Jackie Onassis (Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis): biography, personal life. The Kennedy Family: The Rich and the Dead What Happened to the Kennedy Wife

The future first lady of America, and later the wife of the richest European millionaire, was born in America, in an aristocratic wealthy family in 1923. The girl was her father's favorite. As for her father, he taught little Jackie and her sister style and emphasized that style should come first. When Jackie was 11 years old, her parents divorced, and her mother soon remarried a millionaire. From early childhood, the girl lived in luxury, but her parents did not spoil her much. The girl's father, despite the fact that he was married, cheated on Jackie's mother, so the future first Mrs. America from childhood resigned herself to the fact that men cheat.

After receiving a good education in one of the most prestigious American universities, she began to write a column for the Washington Times Herald. Over time, the column written by Jacqueline Kennedy became the highlight of the paper. She soon became interested in politics and became a political analyst, often going to political meetings with young and established politicians.

Once at a meeting, friends introduced her to a young, promising politician, John F. Kennedy Jr. Soon Jacqueline and John got married. Their marriage interested thousands of people (1953).

Jacqueline greatly influenced the formation political career her husband. Soon her husband became the president of America, and she was the first lady.

Jacqueline, in the status of the president's wife, not only began to change the order in the White House, but also turned into a style icon. At all social events, she appeared in various images. Everyone knows that Jacqueline preferred to wear clothes from the great European couturiers, she bought up entire collections, but this annoyed John, because all his salary went to outfits for the first lady, while he understood that Jacqueline was a component of his popularity among the people and with over time he had become accustomed to such extravagance.

In order to support the American manufacturer, she bought clothes of famous European brands, tore off the tags and sewed on the tags of famous American brands. In addition, the clothes that she wore several times, she handed over to second-hand, and the proceeds were returned to the accounts.

John was a womanizer and often cheated on his wife while not hiding anything. Jacqueline, of course, knew about his betrayals, in the end, the more he cheated on her, the more she spent his money. It is still unknown whether the union of Jackie and John was happy, but the result of their short living together was the birth of four children, two of whom survived. The death of two babies greatly affected Jackie's psyche, in order to drown out the pain, she drank a lot for a short time (of course, no one knew about this). Remarkable is the fact that Jackie could smoke a whole pack of cigarettes a day, but no one saw this.

In 1963, an assassination attempt was made on John F. Kennedy and he died. Jackie was heartbroken and maintained her mourning status for five years. At this time, she had an affair with Bobby Kennedy, kept in touch with her old friend Aristotle Onassis (ex-lover of her sister). Onassis was an enemy of the Kennedy clan. However, throughout the mourning period, he supported her as best he could. Jackie was worried about her children, she had no money and she needed a man who could protect her and provide for her, so in 1968 she married Aristotle Onassis.

The American society perceived such an act of Jacqueline as treason, because she is the widow of her beloved american president. Everyone was against her marriage.

Despite such a negative reaction from the public, Jackie continued to live and spend money. If during the life of her first husband she spent hundreds of thousands, then during her second marriage she began to spend millions. The Greek billionaire Onassis wondered how she could spend so much money and at the same time she could never wear the things that she bought. After several years of joint family life Onassis and Jackie cooled off towards each other.

Soon Aristotle realized that this woman would ruin him and hired a detective to start collecting dirt on Jackie in order to divorce her, but his son suddenly died, and then Aristotle himself. As for the style of Jacqueline, after marrying a billionaire, he changed. Being the first lady, she was the very modesty, becoming the wife of a billionaire, she began to dress extravagantly and defiantly. Aristotle and Jacqueline lived in different worlds He loved her, and she allowed herself to be loved. Their marriage lasted 8 years, of which they lived together as lovers for only a few years and ended with the death of Onassis.

The last few years, Jacqueline and Aristotle lived apart, and immediately after his death, she demanded money from the Onassis family. As a result, she was paid an additional 26 million dollars, she provided for herself and her children for the rest of her life.

After the death of her second husband, Jacqueline began to lead ordinary life than simply shocked the public. Being very rich, she got a job as an assistant editor for only $200 a week. This period was the happiest in her life, because she could do what she loved and devote time to children.

In 1993, she was diagnosed with cancer. Over the next two years, she fought the disease, but in 1995 she died in the hospital with her relatives.

Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy-Onassis lived bright life. Her exemplary marriage to America's most beloved present has been the subject of much gossip and speculation. Despite the fact that Jacqueline and John have never hugged in public, their couple is considered one of the happiest. Her second marriage showed her true colors, which contrasted with her exemplary life as First Lady.

