Jackie Kennedy's Wedding Hair: A Timeless Style Guide

how to style hair like jackie kennedy wedding photo

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, also known as Jackie O, is remembered as a style icon, revered for her timeless and minimalistic fashion sense. Her signature bouffant hairstyle is one of the most famous in history. While her hair may have been iconic, it was not natural, and Kennedy used various products and techniques to maintain her look. For her second wedding to Aristotle Onassis, she wore her hair in a now-iconic style, with a white ribbon tied through her hair, which inspired similar 1960s hairstyles.

Characteristics Values
Wedding hairstyle A white ribbon tied through her hair
Wedding dress A knee-length silk crepe Valentino dress from the "Sfilata Bianca" collection
A high-neck lace and chiffon overlay
Pleated skirt
Long bishop sleeves with white and gold button details at the cuff
Hair care Sleeping on a silk pillowcase or with her hair wrapped in a silk scarf
Using oil on the ends of her hair, especially lavender oil
Hairstyle Bouffant
Accessories Pearls
Hats, including wide-brimmed, boaters, and pillbox hats
Clothing style Minimalist
Muted colors
Laconic cuts
Structured suits
Pastel shades

shunbridal

The iconic bouffant

Jackie Kennedy Onassis, also known as Jackie O, is remembered as a style icon and one of the most fashionable first ladies. Her signature hairdo, the bouffant, was debuted at a 1962 dinner hosted by the Australian Ambassador. The bouffant is a type of hairstyle characterised by a puffy, voluminous look, often created with backcombing and hairspray.

To achieve the iconic bouffant, start by backcombing the hair at the crown of your head to create volume. Use a brush or comb to gently tease the hair backwards, lifting it away from the scalp. Smooth out the top layer of hair to create a sleek finish. You can also use rollers or hot styling tools to add extra volume and curl to the ends of your hair.

Next, secure the bouffant in place. Use hairspray generously to ensure that the style holds, and consider using hairpins or clips for extra security. You can also try wrapping a scarf around your head, tying it at the nape of your neck, to hold the bouffant in place while you sleep. This was a trick that Kennedy herself used to maintain her blowouts.

To complete the look, don't forget the accessories. Kennedy often wore a silk scarf or tied a ribbon through her hair, as she did for her second wedding to Aristotle Onassis in 1968. Hats were also a signature part of her style, with Kennedy often opting for a pillbox hat or wide-brimmed styles.

While the bouffant may take some time and effort to create, it is a timeless and elegant hairstyle that is sure to turn heads, just as it did when Jackie Kennedy debuted the look.

shunbridal

Minimal makeup, bold lips

Jackie Kennedy, one of America's most revered style icons, was known for her minimal makeup and bold lipstick. To emulate her iconic look, here are some tips for achieving minimal makeup with a bold lip:

Firstly, prepare your skin with a good skincare routine. Kennedy was a client of the famed dermatologist Erno Lazlo and used several of his products. She relied on Erno Lazlo's Phormula 3-9 Repair Cream to keep her face looking youthful and radiant. This heavy moisturiser protects the skin from free radical damage and oxidative stress. She also used an early version of Lazlo's Phelityl Pre Cleansing Oil as her favourite face oil. Additionally, Kennedy loved Erno Lazlo's Dead Sea Mud Soap, which is rich in minerals like calcium, potassium, and magnesium, to heal and exfoliate the skin.

Next, let's talk about the bold lip. Kennedy never shied away from bright lipstick and often matched her pout to the exact shade of red or pink that she was wearing. To emulate her, try pairing a classic red dress with Chanel's Rouge Coco Lipstick in 'Gabrielle'. This lipstick provides ultra-hydrating lip colour.

To complete the minimal makeup look, remember to keep the rest of your makeup subtle and natural. Kennedy played to her strengths and embraced an outdoorsy American look, opting for a more natural appearance even when other women of her time wore heavier makeup.

Lastly, don't forget about your hair. Kennedy's bouffant hairstyle was iconic, but it required maintenance. To keep her hair healthy, she used lavender oil, such as the Christophe Robin Moisturizing Hair Oil, and slept on a silk pillowcase or with her hair wrapped in a silk scarf to maintain her blowouts.

shunbridal

Silk scarves to maintain blowouts

Jackie Kennedy Onassis, also known as Jackie O, is remembered as one of America's most iconic style icons, even decades after leaving the White House. Her signature bouffant hairstyle, pillbox hats, structured suits, and understated jewellery all contributed to her polished and elegant look.

