Jackie Kennedy is considered to be one of the most stylish people of her era. Despite her lavish lifestyle, the former first lady was adored by the public who saw her as a dazzling role model for the women of the world. She won hearts and turned heads wherever she went – no one could resist her charms.

Everybody knows Jacqueline Kennedy as the wife of the former president, John F. Kennedy, also known as JFK. However, few people know who she was before she became the president’s wife. Where did she grow up? What school did she attend? What were her aspirations, goals, and her struggles?

1952 was supposed to be a wonderful year for Jackie as she announced her engagement to a stockbroker, John G. W. Husted Jr. Unfortunately, she called it off almost immediately. The reason? Husted was immature and boring – a deadly combo for a vivacious woman like Jackie. Following her heart like this proved to be the best decision Jackie ever could have made because later that year, she met John F. Kennedy. Not too long after, they were engaged.

In addition to being JFK’s number one supporter, Jackie also had her own responsibilities as the first lady. She made more official international visits than any of her predecessors. However, she took a step back from her duties when she became pregnant with her son, Patrick. Unfortunately, Patrick passed away from hyaline membrane disease after his premature birth.

Kathy McKeon was Jackie’s live-in aide for 13 years. The stylist made many revelations about the first lady when she released her autobiography entitled, Jackie’s Girl. However, most of the secrets shared were to do with Jackie’s wardrobe.

Since McKeon was Jackie’s live-in aide, it was understood that she would be privy to many secrets. She also had intimate access to Jackie Kennedy’s walk-in closet. According to her autobiography, “The bedroom walk-in closet was jam-packed with Madam’s everyday clothing, all arranged according to color. I had never seen such a dazzling selection of shoes!”

This shoe detail may have been a surprise to McKeon, but Jackie’s long-time friend and fashion designer, Oleg Cassini, was always in on the secret. Oleg Cassini was born into a Russian family of maternal Italian descent. As a young man, he went to the United States to pursue his love for fashion, and he soon found work with Paramount Pictures.

Since Jackie Kennedy was the first lady, she was expected to live a lavish lifestyle by having iconic and fashionable dresses and accessories that made her shine. In 1961 alone, she spent more than $145,000 on outfits and accessories.

It is well-known that the first lady loved French labels such as Balenciaga, Givenchy, and Chanel. However, since she was the first lady of the United States, it was also expected of her to be patriotic. So, her love of French couture did not go down well with the American media.

There were many designers to consider, but Vreeland chose Norman Norell and Ben Zuckerman to create clothes for the first lady. Norell was widely known as the “first designer of America,” while Zuckerman was chosen because of his notable take on Parisian couture.

Jackie’s signature look during her time at the White House was all about sleeveless A-line dresses, suits, low-heel pumps, and above-the-elbow gloves. Then, of course, there were her famous hats.

Though she changed her wardrobe, Jackie still shone with the same level of elegance and class. We knew a little about her influence on fashion and how she confidently strode into important events; however, we had no clue that she was, all that time, keeping the secret about her shoes hidden.

These two iconic jewelry designers gained a great amount of prestige because of their wonderful creations for the first lady. Aside from the necklace, and bracelet, Jackie’s most prized possession was her Van Cleef & Arpels wedding ring. Just like any happily married woman, Jackie considered her wedding ring to be her most cherished item of jewelry.

To be quite honest, McKeon was astonished at how well organized Jackie’s closet was. Aside from the fact that it was every woman’s dream to have a dazzling and organized closet, McKeon also said in an interview that, “It was extremely easy to find anything in it.” It just shows that even though the former first lady had a busy schedule, her closet was a safe haven of perfect organization.

As you can see in the photo, Jacqueline Kennedy had clothes for every occasion, and with her highly organized closet, she was prepared for any event. It just shows the variety of her clothes and how she was able to confidently rock any outfit.

The former first lady went into all details in helping to renovate the White House. She took the same approach when reviewing the script for the televised renovation tour in 1962. This lady was indeed meticulous in everything she did.

Some of these notes were sent to Bergdorf Goodman’s personal shopper Marita O’Connor. In them, Jackie included her instructions, catalog pages, sketches, and pieces of fabric to let them know what kind of quality and items she was looking for. Moreover, the notes included the exact dimensions that are requirements for her shoes.

Those words are the exact ones written by Jackie in her letters. The way she describes her needs and wants with absolute precision is an example of how perfectly prepared she was for all the events she attended. She already knew precisely where she would use each shoe she requested.

This demanding side of Jackie came out when she complained about a particular shoe she did not like. “Tell [Mario] I want them in the same model as my black faille evening pumps and impress on that rather disorganized Italian that they simply must be ready in time.” These were the exact words of her complaint letter, showing just how much importance she put on her shoes.

Jackie was regularly accused of caring more about fashion than about her children, her husband’s political career, or the state of the country. This just goes to show that even the most loved icons in the world can’t escape criticism.