Despite outliving her two husbands and children, she never lost her temper and maintained an aristocratic image. There is not a single photo in which she looked in a negligee, she constantly kept herself in shape.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 35th President of the United States, was born on May 29, 1917. At the age of 46, he was killed by a rifle shot while riding in the presidential motorcade along the streets of Dallas with his wife, Jacqueline. Who else from the Kennedy clan comprehended bad rock- in the photo gallery "Kommersant".

Joseph Patrick Kennedy and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald had nine children, five of whom faced a terrible fate. Pictured (left to right): Gene, Bobby, Patricia, Eunice, Kathleen, Rosemary, Jack, Joe

Joseph Patrick Kennedy was raised as an heir richest family. London School of Economics, Harvard. One year remained before the title of master of jurisprudence, when he signed up as a volunteer in military aviation. August 12, 1944 exploded in his plane

It was Joseph Patrick (in the center), according to the Kennedys themselves, who brought the curse on his children. It was believed that he made a fortune in a not entirely honest way, in particular, illegally selling alcohol.

Kathleen Kennedy died in a plane crash in 1948. She was 28 years old. Then her father (Joseph Patrick) said for the first time: "A curse hangs over the Kennedy family"

John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy, 35th President of the United States. He was killed in 1963 (at the age of 46) by a rifle shot while riding in a presidential motorcade along the streets of Dallas with his wife Jacqueline

Robert (Bobby) Kennedy was his father's favorite. When President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Robert continued the family business and became one of the Democratic presidential candidates. Shot dead by an Arab fanatic in 1968, these events formed the basis of the movie "Bobby"

Edward Kennedy (right) lived to be 77 years old, thus could be a refutation of the existence of the "Kennedy curse". But his life was overshadowed by scandals, losses and tragedies. Died of a brain tumor on August 25, 2009

Jacqueline (Jackie) Kennedy died of cancer on May 19, 1994 at the age of 64. Of the four children born to Jacqueline and John F. Kennedy, only youngest daughter. Arabella's first daughter was stillborn. Son Patrick died on August 9, 1963 from neonatal respiratory distress syndrome.

Michael Lemoyne Kennedy (son of Robert and Ethel Kennedy) died in a mountain accident in 1997

John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr. (son of the 35th President of the United States John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy) died on July 16, 1999 in a plane crash along with his wife Caroline Bissett

On the eve of World War II, the Kennedy clan was considered the second richest family in the world (after the Rockefellers). Pictured (left to right): John, Jean, Rose, Joseph, Patricia, Robert, Eunice, Edward (foreground)

This is the side of Jacqueline Kennedy that only her close friends and family knew about her. Funny and inquisitive, cautious and sharp on the tongue. In the book "Jacqueline Kennedy: Historical Conversations about Life with" the former first lady of the United States is depicted at a time when she had not yet become a style icon of the late 60s or literary editor 70s and 80s. But even three years before that, she was not the elegant fashionista that everyone remembered her. She was over 30, she had just been widowed, but she was able to wipe away her tears and gain determination.

Kennedy met with historian and former White House consultant Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. at his 18th-century Washington home in the spring and early summer of 1964. At home, in a relaxed atmosphere, as if accepting a guest for a cup of tea, she talked to him about her husband and about the time spent in the White House. The young children of Kennedy - Carolyn and John Jr. from time to time looked into the living room. The clink of ice in glasses can be heard on the accompanying disc. These notes have been hidden from everyone for decades and are among the latest things to reveal her thoughts and personal life. She never wrote a memoir and became a legend, partly because we didn't know much about her. She remained a woman of mystery.

(Total 22 photos)

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1. Jacqueline Kennedy with her son John Jr., born November 25, 1960. (Photo credit AFP/AFP/Getty Images)

2. US President John F. Kennedy at a press conference under the watchful eye of his wife Jacqueline April 9, 1963 at the White House. (Photo by National Archive/Newsmakers)

3. Former US First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis rests in a chair weeks after her husband won the presidential election. Mrs. Onassis died on May 19, 1994 at the age of 64 from cancer. (Photo credit B/AFP/Getty Images)

4. Presidential couple at the March 27, 1963 parade in Washington. (Photo by National Archive/Newsmakers)

5. Jacqueline on her wedding day to John F. Kennedy in Newport, Rhode Island, September 12, 1953. (Photo credit AFP/AFP/Getty Images)

6. US President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy with the President (left) and guests at the welcoming ceremony at the White House on October 4, 1961 in Washington. (Photo Courtesy of Kennedy Library Archives/Newsmakers)

7. Jacqueline with children Carolyn (right) and John Jr. ride on horseback in their home of Glen Ora on November 25, 1962. (Photo credit AFP/Getty Images)

8. John and Jacqueline Kennedy at the premiere of "Mr. President" September 25, 1962 in Washington. (Photo courtesy of Kennedy Library Archives/Newsmakers)

