How Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s Iconic Style Helped Shape Sarah Pidgeon’s 'Love Story' Role

FX’s Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette has taken the streaming world by storm with lead actress Sarah Pidgeon, who plays Bessette, at the helm. 

Speaking to People in an interview published on Saturday, February 21, Pidgeon, 29, opens up about how Bessette’s fashion influenced her portrayal of the late fashion icon. 

“She was a private citizen until she got into this relationship with John [and was thrust into] the center of the public eye. So I think her clothing, it really helped inform the character,” Pidgeon explains, referring to Bessette’s whirlwind romance with John F. Kennedy Jr.

“My favorite pieces were the [Yohji] Yamamoto pieces she wore. And I’m not sure if she was aware of this, but Yamamoto describes designing clothing as armor for women,” the Wilds actress continued. 

“I think understanding — or at least my interpretation of her relation to the press — she was fiercely private, so I think it made so much sense, and you could feel it when you put the clothes on. It makes you stand in a different way, and it sort of holds you in and protects you,” Pidgeon added. 

While Pidgeon and Bessette no doubt look alike due to hair and makeup choices, the former said that ultimately, it was the wardrobe that “felt very transformative.”

Kennedy and Bessette famously began dating in 1994 while the latter was a publicist for Calvin Klein. The pair later got engaged in 1995 and married on September 21, 1996. During their time together, their relationship was heavily scrutinized by the tabloids, as they were constantly being sought after for paparazzi coverage. 

Their love story came to a tragic end on July 16, 1999, after Bessette and Kennedy died in a plane crash off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard.