Carolyn Bessette: Kinky hair and the 90s cigarette pant

Sarah Pidgeon was photographed in New York in costume as Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy yesterday. The hair, as we know, has been a consistent conversation the last few weeks with screen test footage and pap shots that have been released during production. 

The hair, I think, in these pictures is better than it was early on in the process though not quite there yet. And I’m not sure we can expect it to be all the way there at all. Hair is obviously so individual, no matter who it is, it’s never going to be an exact match, but I did pause when I saw the texture here because we don’t typically associate Carolyn with this kind of wave, it’s a bit kinky.

Most of the most well-known images of Carolyn show her with straight blonde hair, but her natural hair colour was on the brown side, and lightly curly. A texture that’s challenging to achieve by styling. Here are a few examples: 

This is what I think they were attempting with Sarah Pidgeon’s hair but it’s too tight on the ends. Again, though, it’s probably impossible to get it anywhere near close. What is close, though, is the outfit. A very specific 90s outfit that so many of us wore as a uniform at the time: black turtleneck over black cigarette pants, specifically the 90s cigarette pant which featured a slight flare above the ankle. I had several pairs of these pants – they were Gap, a signature for the brand in those years. Seeing these shots of Sarah made me want to recreate my look from back then. 

The cigarette pant is very on-trend right now and Gap actually has a similar pair to the one they were selling back in the 90s but I don’t remember the 90s version with the seam down the front.

Gap’s sister brand, Old Navy, does have a pair that’s much more like the throwback. 

There’s an upscale version at McQueen, currently on sale, and haha, they paired them with those booties that I was obsessed with on Charlize Theron a few weeks ago. 

Right now, though, I can’t decide if I want my 90s cigarette pants to be on the stretchy side, which is what the three options above are giving, or in a fabric that favours a slight hang. Like these from Favorite Daughter. Uniqlo has a pair too but I don’t want them to get so relaxed that they lose their shape. What’s sitting in my cart right now are these from Anine Bing. Top with a black turtleneck and we’re back to the 90s for fall. 

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