Jackie Kennedy's Wedding Dress: A Timeless Icon of Fashion and Resilience

Last Updated on February 5, 2025 by Ruby And The Wolf

When Jacqueline Bouvier married John F. Kennedy on September 12, 1953, she wore a wedding dress that would become one of the most iconic bridal gowns in history. Designed by African-American fashion designer Ann Lowe, the dress has captivated the public imagination for decades, symbolizing both timeless elegance and the resilience of its creator.

The Design

Jackie’s wedding dress was a masterpiece of 1950s bridal fashion. Made from 50 yards of ivory silk taffeta, the gown featured:

A portrait neckline
A fitted bodice with interwoven tucking bands
A voluminous bouffant skirt

Delicate wax flowers and rosettes as embellishments

The dress perfectly embodied the “New Look” silhouette popularized in the 1950s, with its small shoulders, tight waist, and large skirt. This style was inspired by 19th-century fashions and represented a return to traditional femininity in post-war America.

The Designer: Ann Lowe

Ann Lowe, a trailblazing Black designer, was commissioned to create not only Jackie’s gown but also the dresses for the entire bridal party. Lowe had previously designed for elite American families, including the Roosevelts and the Rockefellers. However, her role in creating Jackie’s iconic dress was initially uncredited, highlighting the racial disparities of the time.

The Last-Minute Drama

Just 10 days before the wedding, disaster struck. A burst water pipe in Lowe’s studio destroyed Jackie’s wedding dress and nine bridesmaid dresses. In a remarkable feat of determination and skill, Lowe and her team worked tirelessly to recreate all the dresses in just five days, a task that had originally taken eight weeks.

This setback cost Lowe dearly. Instead of making a $700 profit, she suffered a $2,200 loss on the project. Despite this financial blow, Lowe delivered the dresses on time without informing the Kennedy family of the incident.

The Legacy

Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress has left an indelible mark on bridal fashion. While Jackie herself reportedly preferred simpler styles, the gown’s classic design has stood the test of time. Today, the original dress is part of the permanent collection at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, though it’s too fragile for public display.

The dress’s enduring popularity has led to several recreations for exhibitions, including a paper replica donated by Marshall Field’s Department Store in 2013 and a reproduction for the “Ann Lowe: American Couturier” exhibit at the Winterthur Museum in 2023.

Conclusion

Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress remains a symbol of mid-20th century American elegance and the often-overlooked contributions of Black designers to fashion history. Its creation story, marked by both artistic brilliance and behind-the-scenes drama, continues to captivate fashion enthusiasts and historians alike, ensuring its place in the pantheon of legendary wedding gowns.