9. The wife of the late US President and his daughter Carolyn arrived at their new house, leaving White House in Washington. (Photo credit AFP/Getty Images)

10. US First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy at a ceremony at the White House on April 20, 1962. (Photo Courtesty of National Archive/Newsmakers)

11. Jacqueline at a ceremony at the White House on June 22, 1961. (Photo by National Archive/Newsmakers)

12. John and Jacqueline Kennedy at a ceremony at the White House February 21, 1963 in Washington. (Photo by National Archive/Newsmakers)

13. Presidential couple at a ceremony in Washington on January 18, 1963. (Photo by National Archive/Newsmakers)

Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (1929-1994) - wife of US President John F. Kennedy, first lady of America from 1961 to 1963. One of the most famous women of her time. In history, she still remains the most elegant first lady, as she became a trendsetter, an icon of beauty and style, not only in the United States, but also in the world. Millions of fans affectionately called her Jackie.

Childhood

Jacqueline was born on July 28, 1929 in Southampton.
Her mother, Janet Norton Lee, was of Irish descent. The pope, John Bouvier III, had English and French blood in his veins, he worked as a broker. Jackie was four years old when she had a younger sister, Caroline. But in 1940, the parents separated. My father was an amorous man, and my mother could not forgive him for numerous betrayals. But little Jacqueline for the rest of her life retained an insane love for her father - a bright, imposing and strong aristocrat.

Two years later, my mother married a second time to millionaire Hugh Auchincloss. In this marriage, two more children were born - Janet and James. The successful marriage of the mother was reflected in eldest daughter. Jacqueline henceforth grew up in exclusive luxury and received the best education.

Being very young, she learned how to handle horses well and became an unsurpassed rider, her passion for riding remained for life. Jackie grew up as a literate and well-read girl, she also liked to draw, in her teens she was engaged in a tough sports contact game of lacrosse.

Education

Jacqueline received her primary education in Maryland at the school at the Prayer House.

In 1944, she was sent to Mrs. Porter's school in the small town of Farmington in the southwestern United States. This is a well-known educational institution in America, where real ladies were made from little girls. She studied here for three years.

She then continued her education at Vassar College in New York. During her studies, she spent a whole year in France, where she studied French language and literature at the Sorbonne. Even then, the girl was fascinated by the elegance of French women, which in the future formed the basis of her famous style. Returning to America, Jackie transferred to a private research university George Washington. She graduated in 1951 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in French Literature.

Growing up in a wealthy intelligent family and getting an education in prestigious educational institutions, young Jackie acquired great taste and manners, learned to understand art objects, beautiful things, historical values. She had to be in the highest circles of society, surrounded by different people where she held herself perfectly and felt comfortable. Moreover, among the smart, rich and famous representatives high society She quickly rose to the top.

Youth

After graduating from the university, together with her younger sister Jacqueline went to travel around Europe. During this trip, her only autobiographical book, One Special Summer, was written (co-authored with her sister). This publication even has drawings by Jacqueline.

After returning from a trip, Jackie got a job as a correspondent for a daily newspaper. She had to come up with witty questions and ask them to random passers-by on the street, while taking photographs. Jacqueline did her job responsibly, did not look like a rich woman at all, drove an old tiny car. Her weekly salary was 56 dollars and 27 cents, her father threw 50 dollars a month, sometimes her mother helped with money.

Young Jacqueline was charming, among other girls she was distinguished by such features as free-thinking, a sense of humor and a sharp mind. Her personal life at that time was quite stormy, with her lover John Husted they even announced their engagement, but the wedding did not take place.

Continuing to improve, Jackie entered the Catholic Private University of Georgetown in Washington, DC, where she studied the history of America. At a charity dinner party in the spring of 1952, Jacqueline met politician John F. Kennedy. During the acquaintance, young people liked each other. But then none of them could have imagined that in the near future they would become one of the brightest couples not only in America, but in the whole world.

couple century

John Fitzgerald Kennedy at the time of his acquaintance with Jacqueline was already a fairly well-known person in politics, he ran for senators, he was thirty-five years old. Jackie was twelve years younger than John, worked as an ordinary journalist. That is why many accused the girl of prudence. But it was not so, Jacqueline truly fell in love. Moreover, Kennedy very much reminded her of her own father, whom Jackie had always adored.

The romance between them was stormy, but did not differ in particular romance. A year after they met, John made Jacqueline a marriage proposal. And it happened by telegraph when Jackie was on a business trip in the UK for the coronation of Elizabeth II. In June 1953, young people announced their engagement, and three months later their wedding took place.

wedding dress for Jacqueline sewed designer Ann Lowe. However, Jackie was not happy with them and said that the dress looked like a lampshade. But hundreds of thousands of women around the world thought otherwise, Jacqueline's wedding dress became a role model. On her head, the bride put on a vintage lace veil, in which her grandmother was married. John liked the bride's outfit very much, he said that Jacqueline was beautiful in it and looked like a fairy.

