How to nail Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's effortless '90s hair in 2026
Just like Zendaya's bixie cut, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's glossy vanilla strands have become synonymous with it girls everywhere as one of the biggest hair trends of 2026.
Known for her instantly recognisable blonde hair, minimalist L. Erickson hair ties, and headbands from C.O. Bigelow, Bessette Kennedy's hair care routine was incredibly simple. She favoured a wash and dry approach, smoothing flyaways with Kiehl's Creme with Silk Groom (now discontinued) and repairing damage with Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Pre-Shampoo Treatment ($66.36 from Adore Beauty).
But to transform herself into the '90s style icon for Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette actress Sarah Pidgeon relied on modern hair tools and products to embody Bessette Kennedy's signature effortlessness.
“In the nineties, she was the blueprint for effortless," Pidgeon's hairstylist David Von Cannon shared in a press release. "We took that energy and created an ultra-straight and sleek look, making it reminiscent of the era, but still feeling a bit modern”.
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@davidvoncannon
How to style your hair like Carolyn Bessette Kennedy
Starting with a freshly shampooed and conditioned base, using a smoothing, shine-enhancing formula like Kérastase Gloss Absolu Bain Hydra-Glaze Shampoo ($60 from Adore Beauty) and Conditioner ($71 from Adore Beauty), David applied a smoothing product like Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray ($46 from Oz Hair & Beauty) to ensure a clean foundation for the tools.
David used the Dyson Airwrap™ i.d. multi-styler and dryer ($695 from Dyson) attachment to fast dry the hair. From there, he began using the Dyson Airstrait™ ($496 from Dyson) to straighten hair and retain volume.
Once the hair is fully dry, add a serum like L'Oréal Paris Elvive Glycolic Gloss Spray ($13.20 from Coles) to the ends and go back over the style using the Dyson Airstrait™ ($496 from Dyson) dry mode setting to seal everything in — to create natural bends, Sarah Pidgeon tucked her hair behind her ears.
To finish, David used the Dyson Airwrap™ i.d. multi-styler and dryer ($695 from Dyson) with the smoothing dryer attachment and L'Oréal Paris Elnett Normal Hold Hairspray ($11.99 from Chemist Warehouse) to calm down any flyaways for a sleek, precise — yet effortless — finish.
Main image credit: @davidvoncannon, Getty Images
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Briar Clark got her start in the media industry in 2017, as an intern for Marie Claire and InStyle. Since then, her keen interest in fashion and beauty has landed her gigs as a Digital Content Producer and Beauty Editor with titles like Girlfriend, Refinery29, BEAUTYcrew and beautyheaven. She loves the way seemingly innocuous topics like skin care and style have the ability to put a smile on people’s faces or make them think about themselves a little differently. A big believer in self love and experimentation, Briar has made a point of becoming the Australian beauty industry’s unofficial guinea pig for unusual treatments and daring hair trends. When she’s not testing out the latest beauty launches, Briar is big on broadening her horizons, mostly in the form of food but she’s also partial to travelling to new destinations both near and far (and of course, allocating an extra bag to bring their best beauty offerings home with her).
