For almost two centuries, many New Yorkers have penciled in a pitstop at C.O. Bigelow during their Saturday afternoons—whether for a prescription pick-up, a mascara restock, or just to grab some hand soap and dental floss. But if you plan on visiting the beloved pharmacy during the run of Ryan Murphy’s American Love Story, the energy inside might feel a little different.
As you may have seen on social media, C.O. Bigelow is the Greenwich Village pharmacy where Carolyn Bessette Kennedy bought her signature tortoiseshell headbands, which have been handmade exclusively for the store by French craftsman Charles Wahba since 1959.
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The recent public infatuation with Bessette Kennedy’s minimalistic ‘90s style has been pervasive to say the least. As proof, look no further than the crowds swarming America’s oldest apothecary for a chance to get their hands on a CBK-approved hair accessory. It’s the type of social media- driven publicity that most businesses dream about. “People on social media have really dug into [Bessette Kennedy’s] lifestyle—where she shopped, where she would eat—and have really explored us and discovered us through that,” C.O. Bigelow’s marketing manager, Sarah Barnes, tells Glamour. “It’s been a really, insane, insane time for us.”
In addition to headbands, barrettes, and clips, Bigelow’s comprehensive beauty selection includes fine fragrances, skin care, makeup, and bath and body products across mass and luxury brands. But it’s the hair accessories counter—just inside the entrance—where most of its newfound fan club gathers upon entering.
When I step into the store on a Saturday in early March, the gaggle of trend-adhering young women seems partially at odds with Bigelow’s signature old-fashioned look and feel, but the soundtrack clearly knew who was shopping: I hear Sabrina Carpenter’s Juno over the speakers first, followed by Chappell Roan’s Naked in Manhattan.
The hair accessory display—which houses whimsical New York-themed claw clips shaped like taxis and hot dogs in addition to the iconic headbands—is, obviously, the most swarmed spot, with lines snaking through the entire store. “Our regulars come in and they’re like, ‘What’s happening? Is this from the show?” sales associate Julia Rosum tells me.
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