About 1500 guests attended the wedding. Honeymoon the couple spent in Acapulco.

Young, full of hope and love, Jackie dreamed of a happy family with loving husband and a bunch of healthy kids. It cannot be said that John dreamed of the same. Just for him, this marriage was more calculated. He had a great career that required perfect image. Kennedy's father often told his son that if he did not marry, then he would be considered a libertine or gay, which did nothing to win the political arena.

But in the very first year of married life, Jacqueline realized that marriage to a politician is a real test. She had to endure the constant employment of her husband, the explosive nature of his relatives, the frequent presence of strangers in the house. She managed to close her eyes to the rudeness, lack of attention and constant betrayal of her husband. Jackie was able to cope even in August 1956, when, due to bleeding, she prematurely gave birth to a dead girl. She clenched her fists and teeth, never showed her feelings, became an ideal wife and role model.

The long-awaited daughter of the Kennedys was born only in November 1957. The girl was named Caroline. Now she is the only heiress of the most famous married couple of the twentieth century, she worked as the US ambassador to Japan, and is engaged in writing and advocacy.

First Lady of the United States

Early in 1960, Kennedy announced that he would run for President of America. The election campaign began, but Jackie could not take an active part in it, as she found out that she was pregnant again.

In November 1960, John won and became President of the United States. And two weeks later, his wife gave him long-awaited son John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr.
When the couple moved into the White House, Jacqueline set to work on its reconstruction. She wanted to give the building a historical atmosphere; for this, antique dishes and furniture were purchased. In 1962, the White House hosted a guided tour for viewers in conjunction with a television channel. Such an act was highly appreciated and Jackie was awarded an Emmy award.

Jacqueline worked hard social activities, often went on long trips abroad, establishing American connections around the world. In early 1963, Jackie became pregnant again and reduced her official activities. She went into labor five weeks ahead of schedule, the doctors did cesarean section, but two days later the born boy died. This grief brought the spouses very close, only they had not long to be together.

One step from first lady to widow

November 22, 1963, Friday, Jacqueline and her husband woke up in a Texas hotel in Fort Worth. They came to this state in preparation for the nascent re-election campaign. When dressing, she chose a pink Chanel suit.

The couple flew to Dallas and drove through its streets in a motorcade. The Kennedys were in an open car surrounded by numerous guards. During the thundering shots, John was mortally wounded in the head and fell on his wife, who was sitting next to him, filling her pink suit with blood. The President was rushed to the hospital, delicate and fragile Jackie holding the head of her dying husband with a bullet through the skull.

Jacqueline's blood-drenched skirt and jacket became part of American history. She didn't change her outfit when she took her husband to the autopsy. In the same pink suit, Jackie delivered his body to the White House and watched as the Vice President who took the oath on the Bible, who stood at the head of the country instead of the assassinated Kennedy, took the oath. She said then: "I want everyone to see what they did."

Then there were three days that turned out to be the most difficult in her life. Jacqueline showed all her best qualities and amazing stamina, she organized such a magnificent funeral ceremony that her great husband deserved. She walked at the head of the foot procession next to John's brothers, she herself lit the eternal flame near the grave of her husband. AT once more Jacqueline fascinated the whole world, now with the power of her spirit.

Life without John

After the death of her husband, Jackie knew that she had no right to relax, she needed to raise her children. Her husband's brother Robert Kennedy helped her buy a house in a secluded place, where Jacqueline settled with her daughter and son. Long time she wore mourning and did not go out.

Somewhat recovering from grief, Jackie moved to New York, where she began to work in the field of community initiatives and relations. She devoted a lot of time and effort to the legacy of John F. Kennedy, taking part in the creation and opening of the library named after him.

Five years later, after she became a widow, Jacqueline married a second time to the billionaire from Greece, Aristotle Onassis. This event was preceded by the murder of John's brother, Robert Kennedy, after which Jackie began to panic about the life of her daughter and son. She wanted to leave America. And a rich shipping magnate from Greece was able to ensure the safety of herself and her children.

Jacqueline and Aristotle were married for seven years. Onassis died in 1975. Jackie was forty-six years old when she was left a widow for the second time. Having received from Christina Onassis ( own daughter billionaire) 26 million dollars in compensation, Jacqueline renounced the rest of the inheritance, returned to America and continued to work in the media field.

