Pink Chanel suit of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy was wearing a pink Chanel suit when her husband, President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963.[1][2] She insisted on wearing the suit, stained with his blood, during the swearing-in of Lyndon B. Johnson that afternoon and for the flight back to Washington D.C. Jacqueline Kennedy was a fashion icon, and the suit is arguably the most referenced and revisited among her clothing items.[3][4]
Made of wool bouclé, the double-breasted, raspberry pink and navy trim collared suit was matched with a trademark pink pillbox hat and white gloves.[5] A long-time question among fashion historians and experts, about whether the suit was made by Chanel in France or a quality copy purchased from New York's semiannual Chez Ninon collections, was resolved by Coco Chanel's biographer, Justine Picardie. She showed that the suit was a garment made by Chez Ninon using Chanel's approved "line for line" system with authorized Chanel patterns and materials.[6]
Aftermath[edit]
When Jacqueline Kennedy finally removed her suit the following morning, her maid folded it and placed it in a box. Some days after the assassination, this box was dispatched to Kennedy's mother, Janet Lee Auchincloss, who wrote "November 22nd 1963" on the top of the box and stored it in her attic.[6] Eventually, the box was given to the National Archives in Maryland, together with an unsigned note bearing the Auchincloss letterhead stationery. The note read: "Jackie's suit and bag worn Nov. 22, 1963".[12] The suit, which was never cleaned,[6] is kept out of public view in "an acid-free container in a windowless room ... the precise location is kept secret. The temperature hovers between 65 and 68 °F (18 and 20 °C); the humidity is 40 percent; the air is changed six times an hour."[12]
Kennedy continued to buy Chanel clothes for a time after the assassination.[6]
Historical significance[edit]
Kennedy's Chanel suit has been variously described as "a famous pink suit which will forever be embedded in America's historical conscience", "one of those indelible images Americans had stored: Jackie in the blood-stained pink Chanel suit",[8][16][17] "the most legendary garment in American history",[7] and "emblematic of the ending of innocence".[6]
The garment is now stored out of public view in the National Archives.[7][8] It will not be seen by the public until at least 2103, according to a deed of Caroline Kennedy, Kennedy's sole surviving heir.[12] At that time, when the 100-year deed expires, the Kennedy family descendants will renegotiate the matter.[12]
Cultural references[edit]
The suit has been well referenced and replicated in theater and film.[18][19] In 2011, a copy of the suit appeared in the mini-series The Kennedys. However, the Chanel copy was recreated by Giorgio Armani.[3] Costume designer Madeline Fontaine recreated the suit for the 2016 film Jackie, with Natalie Portman portraying Kennedy; the buttons, chain, and label were provided by Chanel.[20] Costume designer Jane Petrie recreated the suit for the eighth episode of the second season of The Crown, titled "Dear Mrs. Kennedy".[21] In the Simpsons 1996 episode "Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield", the Chanel outfit worn by Marge Simpson (whose maiden name is Bouvier in a nod to the former First Lady) was modelled upon Kennedy's suit.[22]