Continuing my Jackie Kennedy enthusiasm, when I discovered this book existed, I tracked it down, asking my local library to borrow it from a private university library, as I didn’t want to spend nearly $400 to buy it online. Since this book was written and published in 1962, it’s particularly of value as a historical relic and a first edition.

Most of the book consists of “The Jackie I Knew,” Mini Rhea’s personal anecdotes and conversations with Jackie from the time they met when Jacqueline Bouvier was a teenager. Rhea had cut out and saved many newspaper articles written by Jackie when she worked as the “Inquiring Photographer” for the Washington, DC Times-Herald. The book also contains fashion sketches recalling the ideas Jackie asked Rhea to produce for her.

In addition to an account of Jackie’s younger years and her developing relationship with then Senator Jack Kenndy, Rhea discusses Jackie’s developing fashion style and concludes with the observation that when Jackie became the First Lady, she also became an international fashion icon.

Although Mini Rhea is listed as the author, it was actually written by Frances Spatz Leighton, with Mini providing the material and insight that makes this book a valuable resource for others writing about Jacqueline Kennedy, including a book I recently read, Camera Girl: The Coming of Age of Jackie Bouvier Kennedy by Carl Sferrazza Anthony. Dressmaker is also a memoir of Rhea’s life during this time as well as providing a picture of the culture of the early 1960s.

I loved the scent of the yellowed pages and the fact that it was published in 1962, when the Kennedys were still in the White House. This was bittersweet for me, knowing the assassination was less than two years away.

The book also contains “A Sketchbook of Jackie’s Fashion History” which are the many designs Rhea created for Jackie from her teen years until her marriage. These are produced as pen and ink sketches, and I was disappointed there were no photos in the book. The last section, “Your Road to Elegance,” was interesting from an historical perspective with Rhea providing advice about fashion. Gloves, hats, body shape, what to wear and when to wear it – terribly dated and somewhat sexist, but a good example of the period.

If you get a chance, I encourage you to read this one-of-a-kind historical portrait of the young Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. ( )