Carolyn Bessette Kennedy Loved Block Heels & These Chic Pics Are Proof

Carolyn Bessette Kennedy was a fashion icon, not just of the '90s but of all the decades that have followed since. Her sleek simplicity downplayed her distinct sense of fashion. She loved blacks, whites, and cream tones, opting for color only from an occasional slick of red lipstick. Bessette Kennedy's chic and simple style remains unmatched. And while much of her clothing has been pored over, it's her shoes that raise particular interest. 

One of the most defining trails of Bessette Kennedy's style was her love of quiet luxury and subtle accessories. As a style icon of the '90s, Bessette Kennedy embodied so much of the sleek minimalism that defined the decade. This sartorial shift was in direct response to the flashy excess of the 1980s, and in response, the '90s turned towards restrained pieces wiped clean of logos and splashy embellishments. Thanks to this timeless style, many of Bessette Kennedy's outfits are still on trend today. One of her most beloved trends was her love of block heels, a quintessential design of footwear in the '90s, and Bessette Kennedy wore various iterations of the block heel constantly. 

There's no doubt about it; the '90s block heel is trending again, and much of this footwear shift is thanks to Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's ongoing influence. It comes as one of many '90s trends making a comeback. CBK proved that the style worked in the summer just as well as the winter. In one instance, as she walked her and John F. Kennedy Jr.'s dog, Friday, around New York, Bessette Kennedy styled block heel sandals with cropped jeans and a black tank top for the perfect '90s styling.

Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr. posed outside of their apartment on October 6, 1996. Bessette Kennedy looked sleek in a camel-color pencil skirt, a black cashmere V-neck sweater, and a pair of caramel-toned block heel boots. The square-toed boots looked smart paired with the skirt. And what was so interesting about Bessette Kennedy's outfit was her unusual pairing of black with two different shades of brown, something that felt like a breach of color coordination rules but looked stylish and fresh on her. 

Carolyn Bessette Kennedy loved the formula of a knee-length skirt with knee-high boots, creating a chic base that was ideal for chilly winter days in New York. What's so compelling about this particular combo was her love of block heeled boots. Rather than a stiletto heel, the sturdier base gave the boots a practicality that meant she could walk and move, thanks to the functional support. So chic style was also practical for the Calvin Klein muse. 

One of the things that made Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's style so unique and touching was that she often repeated her favorite pieces. The idea of a constant influx of new things wasn't Bessette Kennedy's vibe. While she walked in New York, she styled jeans with the same block heel black boots she had previously worn with a skirt. She styled them with a camel-color trench coat and wore her hair slicked back in a neat bun and her classic '90s sunglasses. 

Carolyn Bessette Kennedy curated so many delightful pieces of '90s fashion and made them work together. On one particular instance on October 18, 1997, while walking with John Kennedy, Jr. in Tribeca, Bessette Kennedy styled square toe shoes and a sturdy heel with boot leg jeans. The shoes were simple, practical, and sturdy and she polished the look off with a black wool coat and her signature accessory: a black headband.