Jackie O's Style and Etiquette Tips

ByABC News via logo
July 31, 2006, 8:42 AM

July 31, 2006 — -- Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' timeless look is still copied today.

From her oversize sunglasses to her signature sheath dresses to her love of French food, Onassis had a sense of style we could all learn from.

Shelley Branch, co-author of the etiquette book "What Would Jackie Do?," has advice on what style tips Onassis might have given women in the 21st century.

Onassis kept an eye on trends, but people try to do too many trends at once. Lace is very trendy, and so is the bling. Choose one or two things; don't choose everything.

You can buy a cheap item, and have it tailored for $20. You can really transform things in your closet. Onassis always experimented with looks.

Onassis loved decorating. She loved many color schemes, patterns, especially in the early years, and she didn't believe in a matchy look. She would take something high and take something low and mix it up, and she didn't believe in a static look. Onassis was always making little teeny, tiny adjustments. The great thing is this doesn't have to cost a lot of money.

You can achieve a different look, but not radically different. It's a different mood, a different attitude, but the same stuff.

Onassis was famous for handwriting beautiful letters and notes. Onassis never started with thank you. She would talk about the event first and what was special about it for a few sentences before even saying thank you.