To maintain her signature bouffant, Kennedy often slept with her hair wrapped in a silk scarf or on a silk pillowcase. Her hairstylist and makeup artist, Peter Lamas, recommended this practice to protect her hair from the damage caused by sun exposure, hot styling tools, and hairspray.

Silk scarves are particularly beneficial for maintaining blowouts and silk presses. A blowout is a method of drying and stretching the hair, which can be achieved through heat or heatless techniques. The heat method involves blow-drying with or without a round brush, while the heatless method requires braiding or threading the hair after washing and leaving it to dry overnight.

When it comes to preserving a blowout or silk press during workouts, silk scarves can be a useful tool. It is recommended to pull the hair up into a high ponytail and then wrap the ends into a bun. Tying a silk scarf around the head until the body has cooled down can help maintain the style. Additionally, satin flexi rods can be used to roll and tie up the hair, with a silk scarf wrapped around it, ensuring proper ventilation. It is crucial to keep the scarf on until the hair has completely cooled down to prevent the style from reverting.

Overall, silk scarves play a vital role in maintaining blowouts and protecting hair health, just as Jackie Kennedy utilized them to preserve her iconic hairstyle.

shunbridal

Lavender oil for hair health

Lavender oil has been celebrated in the beauty world for its remarkable benefits for hair health. It is safe for all hair types and is an increasingly popular home remedy.

Lavender oil is extracted through the distillation process from the flowers and spikes of the lavender plant. This results in a potent, colourless oil with a complex blend of phytochemicals and a soothing aroma.

Benefits for Hair Health

Lavender oil has many benefits for hair health, including:

  • Promoting hair growth: A study found that applying lavender oil to mice made them grow more hair, thicker and faster than normal.
  • Preventing hair thinning: It can help prevent issues like pattern baldness or alopecia.
  • Improving blood circulation: Massaging lavender oil into the scalp improves blood flow, meaning hair follicles receive more nutrients, leading to stronger hair and less hair loss.
  • Reducing stress-induced hair loss: The calming aroma of lavender oil helps to reduce anxiety and stress, which can cause hair fall.
  • Rejuvenating hair: Lavender oil can leave hair looking shiny and healthy.
  • Improving scalp health: Lavender oil can help prevent scalp irritations that cause infections, itchiness, or dandruff. It can also reduce inflammation and redness when applied to the skin.

How to Use Lavender Oil for Hair Health

There are many ways to use lavender oil for hair health, including:

  • Adding a few drops of lavender oil to a carrier oil, such as coconut or rosehip oil, and massaging it into the scalp.
  • Using lavender oil with other oils, such as rosemary and lavender hydrosol, or jojoba oil, and applying it to the hair with a brush or fingertips.
  • Creating a hair mask by combining lavender oil with other ingredients, such as honey, olive oil, and coconut oil, or cedarwood, castor, and avocado oil. Massage this into the scalp and leave it for at least 30 minutes, or even overnight, before rinsing.

It is important to note that essential oils can cause skin irritation and allergic reactions, so it is recommended to always use a carrier oil to dilute lavender oil and only use a small amount.

shunbridal

Structured suits and hats

Jackie Kennedy Onassis, also known as Jackie O, was a certified style icon. Her structured suits and hats were an essential part of her signature look. She was known for her well-tailored skirt sets, often paired with a perfectly coordinated pillbox hat and white gloves. This combination became so iconic that it was dubbed "the Jackie," setting the bar for First Lady fashion.

The pillbox hat was a trademark accessory for Jackie, and she often wore it with her suits, whether it was a red wool suit during her 1961 visit to Canada or the famous pink Chanel suit she wore on the day of her husband's assassination. This particular outfit, made of wool bouclé with a raspberry pink colour and navy trim, has been described as "one of the most legendary garments in American history." The hat's whereabouts are currently unknown, adding to the mystique of this iconic ensemble.

Jackie's structured suits were not limited to skirt sets, as she also wore structured suit dresses, sometimes with a blazer or jacket on top. Her style was influenced by the conservative chic fashion of the 1950s and 1960s, but she also incorporated new trends as they emerged. She was known to favour monochromatic ensembles, often in white, but also in other colours like baby blue.

In addition to her suits, Jackie's vacation style was also structured and polished. She favoured billowy maxi dresses and menswear-inspired suits, often with bold patterns and adventurous coats. As she aged, she continued to evolve her style, embracing softer hair and incorporating trends like oversized sunglasses and '60s fashions.

Frequently asked questions

Written by
Reviewed by
Share this post
Print
Did this article help you?

Leave a comment