The buzz around A Love Story is everywhere—social media, old school media, group chats and in person convos. Elder millennial and Gen X moms are some of the biggest fans—and it got us thinking…why? Yes, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s fashion was iconic, but it’s not just that. For middle-aged moms, it reminds us of a time that feels recent but far away—a version of us that we can still feel but can’t see. Here are 5 reasons we’re loving Love Story.
The 90s Were A Carefree Time
Carolyn Bessette in the 90s was a more stylish and better connected version of a lot of us in the 90s. Whether we were in high school, college, or enjoying our early 20s freedom at our first jobs in NYC or beyond, we were old enough to have independence but young enough not to be shouldered with responsibility. Now part of the sandwich generation, we’re responsible for kids, parents and everything in between. That ’90s nostalgia is as much about freedom as it is about fashion.
We Felt—And Were—Naturally Beautiful
Carolyn Bessette is being described as a natural beauty, highlighted by her neutral style and minimal hair and makeup. But many of us who were teenagers and 20-somethings at that time felt (generally) comfortable in our own skin with little makeup beyond some Maybelline Great Lash and some Sun-In to add some subtle (or not so subtle) highlights. Messy hair, no makeup and a slip dress is adorable when you’re young. And it’s not that we couldn’t pull off the vibe now, but it certainly isn’t as easy. It’s the difference between a “no-makeup look” and “no makeup”.
It Was Before Smartphones & High Definition Cameras
The grainy single megapixel disposable cameras we used naturally filtered out imperfections (small as they may be) and the images they produced were not instantly shareable. The world felt less intense, because small mishaps (from wardrobe malfunctions to regrettable nights out) weren’t immediately being made permanent and widely distributed.
Our Health Felt Invincible
Today, middle-aged moms are trying to get their 10,000 steps in, eat their protein, drink their water, limit their alcohol while also making sure our picky eaters eat, our anxious kids get support, our elderly parents are getting to doctors—health all around feels fragile. In the 90s, health worries seemed like an old person’s problem…something that could be tabled for the next few decades. If you were trying to be healthy, you smoked American Spirits instead of Marlboro Lights. You didn’t have a water bottle‚ you hydrated with Snapple during the week and Zima or straight vodka on the weekends. Gen Z wouldn’t make it two weeks.
This Was Pre-9/11
On an even broader level, September 11 marked a dramatic shift for anyone who was old enough to sense the gravity of the day but young enough to not being able to process it entirely. The world shifted, and we shifted. It felt heavier on September 12, 2001, and that weight never quite left.
We Knew Who We Were
A big part Carolyn Bessette’s appeal was her confidence wearing her clothes and being who she was. Perimenopause and menopause has a way of stripping you back to who you were before you were a mom, because as any member of the We Do Not Care Club can attest, we are too tired to pretend to be something we are not. So not only do we have nostalgia for a time when we were a stripped down version of ourselves, but we are ready to embrace it again.
This story contains an AI-generated image.
