13 iconic outfits former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis wore (2024)

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

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.

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 named Cassini's gown one of 50 dresses that changed the world.

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

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.

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 byEthel 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.

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.

In late May 1961, the first lady and JFK embarked on an official visit to Paris. 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 dressand matching stole.

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

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 both the network and the first lady a special Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Trustees Award at the Emmys later that year.

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

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 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.

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.

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 alsofamously 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.

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.

Onassis proved that shift dresses are timeless.

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.

Onasiss wore a chic pollka-dot suit to meet Nelson Mandela at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1990.

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