equivalents, offering the same goal Jackie’s routine pursued, maintaining strong, healthy hair that holds its shape while still appearing soft and natural. Elizabeth Ardan flawless finish foundation. Jacqueline Kennedy’s makeup routine reflected the same philosophy that guided her wardrobe. polished, balanced, and carefully controlled rather than dramatic.
One of the cosmetics she used to achieve that look was Elizabeth Ardan’s Flawless Finish Foundation. Elizabeth Ardan had been one of the most influential beauty brands in the United States since the early 20th century, and by the 1950s and 1960s, its products were staples on department store counters across the country.
Flawless Finish Foundation was designed to create an even natural complexion without appearing heavy on the skin. The formula provided coverage while maintaining a smooth surface, allowing the skin to appear refined under both daylight and photography. Makeup artists who worked with Jackie noted that her beauty routine was intentionally restrained. Rather than dramatic contouring or strong color, the emphasis was placed on creating a clean, luminous base.
Foundation served as the structural layer of the entire look, ensuring that the complexion appeared consistent and polished. Elizabeth Ardan continues to produce flawless finish foundation today, preserving a product line that reflects the classic, understated beauty approach Jackie favored throughout her public life. Elizabeth Ardan lipstick. Jackie Kennedy’s makeup was never heavily dramatic.
Instead, her beauty look emphasized balance and the femininity with color used sparingly and with precision. Among the products associated with her routine were Elizabeth Ardan lipsticks in soft pink and rose toned shades. The tones she wore complimented her complexion and worked harmoniously with the rest of her makeup which typically consisted of smooth foundation, softly defined eyes, and carefully styled hair.
During the 1960s, Elizabeth Ardan maintained a famous salon on Fifth Avenue and had long been associated with elegance, discretion, and classic beauty. Qualities that align naturally with Jackie’s public image. Lipstick was often the final step in her routine, providing just enough color to bring the entire look together without overpowering it.
Elizabeth Ardan lip colors remain part of the brand’s collection today, continuing a tradition of understated classic shades that reflect the same refined approach Jackie favored. Silk pillowcases, even the smallest details of Jquelyn Kennedy’s routine reflected an attention to preservation and care. Among the habits often associated with her was sleeping on silk pillowcases.
Silk pillowcases have long been valued for the way the smooth fabric interacts with both hair and skin. Unlike cotton, which can create friction, silk allows the hair to glide across the surface of the pillow. This reduces tangling, breakage, and disruption to carefully styled hair. For someone like Jackie, whose hairstyle required precision and structure, maintaining the integrity of that style overnight was important.
Silk pillowcases helped preserve the smoothness and shape of her hair between salon appointments. The fabric also has benefits for the skin. Because silk absorbs less moisture than traditional fabrics, it helps prevent the skin from drying overnight and reduces the creasing that can occur when the face presses against rougher materials.
Though simple, this detail reflects a broader philosophy behind Jackie Kennedy’s appearance. Elegance maintained through careful attention to the small things. Today, silk pillowcases remain widely recommended by hair stylists and dermatologists for the same reasons. Jacqueline Kennedy Onasses built a style defined by consistency and refinement. The bags, scarves, perfumes, and beauty products she used reflected a preference for quality and timeless design.
