Enduring fashion muse, sister of Jackie O and one of Truman Capote’s ‘Swans’, American socialite Lee Radziwill’s style is always a reference point …
Sister to Jackie O, muse of Andy Warhol and friend of André Leon Talley, Lee Radziwill’s style was both that of an American socialite, with the finesse of a life spent in the public eye, but also of someone with a refined take on fashion.
In today’s climate, Radziwill’s Upper East Side polish is more popular than ever given the renewed interest in the Kennedys and the fashion world’s continued obsession with quiet luxury (an aesthetic Radziwill, undoubtedly, would have balked at).
Describing his friend, Truman Capote once told Vogue that Lee was someone of “first-class intelligence”, who posessed “beautiful eyes wide-apart, gold-brown like a glass of brandy resting on a table in front of a firelight”.
Meanwhile, Radziwill’s reflections on luxury were both wry and entertaining. “I have an absurd kind of extravagance. If I see an orchid that’s fantastically expensive, I’ll buy it. It’s worth it, for no other reason than it gives me pleasure,” she said.
Image: Instagram @lillyandgrant.
With trench season in full swing, Radziwill’s love of a high-shine trench is a reminder that there are options beyond standard beige.
Always noted for her glamorous looks, the fashion world is now embracing Radziwill’s off-duty ones. We can see why: she arguably wears jeans and a T-shirt with as much aplomb as any couture creation.
Radziwill’s sense of personal style extended as much to interiors as it did her wardrobe. As well as being a socialite, PR specialist and author, Radziwill focused on interior design, launching her own design company in the 1970s. “If I really can be said to have a personal style, I think it is reflected in my taste for the exotic and the unexpected. I like to create rooms which are essentially traditional-and then add touches of the bizarre and the delicious,” she said.
White trousers are a perennial choice for those seeking jeans with oomph, or added lightness to their look. Radziwill chose white cords and teamed them with a round-neck long-sleeve, another staple that has timeless appeal.
Before fashion brands like Rohé popularised frog-closure jackets, Lee Radziwill wore them while swishing around the Upper East Side. Velvet and long-line, see the style set pair them with silk trousers, while heavy-duty wool iterations are a great spring addition with jeans.
Image: Instagram @lillyandgrant.
Radziwill’s wardrobe often eschewed ornamentation for simplicity. Favouring knits, she wore turtlenecks, as depicted in now-iconic photography by her friend the artist Andy Warhol.
Image: Instagram @therhubarbsociety.
Streamlined colours, minimal pieces and simple, unfussy shapes? It all sounds a little 2026 fashion, if you ask us.
Much like Carolyn Bessette, the wife of her nephew John F Kennedy Jr, Radziwill knew that all black was an enduring choice.
Plus, she knew how to wear a statement earring.
Image: Instagram @lillyandgrant.
Yes, Radziwill’s style centred on a rarified uptown polish, but there were also surprising elements like groupie textured jackets, flared jeans and statement sunglasses. As Radziwill said, it’s the unexpected that allows personal style to sing.
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