Until the end of her days, Jackie was an ideal mother and grandmother, devoting herself entirely to children and three grandchildren. In early 1994, doctors diagnosed her with lymphoma, and their prognosis was optimistic. At the insistence of doctors, Jacqueline even quit smoking, although from her youth she was a heavy smoker. But three months later, the lymphoma metastasized. On May 19, 1994, Jackie died, she was buried in a Manhattan church, where she was baptized as a baby in 1929. Jacqueline was buried next to John F. Kennedy and their dead infant children at the military cemetery in Arlington, in the suburbs of Washington.

Style icon

To form an elegant style and appearance for Jacqueline, who later became her calling card, helped by an American designer with Russian and Italian roots Oleg Cassini. The result was the image of not an American and not a Frenchwoman, it was the image of Jackie Kennedy - the first lady of America, at that time she was even called the first lady of the world.

A mandatory component of her image was a necklace of white pearls. All fashion designers knew about Jackie's weakness for round collars and created outfits according to her taste. She preferred midi or knee length skirts, outerwear with or without three-quarter sleeves. Evening images were often supplemented with long white gloves, which gave her a special sophistication and fragility.

Jackie brought into fashion not only pearl threads, but also silk scarves, huge sunglasses, white jeans, combined with black turtleneck.

Many celebrities and first ladies of European and American states still turn to the image of Jacqueline and adopt elements of style that do not go out of fashion from her. Her manner of dressing was unique - easily recognizable and inimitable at the same time.

A new first lady appeared in America and all sorts of tabloids and women's magazines overnight dubbed Mrs. Obama an icon. style, citing as a standard, the name of another first lady - Jacqueline Kennedy.

She passed away in 1994, but after 15 years, her name still remains synonymous with such concepts as absolute taste, sophistication, charm. What was the style of the woman who became for the American people the personification of the fashion of the sixties, the woman whose taste was legendary, thanks to which the so-called “ jackie style”, and everything that she preferred - a haircut, fashionable clothes of certain silhouettes, the style of sunglasses, small handbags and famous hats, turned into a cult American brand.

Not so many women in all world history attracted the attention of the entire world. Jacqueline Kennedy one of those who did it. She was idolized when she was the wife of John F. Kennedy, and after his death, for five years, people sympathized with her and considered her a national treasure.

Marriage with Aristotle Onassis caused anger and bewilderment among Americans. "The second death of Kennedy", - so the newspapers commented on the marriage of Jacqueline and Aristotle. “Jackie, don’t!”, “Today, John F. Kennedy died for the second time!”, “Jackie married a bank check!”, “Jackie, how could you?” – the press was full of such headlines on the wedding day of Jacqueline and Onassis. But, having slipped off the American pedestal, Jackie still continued to arouse crazy interest.

Opinions about Jacqueline Kennedy journalists, biographers, contemporaries, are polar and contradictory. This woman was honored with admiration and hatred, admiration and censure.

According to some, it was perfection. She sincerely loved her husband, adored her son and daughter, was very upset by the death of John F. Kennedy, and decided to marry the millionaire Aristotle Onassis for the second time only because life had become empty and meaningless. Many imagined her as prudent and arrogant, claimed that her annual financial bill could make up the budget of a small state, that she constantly changes lovers, attributed to her novels with actors Marlon Brando and William Holden, with John F. Kennedy's brother, Robert, with the Secretary of Defense of the Kennedy cabinet McNamara and his deputy, Roswell Gilpatrick.

Opponents insisted that she was a shy and very vulnerable person, did not like publicity, knew what suffering and loneliness were. That she was distinguished by delicacy and an amazing sense of tact. That Jackie was able to instantly charm the interlocutor, that she had a genuine interest in people, that she adored literature and art. And the novels are an attempt to stifle the grievances inflicted first by the first husband, a passionate lover of the female sex, and then by the second husband, rough, domineering, known for his bisexual inclinations.

The feeling of spiritual emptiness and severe depression that happened in her life were associated with several unsuccessful pregnancies, stillborn children and constant betrayal John, and the most difficult period, reinforced by a passion for alcohol - with tragic death her husband, President Kennedy, and after a while, his brother, a very close person to her, Robert Kennedy. Sometimes, in unbridled desperation, she told her devoted secretary Nancy Tuckerman and her beloved sister Caroline, who supported her during these years, that she hated: "... this damn America, killing its best people," that someday this country would kill her too, and her children.

Jacqueline Kennedy, born Jacqueline Lee Bouvier, is an American with French roots through her father, John Bouvier. He provided the family with a completely comfortable existence by playing on the stock exchange. In the 1930s, during the global crisis, financial position The Bouvier family was greatly shaken. When Jacqueline was thirteen and her younger sister Caroline Lee is eleven, her parents are divorced. After some time, the girls had a stepfather - Hugh Auchincloss, a man not poor, family relations with the most famous surnames of America - Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, Tiffany.

