Fashionistas are swarming an NYC pharmacy to snatch Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's coveted, iconic headband

New York Post

03-07-2025

She's still turning heads — and inspiring headbands.
Nearly three decades after Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's life was cut short in a devastating plane crash, her chic, minimalist and unfussy style legacy lives on — and Gen Z can't get enough.
A $36, ¾-inch tortoiseshell headband made by French hair accessory brand Charles J. Wahba and famously worn by the style icon in the '90s has become one of the hottest summer accessories — thanks to a recent social-media moment.
Advertisement
9 Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's simple hair accessory is having a moment right now with younger generations.
Sygma via Getty Images
As a result, fashion mavens are now swarming C.O. Bigelow pharmacy in the West Village — where the exact headband is still sold — to emulate her elegant, effortless look.
'I think the first TikTok video about the headbands [and their association with CBK] was made by somebody from the Netherlands who was visiting New York City in 2023,' owner Ian Ginsberg told The Post.
Advertisement
While Ginsberg can't pinpoint exactly when the store began selling the French-made headbands, he said they were likely there 'way before' CBK started buying them.
9 Bessette-Kennedy was known for wearing the no-frills headband around NYC.
Emmy Park for N.Y.Post
The resurgence comes amid news of Ryan Murphy's upcoming FX drama, 'American Love Story,' about CBK and John F. Kennedy Jr., a project facing backlash over so-called lackluster costume choices.
No matter — fans are skipping the screen and heading to the spot where CBK once shopped, a fact confirmed by Vogue in 2023.
Advertisement
The tortoiseshell option became a street-style staple years ago, thanks to numerous paparazzi shots showing CBK wearing oval black shades and the no-frills accessory.
@lydiarosehawken
CAROLYN BESSETTE-KENNEDY'S FAVOURITE HEADBAND SHOP IN NYC 🍎❤️ If you follow me then you'll know I love my headbands so there was no way I wasn't going to pay a visit to CO Bigelow in Greenwich village on my recent trip. The fashion icon Carolyn Besette-Kennedy was one of the shop's most loyal customers and you can still purchase her favourite hair accessories today 🥹 #carolynbessettekennedy #greenwichvillage #nycguide #fashionjournalist ♬ Groovin' – The Young Rascals
9 CBK would often be seen around town sporting the now-famous hair wear.
Sygma via Getty Images
Ian and his son Alec Ginsberg, the store's COO, said C.O. Bigelow never promoted the pieces, but sales have exploded since TikTok picked up on the connection.
Advertisement
'There was never really a resurgence,' Alec said. 'The demand never really died.'
Now, thanks to the recent buzz, sales are spiking again — and those in the know say they're a steal, even at 2025 prices. (Store reps weren't certain of the price CBK would have paid decades ago.)
'The headbands are definitely worth the hype,' makeup artist and beauty mogul Olivia Barad told The Post. 'They feel extremely high quality and come in many different widths and colors.'
She added, 'They are also very comfortable, which is super important. I'm very particular about the pattern and color of tortoiseshell that I wear, and these headbands get it absolutely correct.'
Carolina DelRio, the store's beauty manager, said that when she first started working there a decade ago, the Wahba headbands came in just three colors: tortoiseshell, beige and black.
9 C.O. Bigelow's social media manager, Annika Ford, also opts for the same style and coloring preferred by Bessette-Kennedy.
Emmy Park for N.Y.Post
Now the store offers similar pieces in more vibrant hues like hot pink and coral.
Advertisement
While many younger fans are just discovering C.O. Bigelow, located at 414 Sixth Ave., the 187-year-old apothecary has long been a family-run landmark drawing shoppers from far beyond Greenwich Village — and remains an NYC retail icon.
Since 1838, its mixed personalized remedies and plant-based tinctures have served everyone from Eleanor Roosevelt to Sarah Jessica Parker and Mark Twain.
9 On Sixth Avenue, C.O. Bigelow isn't your average drugstore — it's America's oldest apothecary.
Emmy Park for N.Y.Post
9 Accessory expert Natalie O'Rourke dishes out free, custom hair tutorials at the store — whether you're channeling Bessette-Kennedy with a headband or going full Parisian with French pins.
Emmy Park for N.Y.Post
Advertisement
'The store has such a classic and timeless charm that is completely in line with Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's style and aesthetic,' Barad said.
Although C.O. Bigelow is nearly two centuries old, Alec said their customer base has been getting younger — most likely thanks to CBK's influence.
'I often help customers find the most flattering accessories for their hair color and always put that beloved tortoiseshell headband out for customers to find easily when I'm creating the displays,' accessories merchandiser Natalie O'Rourke said.
9 The $36 tortoiseshell staple from French brand Charles J. Wahba is flying off the shelves at Greenwich Village's C.O. Bigelow — the very spot CBK used to shop.
Emmy Park for N.Y.Post
Advertisement
Apart from C.O. Bigelow, the headbands are also available at Zitomer on Madison Avenue — a nearly 75-year-old Upper East Side pharmacy where CBK reportedly picked up shampoo and scrunchies.
Though Wahba's hair accessories are sold in about 80 salons and shops nationwide, the brand has no website or social media — in step with CBK's low-key ethos, as reported by the New York Times.
As a Calvin Klein publicist with a razor-sharp eye, the late fashionista favored minimalist power pieces from Prada, Jil Sander and Yohji Yamamoto — but she was also famously frugal.
9 Bessette-Kennedy dressed to impress, but was all about practicality.
Sygma via Getty Images
Advertisement
'Carolyn represents this chic, quiet luxury style I think many women want to emulate but feel they can't afford. So the headbands provide an affordable and accessible way to participate,' influencer Beverly Hart told The Post.
According to the 2023 book 'CBK: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy: A Life in Fashion' by Sunita Kumair Nair, CBK had full access to luxury brands like Manolo Blahnik and could afford anything — but only bought what she needed and insisted on paying, instead of accepting a freebie.
CBK stuck to her style playbook — snapping up crisp white shirts, tailored coats, penny loafers and loads of blackout-worthy black, often buying the same staples in every shade. Her streamlined wardrobe supposedly consisted of just 30 to 40 items.
9 Young women of today admire CBK's chic, classic style.
Sygma via Getty Images
The long-time publicist's sartorial influence is stronger than ever these days.
'I think so many New Yorkers and TikTokkers are inspired by her style because while it's very clean and classic, there is always one element that makes it super unique to her,' Barad said.
'She had that 'It' factor. Even if an outfit looked simple or just thrown together, it was always done in the most perfect way.'
Hart agreed: 'A lot of style icons, while gorgeous and fashionable, wear things that aren't practical for, say, a 10-minute walk and 25-minute subway ride to work.'
But CBK's looks are still wearable, she said.
'Comfortable shoes, simple silhouettes, dark neutrals. Almost every outfit she wore you could wear to work today — that's what makes her unique.'