Like pretty much everything surrounding Ryan Murphy’s American Love Story, the limited series’s costumes have been a hot topic. After the first glimpses of actress Sarah Pidgeon in character as Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy hit the wires in early June, there was a far-reaching outcry amongst the real CBK’s devoted fashion fans. Purists pointed out that the Calvin Klein executive would never have worn a polyester blend skirt, and that Pidgeon was carrying the wrong size of Hermès Birkin—quelle horreur!
Murphy quickly pointed out that those were merely “test shots,” and in the weeks since, the fashion has improved quite substantially in terms of accuracy. Pidgeon, who underwent a hair transformation into an ashy blonde, has been spotted around New York City in Bessette-Kennedy signatures—think black penny loafers, nylon Prada totes, and ’ ’90s-inspired silhouettes. Paul Kelly, the show’s John F. Kennedy Jr., has been sticking to men’s suits and the occasional athletic look. While Naomi Watts, who is tasked with the role of Jackie Kennedy, is channeling First Lady glamour to a tee.
Here, keep up with all the fashion from the set of American Love Story.
Kelly sported a vintage Brown tee (Kennedy Jr.’s alma matter), check shorts, and worn-in Ascis Gel-Lyte V sneakers while filming in late July.
Noah Fernley, who plays CBK’s former boyfriend and former Baywatch star, Michael Bergin, joined Pidgeon on July 25. Pidgeon wore a signature Bessette-Kennedy look: loose-fitting trousers, a black leather bag, and a navy sweater with a white button-down poking through.
Grace Gummer, as JFK Jr’s sister Caroline Kennedy, joined Kelly for a scene outside the Russian Tea Room.
Also arriving at the Midtown institution was Watts, who wore a pale pink top and a vintage Bulgari purse with Jackie O-esque hair to match.
Kelly, sporting crutches and a foot brace, filmed scenes with Sydney Lemmon in Downtown Manhattan. Lemon plays Carolyn’s sister, Lauren Bessette, who passed in the same 1999 plane crash as the couple.
Here, Kelly biked around town—JFK Jr.’s preferred method of transportation—in a navy suit with a red backpack.
Kelly looked dapper in a double-breasted suit (the same he wore while biking) and a leather briefcase outside the New York Supreme Court.
A fitted turtleneck, ankle-length trousers, and retro loafers—a classic Bessette-Kennedy move.
Kelly and Watts filmed a scene in Central Park while wearing a white Oxford shirt and a yellow sun hat, respectively.
Kelly has been wearing his fair share of suiting.
Kennedy Jr. dated Steel Magnolias actor Daryl Hannah, portrayed by Dree Hemingway (yes, a scion of another famous American family) in American Love Story, prior to his marriage to Bessette.
The stylish couple filmed a night scene in mid-June, offering a first-look at the show’s costumes following the test shoot controversy.
