Sometimes, it helps to pretend we are someone else when faced with a disagreeable situation. Someone more chic, more articulate, less rattled. Someone richer, braver, smarter.
A new book tells us there is one legendary woman whose elegance and poise should be emulated whenever we feel or look like the contents of a messy handbag.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
“What Would Jackie Do? An Inspired Guide to Distinctive Living” (Gotham Books, 290 pp., $22.50) attempts to channel the late icon of style, manners and discretion, and give modern women a game plan that will help her handle life with Jackie’s cool composure.
Shelly Branch and Sue Callaway are the conduits/authors who’ve done the research and reporting to give readers an optimistic, whimsical guide to living large the Jackie way.
“We live in such a celebrity-
driven culture that it’s hard to neutralize all of it,” says co-author Branch, an editor at the Wall Street Journal in New York. “Jackie was a celebrity, but she would never seek it out.”
“It was 45 years ago this month that she entered the White House at age 31,” says Callaway, a former journalist and general manager of Jaguar Cars U.S. “She was essentially the CEO of the East Wing, running a complex system with a huge staff and budgets.”
Jackie’s grace in sticky personal situations too inspired the authors – longtime friends who often rhetorically asked themselves, “What would Jackie do?”
The book is divided into chapters with thoughts and tips on clothing, grooming, relationships, careers and child-rearing.
On dressing
Unlike so many of today’s celebs, Jackie was no slave to fashion fads, the authors say. Her favorite designers included Oleg Cassini, Chanel and Givenchy. Would Jackie shop online? Yes, for the anonymity and convenience alone. Would Jackie ever wear a tiara? No, that’s “only for royals.”
On grooming
Thin and athletic, Jackie perfected a signature classic style, which meant her hair and makeup had to be subtle yet polished. “With a world awash in beauty aids, anti-aging creams, lunchtime cosmetic procedures, fitness trends, diets, supplements, and so much more, achieving Jackie’s Brahmin-buff look may be tougher, not easier, today.”
Would Jackie try a low-carb diet? Yes, because she usually avoided sugary, starchy foods. Would she get a Brazilian wax? No, it’s a body ritual that veers too close to trendy.
On self-enrichment
Jackie had a variety of interests ranging from philanthropy to photography. It was all in the pursuit of being an “EFP” or Eminently Fascinating Person. An EFP, like Jackie, will be in the know about must-see plays, operas, exhibits and “best current literature.” Jackie traveled for adventure and glamour and was as comfortable and stylish at the queen’s coronation as she was in a boat with “regulars” on her way to a Greek island.
On money matters
“Jackie knew how to maintain proximity to major moola, how to extract pleasure from it and summon its curative powers,” the authors write.
She spent lavishly with husband Aristotle Onassis, even having Halston custom design $5,000 worth of undies. As a book editor, she curbed her spending, even brown-bagging it for lunch. Would Jackie carry the prestigious American Express black Centurion card? Maybe. But she wouldn’t flash it. Platinum is more her style.