As dazzling and perfect as Jacqueline Kennedy was, a single heel from every pair of the first lady’s shoes had to be raised by a quarter of an inch. This is a heartening thing for women to hear as it means that even the most elegant lady of that era dealt with imperfections. In the age of Facetune and Photoshop, it’s even more important for us to remember that flaws are natural  – they do not detract from your beauty or your value as a person.

There is nothing wrong with imperfections – they are part of what makes us human. Jackie couldn’t change the length of her legs, but she could get elegant shoes, stack one of the heels, and get on with her duties as the first lady of the United States.

Coincidentally, John F. Kennedy had the same physical condition as her. Two years after their wedding, John was treated for severe back pain. The doctor found that his left leg was not the same length as his right one, and this was the source of the pain. So, JFK also started wearing a stacked heel, just like his wife!

In an interview, McKeon highlighted that Jackie’s sense of style was far from her most notable quality. “[Jackie] was more than this glamorous figure. She made me feel like part of the family.” These words from McKeon say a lot about the attitude of the First Lady.

Since the two were super close, Jackie attended McKeon’s wedding with her two kids (John Jr. and Caroline) in tow. Even after McKeon retired, Jackie kept in touch with her. She even invited McKeon and family to her home in Hyannis Harbor, Massachusetts, so they could spend summers together.

“My best friend lived in Cape Cod, and whenever I would visit, Madam was always happy to see me. She would always invite me for lunch and dinner… and she would also invite me to her private beach,” McKeon said in an interview. The way she describes the former first lady is a testament to the heart Jackie had for the people around her.

It seems never-ending tragedies are part and parcel of being the head of state of one of the most powerful countries in the world. The image below shows one of the last few happy moments Jackie enjoyed with her husband before a shocking tragedy rocked her world.

For instance, her close relationship with her late husband’s brother, Robert Kennedy had some people theorizing that it was a romantic relationship. However, no one knows what really happened there as the two never spoke of having any romantic connection. Instead, Jackie shook the world when she got married again in 1968 to a shipping tycoon from Greece –  Aristotle Onassis.

Aristotle Onassis was rich enough to own a private island – Skorpios. This was where Jackie and Ari held their wedding ceremony in 1968. This island remains a fascinating mystery to this day.

Ari had a lot of plans with regards to the rehabilitation of the Skorpios. He bought the land for 3.5 million drachmas, which is the equivalent of around $12,000 in today’s US currency. That’s right – $12,000 could buy you an entire island in 1963.

Aristotle and Jackie decided to tie the knot on this island, making Skorpios famous worldwide. The Greek businessman and the former First Lady of America had been friends for many years before tying the knot. However, romance only developed between the couple after the deaths of Jackie’s first husband, John F. Kennedy, and her brother-in-law, Robert F. Kennedy.

Moreover, even though Ari was mega-rich at the time, their wedding was small and intimate, having only approximately 40 guests who were family members and close friends of the couple. They had a Greek Orthodox traditional wedding, and Jackie’s children – Caroline, and John Jr. – were involved.

After Ari and Jackie’s wedding, the island became world-famous. However, with this fame, the couple’s privacy was lost. In 1971, Jackie was photographed sunbathing naked on one of the private island’s beaches. The image was published in Italy in 1972, provoking outrage in the US.

From his position, he watched Jackie undress until she was completely naked. In 2009, the photographer said that he wanted to get the shot because he didn’t believe the former First Lady really sunbathed naked. “It didn’t seem possible,” he said in an interview.

It seems that the photograph was not the only scandal that Jackie would attract. She has also been connected to the Kennedy curse. Aside from the assassination of the brothers, John and Robert, many unfortunate events befell the Kennedy family.

Aside from the death of the billionaire’s ex-wife, the bad luck continued when the family business fell into financial difficulties. At the same time, Aristotle’s health began to decline. Soon enough, even Aristotle began to believe that the woman he loved may have brought some kind of curse into his family.

When the shipping magnate died in 1975, Christina, his eldest, was the sole heir. Most of the family business, financial aspects, and also the properties were given to Christina.

After the death of her second husband in 1975, Jackie returned to work. She became a consulting editor for a publishing company called Viking Press and later, an associate editor for Doubleday, a publishing company in America. Since she loved what she did in the White House, she continued her architectural and cultural preservation work.

Despite the criticism received by the First Lady, she forged on, continuing to be a style inspiration to every woman in the world. That is why in 2013, a pair of Jackie’s pumps designed by Rene Marconi, a well-known Italian designer, was auctioned in Los Angeles.

In 1993, Jacqueline fell from a horse. This was likely one of the reasons why her health started to decline. Jackie was later on diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. By May of 1994, the disease had affected her liver, brain, and spinal cord. In that same month, Jacqueline passed away in her sleep at the age of 64.

The John F. Kennedy Library houses many of the famous outfits of the former First Lady. It’s a fascinating exhibit, displaying the pieces that Jackie wore during her time at the White House. The preserved outfits offer a chance for the present and future generations to see one aspect of what was so inspiring about this iconic woman.