In 1951, twenty-two-year-old Jacqueline Bouvier had a private charter college, a year of study at the Sorbonne, and George Washington University, from which she graduated with a bachelor's degree in French literature. While still at university, Jackie managed to win a writing competition held by the most popular Parisian magazine Vogue. Her essay on the figures of literature and art who have passed away was recognized as the best among many works. Jackie became an employee of the Washington newspaper The Washington Times Herald. At first, she had to play the role of an errand girl, then followed by a promotion to the position of secretary of the city news department.

When the editorial office opened up for the position of "interviewer photographer", Jackie assured the editor that she could take pictures, and she secretly went to short-term photography courses. However, the young journalist did not particularly achieve success in this field. Her former colleagues testified that Jackie's photographs were not best quality, however, as and its interview.

Jackie worked for the paper for only a year and a half. In the spring of 1952, at a dinner with journalist Charles Bartlett, Jacqueline met a young congressman from Massachusetts named John Fitzgerald Kennedy. The meeting was the beginning of her new life and the end of her journalistic career. In 1953, a few days before her marriage to Kennedy, Jackie resigned from the editorial office. A few years later, becoming the mistress of the White House, Jacqueline immediately showed her outstanding taste, starting to remake the interiors, the decor of which, in her opinion, was far from perfect.

John Kennedy believed that Jackie was too "refined" for the Americans. The President said with a grin that it would take them a long time to get used to the image of the first lady with aristocratic manners and impeccable appearance, with an excellent education, which allowed her to fluently own several foreign languages, with the most elegant wardrobe from Parisian couturiers.

And indeed, America, in the face of ordinary inhabitants, did not immediately accept it. But still, I accepted and loved it. And not just fell in love, but made her an idol, an object of adoration and imitation. During this period, interest in art, antiquities, and family values. And all this thanks to Jackie. For Americans, she has become the epitome of good taste. style and excellent manners, her ability to dress caused delight and a wave of imitations.

True addiction to outfits caused and the largest number complaints about Jacqueline. Jackie's extravagance and her unbridled love to buy expensive fashionable clothes and all kinds of luxury items were legendary. The exorbitant expenses of his wife were somewhat of a burden to John F. Kennedy. During her first year in the White House, Jackie personally spent more than $100,000 on clothes, jewelry, and visits to beauty salons.

“You understand that I only get a hundred thousand a year? Kennedy asked her. “If we didn’t have side income, we would go bankrupt.” After this conversation, Jacqueline asked her press secretary to "hit her arm" if she wanted to buy something expensive. But it didn't help much. And Jacqueline continued to buy, complaining about the constant lack of money, and John, becoming dismayed when receiving invoices from stores, was nevertheless proud of his wife, whose beauty, taste and exquisite outfits were admired by the whole world.

The first lady received many chic things and jewelry as a gift, for example, the Emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie presented her with a leopard fur coat worth 75 thousand dollars, and King Hassan I of Morocco - a white silk caftan and a huge belt adorned with hundreds of precious stones. De Gaulle's gift was a watch with diamonds worth $4,000.

After the second marriage, the love of shopping turned into a passion. She began to literally overspend, buying fashionable clothes, interior items, antiques. Only in the first year of their life together, Onassis spent on Jackie more than 20 million dollars. Paying bills, the Greek tycoon said: "God is my witness, Jackie suffered a lot, let her buy whatever she wants."

Over time, the unbridled desire for acquisition began to confuse the millionaire somewhat. Running into the store for a few minutes, Jackie she could leave a huge amount there, going into a fur atelier for one fur coat, she left it with two. Jacqueline acquired the collections of fashionable clothes of her favorite designers in whole series. The thirty thousand dollars that Onassis gave her every month could not be met. Jacqueline constantly complained to her husband about the lack of money.

If she did not have enough funds from her own credit cards She sent bills to her husband. By the way, money from Onassis's credit card Jackie quite adroitly translated into cash. After wearing an expensive toilet only once or twice, she would take it to a thrift store and keep the cash for herself. True, Jackie started this practice while still being the first lady of America. She used the services of the fashionable New York thrift store Encore. Of course, the hostess of the White House did not hand over the clothes herself, her personal secretary did this, she first issued a receipt in her name, and then transferred the money to Jackie's account.

Aristotle Onassis wondered where the wife puts so many outfits? Jacqueline often wore jeans, discreet T-shirts and sweaters, very simple dresses, skirts and sandals, with the exception of "big exits". Even the famous rubies with diamonds, donated by Onassis for the wedding, Jackie put on a few times, ordering their copies from the famous jeweler Kenneth Line. It seemed that it was important for her not to wear, but to have.

