A couple of weeks ago, everyone began discussing Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy again because preliminary images of Ryan Murphy's new show about her romance with JFK Jr., American Love Story, were released. There was swift criticism of Bessette-Kennedy's costuming, which is to be expected when trying to re-create the look of one of the world's most famous style icons.
And to be fair, it is nearly impossible to try to bottle what she had. It is often watered down to minimalism, but Bessette-Kennedy's signature look was more than that. She dressed in Prada before its kooky intellectual aesthetic was mainstream. She wore head-to-toe Yohji Yamamoto because she was particularly interested in how clothing fell on the body. In a 1992 interview about her style in Glamour magazine, she said, "I'm not comfortable with anything ornate. I like clean and understated looks. I love boots, jeans, blazers. I like very classic colors—black, navy, gray, and white. If I want to add some impact, I'll do it with texture." She possessed not just an interest in fashion but a true fashion intelligence.
So what can we expect as the internet continues to debate Murphy's take on Bessette-Kennedy as the show starts to film in New York this summer? Probably a resurgence in Carolyn Besette-Kennedy–inspired looks. But there's one item in particular I can start seeing people really obsessing over, and it's one of Bessette-Kennedy's more overlooked items, in my opinion: It's her pair of yellow snakeskin Prada Mary Jane shoes.
Animal print has been everywhere in the past couple of seasons, and there's even been debate on whether or not leopard print is a neutral (I personally see it as such). But snakeskin was seen on plenty of spring/summer 2025 runways, especially in shoes at Miu Miu, Khaite, and Tod's.
Miu Miu Fall/Winter 2025
Khaite Fall/Winter 2025
Tod's Fall/Winter 2025
It's only going to become more of a trend once everyone starts digging into the Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy fashion archive and realizing that she may have owned the world's most perfect pair of snakeskin shoes. They're bound to become vintage heads' new grail, considering how impossible they are to find (believe me, I would know, I've tried!).
The way Bessette-Kennedy wore her mustard snakeskin Prada shoes was with dark-wash bootleg jeans, a black turtleneck sweater, and a long fuzzy black coat. It's the kind of added texture she preached about. It adds impact to an otherwise fairly simple look. And while the exact shoes themselves might be hard to source, other snakeskin options that add just as much impact are slowly popping up everywhere.
Shop a Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy–inspired snakeskin shoe edit:
