JFK and Jackie O Were the Ultimate New England Style Whales

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Whale Week just wouldn't be complete without a historic whale, and who better to represent Boston than the Kennedys? For more on their expensive taste, see today's special posts on Curbed Boston and Eater Boston.

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• The infamous pink boucle Chanel suit on the day of JFK's assassination in 1963, via L.D.C. Fitzgerald
• Aboard Manitou, JFK's yacht, via Ivy Style
• Jackie wearing a Oleg Cassini and a matching pillbox hat by Halston at Inauguration in 1961, via Styleist
• 1962; Robert Knudsen, White House, in the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston
• 1961; Abbie Rowe. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston
• 1962; Abbie Rowe, National Park Service, in the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston
• The Kennedy compound on Cape Cod
• 1962; Robert Knudsen, White House, in the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston
• 1961; Abbie Rowe. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston

No doubt that the hyper political Kennedy family is American royalty, and here in Boston, its influence knows no bounds. John F. Kennedy made the Brahmin lifestyle known internationally with his preppy charm and closet chock full of Brooks Brothers. Meanwhile, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis holds rank with Marilyn Monroe (who was also scandalously intertwined with JFK), Princess Diana, and Audrey Hepburn as a style icon.

JFK shook up mid-twentieth century menswear with a casual ease that we still find today in the imagery of beloved American brands like J.Crew and Ralph Lauren. He looked as comfortable in a formal suit as he did in shorts and untucked button-down shirts while boating on Cape Cod waters. Appreciative of an English sensibility about tailoring, he sought out sharp silhouettes while banishing the notion that men must always wear hats. Like 39 of 44 US presidents ahead of him, Kennedy operated in a Brooks Brothers uniform. During his university days, he frequented J. Press in Harvard Square for much of the same merchandise it still sells today.

Simple frocks, glamorous ballgowns, tailored coats, and of course gigantic sunglasses mark Jackie O's signature style. She gravitated toward European designers and courageously diverged from standard trends to create her own chic look, which is perpetually emulated in the media and in the wardrobes of powerful women worldwide. Jackie set the precedent for current FLOTUS Michelle Obama to elevate up-and-coming designers. Rumor has it she was an impulse shopper, favoring brands like Chanel, Balenciaga, Charles Jourdan for shoes, and Gucci for hobo bags. As she aged, Jackie kept up with the time, leaning toward sportier silhouettes—though the late Eighties runways started veering back toward her original style, coming full circle.

Is there anything more American than the ability to look crazy cool dressed down and dolled up? This is what the history books will be pointing to as our legacy.
· JFK Style [Time]
· The first lady of fashion set her own style [The Independent]
· Brooks Brothers [Facebook]
¸ The Smaht Man's Guide to Cambridge [GQ]
· All Whale Week coverage [Racked Boston]