Fashion The 14 Best Katie Holmes Outfits to Inspire Your Own Wardrobe From teen idol to fashion icon. By Lindy Segal Lindy Segal Lindy is a fashion, beauty, and lifestyle writer based in New York City. In her spare time, she writes a Substack newsletter called GATEKEEPING, and watches Bravo with her chihuahua mix, Barney. InStyle's editorial guidelines Published on September 21, 2023 @ 03:14PM Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: GC Images She may have started out as the sweet and sporty Joey Potter on Dawson's Creek, but over the years, Katie Holmes has transitioned from teen idol to fashion icon. Her looks veer toward the classic — neutral knits, simple evening silhouettes, practical outerwear — but every now and then, she surprises us with a serious fashion risk. Case in point: the $520 Khaite cashmere bra she wore back in August 2019. With a coordinating cardigan casually draped off one shoulder, she looked effortlessly chic in a style most wouldn't dare attempt. "I thought it would be good if I was in a cabin sitting by the fire and wore the [matching] sweater over it. That's how my brain works," Holmes said in her 2020 InStyle cover story of the viral look. "But then I was like, 'Oh, wait, I'm not in a cabin, and I'm not going to a cabin.' I still thought I could pull it off, though. I had noticed other people wearing bras with blazers. Even if the style is too daring for your taste, keep scrolling for 14 Katie Holmes outfits that are sure to inspire your own getting-dressed strategy. The 14 Best Katie Holmes Outfits to Inspire Your Own Wardrobe 01 of 14 Katie Holmes in Ulla Johnson at NYFW in September 2023 Manny Carabel/Getty Images Holmes supported one of her go-to designers, Ulla Johnson, front row at New York Fashion Week. For the occasion, she wore a modest burgundy ankle-length dress accented with a single cuff bracelet, black chain purse, and her favorite Staud Wally boots. 02 of 14 Katie Holmes in Khaite at the Red Sea International Film Festival's Women's Stories Gala in 2023 Dave Benett/Getty Images for Red Sea IFF The actress hit the high seas in Cap d'Antibes, France in a tailored tuxedo-inspired skirt suit by Khaite. It may look simple, but this outfit is all about the details, like the slightly nautical double-breasted jacket and flared-out silhouette. You'll also notice that her satin heels match her red lipstick — clever. 03 of 14 Katie Holmes in N.Y.C. in May 2023 Gotham/GC Images Holmes did transitional weather perfectly for a late-spring stroll in N.Y.C. Her roomy pink space-dye sweater and breezy white maxiskirt were perfect for the time of year, while her Mary Jane flats were ahead of the fall trend. 04 of 14 Katie Holmes at the Mikimoto 130th Anniversary Party in N.Y.C in April 2023 Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images Even in minimalist black and white, Holmes's style stands out. Her white midi shirt dress by Simkhai and black leather coat by Tove are quiet luxury at its finest, while her go-to Staud boots and a single long-strand necklace finish off the simple — not basic — look. 05 of 14 Katie Holmes in N.Y.C. in April 2023 Raymond Hall/GC Images Easy, cool, and versatile — this outfit formula can be repeated again and again. Copy Holmes's street-style look with a blazer layered over a sleek turtleneck, straight-leg jeans, and classic accessories. 06 of 14 Katie Holmes in N.Y.C. in April 2023 Raymond Hall/GC Images Here's another example of Holmes wearing something otherwise basic — a grey sweater and trousers — and making it entirely her own. Her oversized grey collared knit is casual yet polished, while her splatter-detailed pants add an unexpected dose of fashion-y fun. And perhaps you noticed the sparkly peep-toe Prada heels? We certainly did. 07 of 14 Katie Holmes in N.Y.C. in March 2023 Gotham/GC Images Pastels are, of course, a springtime staple, and Holmes upped the ante in this slouchy yellow pantsuit. Bringing her Katie Holmes twist to the trend, she wore a sheer top underneath the blazer and added an olive bag by Savette for a bit of contrast. 08 of 14 Katie Holmes in Michael Kors Collection at NYFW in February 2023 Raymond Hall/GC Images Holmes hit the Fall/Winter 2023 Michael Kors Collection show in a pair of sequin zebra-print pants by the designer (and once again was ahead of the trend). She tamed the wild bottoms with sleek layers on top, including a tuxedo jacket. 09 of 14 Katie Holmes in February 2023 Raymond Hall/GC Images Holmes loves to resuscitate a good throwback trend, one being the carwash skirt. Her heavily fringed leather style is from Kate Hundley's 2023 pre-fall collection, and she smartly kept the focus on the statement piece by pairing it with a white tee, beige blazer, sheer black pantyhose, and black pumps. Oh, and can we get a little commotion for the curls? 10 of 14 Katie Holmes at the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball in December 2022 Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for iHeartRadio Here it is: the dress-over-jeans outfit heard 'round the world. Technically, it's more of a tunic than a dress (the woman is tall, people!), but it serves up Y2K vibes regardless. For her part, Holmes has no regrets about the polarizing look. "I knew I wanted to dance there 'cause I was going with my nephews. So, I threw my sneakers on and I thought I looked cool," Holmes told Drew Barrymore on her talk show. "I felt cool, I felt great and then I woke up the next morning [to the reaction] and I was like, 'Oh my gosh.'" 11 of 14 Katie Holmes in N.Y.C. in September 2022 Gotham/GC Images Katie Holmes can even make a slouchy grandpa cardigan feel capital-F fashion. Whether it's the wide-leg jeans, gold crossbody Chanel purse, or square-toe flats, the look feels casual but still perfectly put-together. 12 of 14 Katie Holmes in Ulla Johnson at NYFW in February 2020 John Lamparski/Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows Another day, another excellent Ulla Johnson look. This time, she gives a puff-sleeve crop top a spin, pairing it with button-fly jeans tucked into knee-high leather boots for a slight horse girl vibe. 13 of 14 Katie Holmes in Chanel at the 2019 Tribeca Women's Filmmaker Program Luncheon Alessio Botticelli/GC Images Holmes doesn't wear bright colors often, but when she does, she does so flawlessly. Her cherry-red tweed Chanel jacket is the standout here, complemented by pinstripe jeans, a simple white T-shirt, and white pumps. 14 of 14 Katie Holmes in Khaite Backgrid Perhaps her most talked-about street-style look to date is this Khaite cashmere bra, layered with a matching cardigan by the brand. The top layer looked cool, of course, but she added it for a practical purpose, too: "I didn't want to get into trouble with my teenager! We were school shopping, and I was just trying to hail a cab on Sixth Avenue," she told InStyle, adding, "It looked way more glamorous than it was."