13 iconic outfits former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis wore

By Lucy Yang Sep. From Business Insider

A lifelong champion of the arts and outspoken preservationist, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was also one of the most influential fashion icons of her era.

Known for her chic yet simple style, the former first lady was the subject of much media attention throughout her storied life. During her time in the White House, and in the years after, she popularized some of the most recognizable trends of the ’60s and ’70s including pillbox hats, tailored coats, and strapless gowns, to name a few.

As European editor-at-large of Vogue, Hamish Bowles, told The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2000, Onassis set the standard for how “an entire generation” of American women strove to “look, dress, and behave.”

Take a closer look at some of her most memorable outfits below.

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Onassis married John F. Kennedy in a stylish ballgown with a boat neck.

The couple wed on September 12, 1953, in Newport, Rhode Island.
Keystone/Getty Images
Her wedding dress featured a full skirt, one of the biggest trends in bridal fashion in the ’50s.

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She made a splash in the fashion world at several celebratory galas for JFK’s presidential inauguration.

Onassis stunned in a short-sleeve ivory evening gown on January 19, 1961.
Henry Burroughs/AP
According to The Cut, Onassis asked fashion designer Oleg Cassini — who was known at the time for dressing Hollywood stars like Shirley Temple and Grace Kelly — to create custom outfits for her in 1961.

Dubbed the first lady’s “Secretary of Style,” Cassini went on to design some of Onassis’ most iconic ensembles including an ivory silk satin evening dress that she wore to a gala the night before JFK’s inauguration. In 2009, the Design Museum in London, UK, named Cassini’s gown one of 50 dresses the changed the world.

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She wore one of her signature looks at JFK’s inauguration ceremony.

Onassis and JFK headed to his inauguration on January 20, 1961.
Uncredited photographer/AP
When JFK was sworn in as the 35th president of the US, Onassis looked elegant in a beige coat dress, Halston pillbox hat, and elbow-length gloves — all of which would go on to become huge trends in the ’60s.

Designed by Cassini, the simple wool coat featured touches of Paris couture in its A-line silhouette and stand-away collar, according to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. The jacket also channeled Hollywood glamour through its oversized pockets and buttons.

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Elbow-length gloves were an early staple in the first lady’s wardrobe.

The glamorous accessory elevated many of her outfits.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
After JFK was sworn in as president, Onassis changed into an off-white silk chiffon evening gown for an inaugural ball in Washington, DC. The first lady wore a regal cape (as seen above) over the dress, which was designed by Ethel Frankau of Bergdorf Custom Salon, based on sketches and suggestions from Onassis herself.

According to The National Museum of American History, The Washington Post ran a description of the first lady’s ensemble and said her “career as a major fashion influence was beginning impressively.”

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Onassis often wore sleek shift dresses, which exemplified her chic yet simple style.

The first lady attended an event on March 13, 1961, in a patterned shift dress.
National Archives/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Over the years, the style icon was photographed wearing dozens of different shift dresses in bright pastel shades and playful patterns.

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During a trip abroad, she impressed Parisians in a sophisticated dress with a scalloped hem.

Onassis and JFK were pictured leaving the Quai d’Orsay in Paris, France, on May 31, 1961.
Uncredited photographer/AP
In late May 1961, the first lady and then-President JFK embarked on an official visit to Paris, France. On their first night there, the couple attended a dinner hosted by then-President Charles de Gaulle and his wife, Yvonne, at the Elysée Palace.

For the occasion, Cassini dressed Onassis in a pink and white raffia lace dress and matching stole.

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Onassis wore one of her most iconic looks while hosting a televised tour of the White House.

She made headlines in this red two-piece Chez Ninon dress.
Uncredited photographer/AP
From 1961 to 1963, the first lady spearheaded several projects to restore, renovate, and preserve all the public rooms in the White House.

Onassis’ historic restoration work catapulted her to a new level of fame after CBS aired a televised tour of the refurbished White House on Valentine’s Day in 1962. The special earned the network, and the first lady, a special Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Trustees Award at the Emmy Awards later that year.

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Often seen in bright, bold colors, the first lady seemed particularly fond of pink.

She always stood out from the crowd.
Cecil Stoughton/White House via John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum (Public domain)
During a daytime cruise on Lake Pichola, in Udaipur, India on March 17, 1962, Onassis wore an apricot-colored, knee-length silk dress by Cassini (pictured above). She accessorized the glamorous number with white gloves and her famous triple-strand pearl necklace.

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She channeled royalty in a pink Christian Dior gown during a dinner honoring André Malraux, then France’s Minister of Cultural Affairs.

Onassis at the White House dinner on May 11, 1962.
Darren McCollester/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
The first lady accessorized the strapless designer dress with long white gloves, a sparkling hair pin, a small gold clutch, and dangling earrings.

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Onassis gave a famous speech in Mexico while wearing a pink suit.

She wore a matching pink wide-brimmed hat.
Uncredited photographer/AP
During a state visit to Mexico City on June 30, 1962, Onassis addressed attendees of a luncheon honoring then-President of Mexico, Adolfo López Mateos, in Spanish.

In addition to Spanish, the first lady was also famously fluent in French, having studied the language during her undergraduate career, both in the US and abroad in France.

During JFK’s Senate re-election campaign in 1958 and presidential campaign in 1960, Onassis even taped short speeches in French, Spanish, and Italian encouraging voters to support her husband.

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She continued to be an influential fashion icon long after her days as a first lady.

Onassis was pictured at the London Airport, now Heathrow Airport, in November 1968.
Jim Gray/Keystone/Getty Images
Following JFK’s tragic assassination in November 1963, Onassis moved to New York to focus on raising her two children, Caroline and JFK Jr. She remarried five years later to Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis.

Around this time, the former first lady became increasingly targeted by the paparazzi, who photographed her nearly everywhere she went. While she dressed less formally after leaving the White House, Onassis held onto classy trends like tailored coats and her staple long gloves.

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Onassis proved that shift dresses are timeless.

Onassis was pictured leaving a party in Athens, Greece, on August 1, 1969.
Uncredited photographer/AP
With her days in the White House behind her, the style icon started sporting bolder and more casual ensembles.

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And she stayed a lifelong fan of suit dresses.

And she stayed a lifelong fan of suit dresses.
Onassis met Nelson Mandela (left) on June 23, 1990.
Peter Southwick/AP

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