One of Jacqueline's passions was shoes. She could buy hundreds of new pairs in a year. They suffered the same fate as fashionable clothes. Once a meticulous Greek nevertheless got to the bottom of the truth, discovering that Mrs. Onassis sends practically new shoes and toilets to a company that buys second-hand goods, and her account is constantly replenished.

One of Jacqueline's favorite fashion designers during her life with Aristotle Onassis was Valentino. During the second marriage, Jackie was wearing an elegant light beige dress, which was made for her by an Italian couturier. After the photos of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in a Valentino dress went around the world, the phone in the fashion designer's Rome office literally did not stop. Within a few days, admirers of his talent ordered various variations of this famous dress for themselves.

Legends circulated not only about Jackie's ability to spend money, but also about the ability to charm. She conquered the impregnable French President Charles de Gaulle, who said about her: “The only thing I would bring from the USA is Mrs. Kennedy. Mrs. Kennedy is too precious even for the President of USA! She charmed Khrushchev, who was not distinguished by courtesy, the Soviet General Secretary promised to send her a puppy from dogs that had been in space, and he fulfilled his promise.

She delighted the caustic and sarcastic Malraux, French writer, culturologist, hero of the Resistance, who at that time was the Minister of Culture in de Gaulle's government. Even the uncompromising fiery revolutionary Che Guevara, after meeting Jacqueline, said that Jackie - only person in the United States, whom he would like to meet, adding pointedly: "But not at the negotiating table."

Jacqueline Kennedy, who became the first lady of America in 1961, was too different from the stereotype associated with this status. Solidity, age, wisdom, just such an image of the hostess of the White House, thanks to Eleanor Roosevelt, was strengthened in the American mind. She was clearly a stranger among the senatorial wives, who were not distinguished by youth, beauty, the ability to flaunt fashionable clothes and teach lessons. style. They were clearly annoyed Jackie her complete indifference to the problems of charity, which has always been done by the wives of major politicians and other rich and powerful people.

Jacqueline Kennedy crushed American stereotypes. Editors of fashion magazines in enthusiastic tones told readers about the impeccable taste of Madam President, about her design abilities, about her innate sense of style. After Jackie, contrary to the existing canons, covered the tables in the dining room of the White House with colored tablecloths, most American housewives had the same tablecloths. In every house one could find chairs made of golden bamboo, samples of which Jackie brought from Paris. And how everyone wanted to wear the same clothes as Jackie!

Jacqueline had a somewhat disproportionate figure with an overly long torso, which made her legs look short. She did not have very beautiful hands, so she kept in her wardrobe a lot of white gloves, short and long. But no one paid any attention to this. With incomparably great interest, everyone discussed how elegantly things with laconic geometric lines look on her.
Jackie changed the approach to female beauty. She was the exact opposite of the legendary Marilyn Monroe, the buxom blonde American sex symbol of the day. Dark-haired, short-haired, tall and thin, Jacqueline, with forty-one legs and the first breast size, was able to convince the whole world that she was beautiful, not being one. She had a too wide square face and too wide apart eyes. Because of what, she did not really like to be photographed full face. Back in 1951, in an essay for a Vogue magazine competition, Jacqueline wrote: "My eyes are so unforgivably wide that it takes three and a half weeks to make glasses."

Her behavior and every detail of her appearance were verified to the smallest detail. Jackie understood what an image is and remained faithful to it. She smoked a pack of cigarettes a day, but almost no photographer managed to capture her smoking. In the photographs, Jackie is always elegant, perfectly combed. She was very attentive to how the camera captures herself and all family members.

After thoroughly studying herself in front of the mirror, Jacqueline, with the help of the famous Washington dressmaker Mini Rea, picked up a number of clothing silhouettes that suited her. Jackie paid attention to everything - length, trimmings, waistline, cut of sleeves, location and size of buttons, realizing that the details are everything. What did not suit her was mercilessly swept aside.

In her White House wardrobe, there were small geometric dresses, pastel-colored A-line coats, for social events and official events, Jacqueline chose long tight evening dresses, as well as open-top bustier dresses. Sometimes these were floor-length dresses with a cut-off waist in a Dior "flower" silhouette. Jackie preferred a small round neckline, a “boat”, a v-neckline and dresses with one open shoulder to deep cutouts, since these lines emphasized the beautiful line of the shoulders and did not accentuate small size chest.

Also, her things were suits with a straight or slightly flared skirt, just below the knee and a cropped jacket with three-quarter sleeves and sheath dresses.

Jackie's favorite additional details are the legendary pillbox hats, decorative buttons and bows on dresses, gloves of various lengths, low-heeled shoes, thick-rimmed sunglasses, small geometric handbags.

“I feel as if I have become public property,” said in early 1961 Jackie his friend. During the presidential campaign, the press and society literally did not take their eyes off Mrs. Kennedy. Her haircut, simple lines of clothing, colors that she preferred, enchanted the whole world.

What to do? Mrs. Kennedy really understood what it meant to dress well. She loved luxury, but her taste did not fail, Jackie felt what true elegance is.

Jacqueline Kennedy, thanks to the absolute feeling style, it would seem, made a revolution in fashion, but at the same time there was nothing revolutionary in her manner of dressing. She just clearly understood: mine is not mine. Jacqueline brought into fashion, perhaps, her famous pill-shaped hat, which became a symbol of " Jackie style". The origin of this legendary accessory has different versions. It was mentioned in the press that fashion designer Roy Halston copied it for Jacqueline from a hat that Hollywood designer Adrian made for Greta Garbo in 1932. According to Jacqueline's court designer, Oleg Cassini, this hat was the very model that absolutely suited her.

Mrs. Kennedy was a regular client of French couturiers. It was their design that she considered the reference. "Simple things" from Givenchy, Chanel, Cardin were her passion. But a fan of French design almost found herself at the center of a scandal. The first lady of the United States could not spend tens of thousands of dollars on fashionable clothes from Paris. Attachment to the French style was considered her most vulnerable point. And the Republicans immediately took advantage of this weakness. The wife of Richard Nixon, the main political rival of John F. Kennedy, Pat Nixon, successfully told reporters about her love for American clothes: “I like American designers. In my opinion they are the best in the world. I buy almost all my clothes in Washington DC stores.”

This was a serious reason for Jacqueline to urgently review her wardrobe. In addition, significant support for the presidential campaign of John F. Kennedy was provided by the American Ladies "Garment Workers" Union - the trade union of clothing and textile workers of America.

And Jackie began to wear clothes of American designers. Among her favorites were Gustav Tassel, Stella Sloat, Ben Zuckerman, Norman Norell, the New York atelier Chez Ninon, and others. One of Jacqueline's favorite American brands was Lilly Pulitzer. Plain cotton Lilly Pulitzer dresses with floral patterns were very popular in the 1960s.

However, having “bowed in” before the American opinion, and having won another plus for herself, Jackie slowly negotiated with fashion designers to make copies of her favorite Parisian designers’ outfits for her. There were also rumors that Mrs. Kennedy received things from the adored Givenchy by mail, ripped off labels from them and sewed on tags with the name of Oleg Cassini.

Oleg Laevsky-Cassini, an American fashion designer of half Russian origin, was chosen as Mrs. Kennedy's official fashion designer. According to Kennedy family biographers, during her stay in the White House, Jacqueline ordered about 300 dresses from her personal couturier.

Before the inauguration, the fashion designer came to Jacqueline straight to the hospital to discuss her outfit at the grand ceremony. Cassini said: “She asked to visit her in the hospital room. Just a few days ago, she gave birth to a son, John. Two months remained before the inauguration. We thought that all the other women would most likely be in furs, resembling bears. My concept was that Jacqueline should look divine and simple - a beige wool coat and a beanie from Halston. It turned out to be correct. As soon as she appeared in public, she immediately stood out among everyone. Jackie's style appeared instantly. It was not the appearance of a Frenchwoman, not an American, but Jackie. Thus was born her image: sophistication, refined elegance and dissimilarity to others.

From the memoirs of Oleg Cassini: “I was close friends with the Kennedy clan, so there was nothing surprising in the choice of Jacqueline. I created for her an “architectural” silhouette a la an Egyptian princess, in fact, this is how the international fashion for “ jackie style". She delighted the world with short coats and long gloves, house hats and asymmetric evening dress with one bare shoulder. In the latter case, I had to persuade the doubting president for a long time. There is famous photograph, where John F. Kennedy sits, painfully clutching his head, the photo says: “Again these crazy bills from Cassini!” Oleg Cassini called her the Goddess of Geometry. In his book, Cassini wrote: “Jackie often called me on the phone and asked: “Oleg, urgently come to me, I have nothing to wear.” Jacqueline sent Cassini the sketches she had come up with, and carefully ensured that her outfits did not go into circulation: “Make sure that no one wears clothes like me. No one should talk about my outfits ahead of time."

Jacqueline Kennedy's most famous outfit, which instantly became part of history, was a pink Chanel suit covered in the blood of the 35th US president, who was assassinated in Dallas in 1963. After some time, Mrs. Kennedy told her friends that the president himself chose this particular suit for her that day. Fashion historians have some disagreements about the legendary suit, many argue that this suit was a copy of the Chanel model, sewn at Chez Ninon, designers which was often made for the first lady replica models of French designers.