Crowds of stylish Gen Zers are lining up at a historic Big Apple pharmacy for this season’s hottest accessory — a $40 French headband famously worn by Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy nearly 30 years ago.
The 1.5-inch tortoise-shell headband peddled by the West Village apothecary C.O. Bigelow started trending on social media last summer — and is now having another moment in the spotlight with the recent release of FX’s “Love Story,” the Ryan Murphy-helmed drama centering on Bessette-Kennedy’s romance with John F. Kennedy Jr.
“[Since] three weeks ago, there’s been a massive influx of people,” C.O. Bigelow owner Alec Ginsberg, a fourth-generation pharmacist at the 188-year-old store, told The Post, attributing the newfound fame to the “Love Story” TV debut last month.
“I thought it was just going to be on the weekends – but as you can see, it’s kind of every day during the week now,” he said, ushering to roughly 20 shoppers crowding the pharmacy one recent afternoon.
Lines have been wrapping around the store just to try the headband, which is exclusively made for the retailer, marketing manager Sarah Barnes told Parade.
The store was out of stock within “five hours” of a recent shipment and had completely sold out out of the headbands, as of two weekends ago, after slinging hundreds, one clerk said — adding she doesn’t expect another shipment until April.
Though the downtown apothecary was pushing the Charles J. Wahba-made headwear years before Bessette-Kennedy began donning it, the clerk said it’s only now that the pharmacy has had trouble keeping up with the masses.
Fans still seem eager to shop in the spot where Bessette-Kennedy did, Ginsberg, 34, said — and are leaving with other unique hair accessories that cemented her minimalist style.
“The same way that they’re obsessed with her style – because it’s iconic and timeless – I think Bigelow is a place that’s similarly iconic and timeless,” the owner added.
Shopper Ivanna, 23, hadn’t even heard of the renowned store — once frequented by Marilyn Monroe, Calvin Klein and Mark Twain — until fashion-forward TikTokers began touting the iconic accessory, she told The Post.
“Yes, the ‘Love Story’ series definitely influenced me to go,” Ivanna said. “I wanted to try the Carolyn Bessette headband … [and] it really felt like most of the people there were there for the same reason.”
“Quiet luxury and minimalist style has been at the forefront of fashion for a while now,” said influencer marketer Michelle Paltan, who visited the store on a recent Friday.
“What I think sets this recent fascination apart is how people feel like they can connect with parts of her story and who she was,” added Paltan, 31, who bought a tortoiseshell headband at the pharmacy.
However, not everyone appeared to embrace the trend during a recent Post visit.
Directly outside the store was a sticker planted on a metal gate reading, “Just be yourself! You are not Carolyn Besette Kennedy.”
While Ginsberg said he hasn’t ordered any more headbands than usual, the store has recruited high school students on weekends to help with the demand.
“I don’t want to attribute it specifically to this [Love Story], but as the store has gotten busier over the past year or two, we started with carrying more staff now than we used to,” Ginsberg said.
Ginsberg added he doesn’t plan on drumming up more attention to the trend through sales or related “CBK” events – arguing the low key nature of the apothecary is part of the charm.
“We love that celebrities feel comfortable coming in here and running their own errands,” he said, “and I think that’s a testament to how cool the store is.
“We treat them like anybody else, and allow them to experience the story just like any other customer.”
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