During this past Halloween weekend, Julia Fox attended a party in New York City dressed as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in a recreation of her pink suit covered in fake blood– the ensemble Jackie O was wearing when her husband, President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated on November 22, 1963. Why is Julia Fox’s look striking up so much controversy, and what does this costume say about culture, feminism, and history?
Jackie O’s suit was a raspberry-pink suit, sometimes dubbed a ‘Chanel’ dupe, with a matching pillbox hat– an elegant and optimistic look. In this outfit, Jackie O and JFK were in Dallas for a campaign stop, and around half past noon, three shots were fired. The last shot, killing JFK, caused his blood to splatter all over Jackie O as she was in shock and terrified. The couple, accompanied by their security, rushed over to Parkland Memorial Hospital, though efforts to revive JFK were unsuccessful and the President was pronounced dead just after 1pm. Security as well as hospital staff suggested that Jackie O should clean herself up and change her outfit before addressing the public, to which Jackie O responded, “No, let them see what they’ve done” (Kera News).
Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in just hours after the assassination, with Jackie O standing next to him still wearing her blood-stained suit– this outfit was no longer an item of clothing, but a political statement from a grieving widow and now a piece of history. Jackie O’s suit was never cleaned, but rather sent to the National Archives in College Park, Maryland where it remains in a climate-controlled vault and, in accordance with the Kennedy’s wishes, is not to be publicly displayed until at least the year of 2103 (People).
Accompanying two pictures of Julia Fox in a recreation of Jackie O’s pink suit covered in blood with blood on her face, she captioned her post, “I’m dressed as Jackie Kennedy in the pink suit. Not as a costume, but as a statement… The image of the delicate pink suit splattered with blood is one of the most haunting juxtapositions in modern history… [Jackie O deciding not to change her clothes after being advised to] was performance, protest, and mourning all at once. A woman weaponizing image and grace to expose brutality” (@juliafox).
However, this caused an outroar on social media as countless people deemed Fox’s costume as deeply disrespectful, especially considering the living members of the Kennedy family and the gravity of this assassination on an entire generation. Jackie O and JFK’s grandson, Jack Schlossberg, responded to Fox’s costume on X saying, “Julia Fox glorifying political violence is disgusting, desperate and dangerous” (@JBKSchlossberg). Additionally, the Baby Boomers and older generations who witnessed the news of the assassination in real time, and remember it as a deeply shocking and transformative event, find this costume to be offensive as the blood-stained pink suit is deeply tied to national grief and personal loss. They argue that some aspects of history should not be reimagined for entertainment or commentary.
This controversy has been all over my TikTok feed, and I find that several people are pointing out that costumes referencing trauma or violence from historical events often feel tone-deaf or exploitative. However, Fox argues that this was not just a costume, but a commentary on femininity, power, and grief.
Ultimately, Julia Fox’s costume blurs the line between honoring the past and sensationizing its violence and pain. This conversation reminds us that creative expression carries responsibility; despite Fox defending herself by trying to reclaim Jackie O’s image, and declaring that she is transforming it into a symbol of strength, the intended message can be missed because the outfit itself is shocking and ignites a memory of a devastating historical moment in many. Culturally, this costume is an example of how our society can view history as entertainment. Historically, Jackie O’s pink suit is more than a fashion choice as it represents grief and resilience during a national tragedy. After seeing this as a Halloween costume, we must pause and think about how we remember history and consider how pop culture can miss the emotional weight of past events.
Sources:
https://www.keranews.org/2013-11-07/whatever-happened-to-jackie-kennedys-pink-dallas-dress-and-hat
https://people.com/julia-fox-defends-jackie-kennedy-halloween-costume-following-backlash-11841353