A headache to remember: Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's headband

One of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s most distinctive hair looks featured her now iconic headbands. They were one of the most versatile items in her wardrobe, and she often wore them while running errands and being out and about in New York City. The way she wore her it simultaneously elevated her outfits while also making them more casual. It’s also such an interesting accessory since it served as a high contrast item against her white blonde hair. Let’s dive in!

What’s in this article

Breaking Down The Look

The Headband

Carolyn wore the iconic Charles Wahba 1.375″ headband made in France from acetate. Let’s take a detour into talking about acetate for a moment. Many may be quick to say, “Oh, well, it’s just plastic,” which is technically true, but all plastics are not created equal. This was and remains a higher end headband. Unlike traditional plastic, which is made from petroleum, acetate is made from natural cellulose fibers, typically sourced from cotton or wood pulp. To top it off, this is a polished acetate headband.

Back to Carolyn. She was pictured in both the tortoise and black versions of the headband. It’s confirmed that she purchased them at C.O. Bigelow, New York City’s oldest apothecary. Wahba no longer makes this size from what I can tell, but it is available in the 1.5″ size. I’ve also seen her pictured in a narrower headband that looks closer to .75″ in size from the side.

Occasions

In all the images I’ve seen of Carolyn, I’ve noticed that her headbands were typically reserved for running around New York City either on her own, with John F. Kennedy, Jr., and with friends. There are many pictures of her on the street donning her famous accessory. Though it’s possible I may have missed it, I haven’t seen any images of Carolyn wearing a headband to formal events. To replicate CBK’s style, it should be reserved for more casual outings.

Wasn’t it uncomfortable?

I’ve had a few people ask me how Carolyn pulled off wearing both sunglasses with an acetate headband. My answer? “Mental fortitude and disassociating . . . probably.” We all know this is not comfortable. Most of them aren’t comfortable, let’s just be honest. It’s possible she broke them in to the point where they were comfortable. That being said, there’s a one that’s basically a family heirloom in my family, and 25+ years into its life, it’s only just now getting comfortable.

The Cut recently had an intrepid reporter try the famous accessory herself. Danya Issawi did not have a good experience. Here’s what she shared in her article:

. . . my head began to gently throb, and I accepted my fate. I’m no stranger to pain — I live with a few herniated discs and degenerative arthritis in my spine, and am currently healing from a dog bite to the face — but this low-grade ache was a nuisance. Pacing around my kitchen searching for Advil and a reusable ice pack, I wondered if the headache was real or a placebo, a memory of the low-grade migraines I once was subjected to, but the act of thinking quickly became arduous and I opted to sit quietly and look out the window instead . . . less than 45 minutes into my experiment, a true headache materialized and the prongs in the headband suddenly felt more pronounced. My brain felt like it was undergoing a Temu lobotomy. When I snatched the headband off my head, I was flooded with relief, which was quickly superseded by unserious sorrow for the 30 dollars I threw down at C.O. Bigelow for a piece of plastic I’d likely never wear again.

Danya Issawi

Some Hacks

Don’t love headbands but still want the look? I don’t blame you, it can make a casual look more polished. My personal tip is to shop for children’s headbands. In my experience, they tend to be less intense. The drawback is that that means they’re more for fashion and aesthetic purpose and less functional in smoothing the hair and pulling it back. Alternatively, one could always opt for a more narrow and less intense one.

Where to buy it (and dupes)

The Exact one

The closest to what Carolyn wore is by the same designer, Charles Wahba and currently comes in the 1.5″ size. It retails at C.O. Bigelow for $40. At the time of publication, it looks to be out of stock in all colors. I checked other sites and it looks like fans, indeed, have sold out almost every Charles Wahba styles.

How to Find Similar styles

Material: Polished acetate
Size: 0.75″ and/or 1.5″
Features: Teeth
Color: Black or tortoise
Avoid: Logos, prints and patterns

For similar styles, here are the keywords to search for or to make sure the product description mentions for an authentically Carolyn look:

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