Last night I heard for the first time that Jackie’s pink hat is missing: No one knows what happened to it after all these years.
This is just mind-boggling, isn’t it? If anything in this world is iconic, it’s that pillbox hat. How can it be missing?! Jackie’s maid put the suit in a plastic bag but she doesn’t know about the hat.
If they managed to keep this secret for 50 years, they fucking well know about the conspiracy/conspiracies, too.
I genuinely feel upset about the hat. I am surprised but less upset to learn that the pink suit is not Chanel, but rather an exact copy of a Chanel suit, made in New York. Good for Jackie. Coco Chanel consorted with too many Nazi’s. Perhaps Jackie knew this subconsciously.
Watching the old news footage, I can’t help but marvel at Jackie’s immense grace and dignity. No wonder our fascination with her is so enduring.
But the missing hat reminded me of a dream I had a few years ago, that for some reason I had in my possession a hatbox with Jackie’s head in it. I’m pretty sure the hat was there too. I remembered being appalled by this horrible dream imagery, and yet kind of proud of it’s originality.
Now I feel guilty, in keeping with my pervading sense that everything, everything, is my fault.
We who do should I’m reminded, tell those we love we do.
& remind ourself why:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-w9OclUnns
We’re young and then we’re not Sis.
I love you
And years …
http://www.pbs.org/arts/gallery/sound-tracks-quick-hits/quick-hits-levon-helm-theweight/
And I remain …
I read the same article before you posted this and must believe the hat is tucked away by the Kennedy family as part of their grand effort to reign thru mystery, glory, inaction, and salacious airs.
Unfortunately I can’t entertain the cultural resonance of the suit without thinking about Parker Posey in The House of Yes which I watched by accident on netflix a year ago. Big fucking mistake. But no question about it, The Pink Suit’s pepto bismol Pink belongs to the realm of ideal forms!
As for Jackie, she is the best Kennedy because she was not a Kennedy! Fuck the Kennedys. Sorry Taylor Swift, but the true Kennedy allure is their luscious hair. That’s THE secret.
One of my favorite Jackie anecdotes comes from George Balanchine. I studied Balanchine extensively this past year for a poetry series project (to what success, unknown). Balanchine was Jackie’s very first white house guest – and (naturally) became smitten with her during the visit. After the visit, he wrote her a few nice letters. Always obsessed with Americana, Balanchine (to read about their visit, see a page from a good Balanchine biography written by my relative- http://bit.ly/1jwGEcI ).
When interviewed about the experience, Balanchine divulged (with broken english styled with charming french/petrograd accent), … “she looks like a pussycat”.
Balanchine’s letters to Jackie describe his wish that she take on the role of “spiritual savior of America”. Not in a religious sense, but to “distinguish between material things and things of the spirit– art, beauty”.
Maybe you were dreaming about her because National Geographic hit all media cylinders to promote “Killing Kennedy, a docu-drama”. This timely resurgence of Kennedy worship strikes me as a fantastic marketing coup.
Maybe in your dream you were keeping her head safe from movie directors, social media marketers, and hallmark holiday sensationalists– preserving the pink hat in its ideal form, on a head, in a box.
But your dream is not your fault! Blame Marina Oswald Porter! Jezebel wrote compellingly about her the other day with a defensive piece titled, “Hey, It’s Not Too Late to Blame Marina Oswald for JFK’s Death!”
What about the gold lighter?
http://lisawallerrogers.wordpress.com/2011/10/11/jackie-kennedy-the-gold-cigarette-lighter/
This is incredible! How did you find out. Who knew that the hat went. I bet it is in a family trunk somewhere as someones guilty secret. It must have fallen off her head on to the roadside. Fascinating.
ali and annemarie – Thank you for adding to my knowledge and furthering my fascination!
JK – I just saw a great dcumentary about Levon called “I Ain’t in it For My Health”. It is available on Netflix and you will really enjoy it. xoxoxoxo
I didn’t know this and I am a big Jackie freak. Weird the stuff that vanishes when famous people die.
Pretty sure the last shot came from her missing hat. Have a peek at military. com and search remastered. You’ll see pretty clearly in the Zapruder film it possibly came 007 style from her conveniently missing hat. Interesting dream btw. Cheers