Oh! Jackie

Currently on display at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis's fashionable clothes dazzle visitors.

I admit it. With little more than an ounce of shame, I considered breaking the law in Washington, D.C.

Well, not exactly the law, but I did want to bend the rules a bit. I nearly reached out and touched Jacqueline Kennedy's pink-and-white raffia-lace evening dress on display at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. I waited until the stern guard turned his head, and I came this close to sticking my arm right over the velvet-rope barricade. The dress was woven with the most interesting material I had ever seen, and I needed to know how it felt.

"Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years" rendered me speechless. The collection of clothing, combined with photographs, jewelry, letters, and videos, creates a must-see attraction and a rare glimpse into the life of one of America's most celebrated First Ladies.

I meandered through the gallery with my mouth gaping, stopping every few minutes to take in the delicate pinks, yellows, greens, and blues of a spring wardrobe; the vibrant colors and patterns of eye-popping ensembles; and the deep, rich materials of official business suits. Jackie displayed mesmerizing style that was classic and sophisticated. Her taste was flawless, her carriage faultless, and her wardrobe impeccable. And this exhibit captures it all. The clothes are exquisite even on mannequins.

Throughout the exhibit, life-size photos project a smiling Jackie, her head thrown back in laughter. Flatscreen TVs run footage of official visits and the famous Valentine's Day White House tour. As I take in the descriptions of the clothing, I learn about the master behind the outfits-- Jackie herself. She often sent her own sketches to designers, including Oleg Cassini, who created much of her wardrobe. She dared not disappoint with her fashion, once admitting, "I feel as though I had just turned into a piece of public property."

When the First Lady was center stage, though, she performed eloquently for the audience, demanding that her clothing exude understated elegance, with clean lines and solid colors. "The whole idea was to design dresses for her role," says Cassini.

"So I made just very simple little touches, allowing the fabric, the coloration, and the fit to be the major component of the look." The trademark pillbox hats were worn tilted back on her head so she didn't cover the face the public ached to see. The hats made instant fashion history and created an iconic element of style, as did many of her fashions, so much so that Betty Ford once remarked, "It was an epidemic, that wardrobe."

As I linger over the last of the dresses, I key in the final number on the audio guide and listen as Cassini, Jackie's longtime friend, captures her presence in one sentence: "Jackie reminded me of an Egyptian princess... with the sphinx-like quality of her eyes, her long neck, slim torso, broad shoulders, narrow hips, and regal carriage." STEPHANIE GIBSON

"Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years": Corcoran Gallery of Art, 500 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20006; (202) 639-1700 or www.corcoran.org. The exhibit runs through September 30.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Aug 2002
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved