A curved leg, a burgundy leather bomber and a pair of flats: a very easy fall formula. Every fall brings a new jeans debate. Skinny jeans keep trying to come back, wide-leg jeans have been everywhere for seasons, and somewhere in between sits a shape many women still hesitate to try: the barrel leg, with its gentle curve. Katie Holmes just showed how simple it can look.
On October 27, the actress, 47, ran errands in New York City in an outfit built almost entirely from Banana Republic. She wore the brand’s High-Rise Barrel Jeans (148),theMateoleatherbomber(600) and an Auden cashmere sweater ($300), both from the new Banana Republic x Zankov collaboration, which launched on October 20. The sweater’s colorway, Raisin Purple Patchwork, quickly sold out. She finished the look with leather loafers, a black Toteme T-Lock bag and cat-eye sunglasses.
Why the Barrel Leg Works With Loafers
A barrel leg curves out at the knee and tapers back in toward the ankle. With heels, that shape can look very fashion-forward. With flats, it reads relaxed rather than trendy. The tapered hem stops neatly above the loafers, so the shoes stay visible and the leg keeps its soft volume without swallowing the foot.
Holmes has made Banana Republic a regular in her wardrobe, and this outfit shows why the formula works: one interesting shape, everything else classic. Loafers are proving the perfect partner for this season’s denim, as when Gigi Hadid paired them with bootcut jeans in New York.
The Burgundy Bomber
The jacket is the standout. Designer Henry Zankov, who leads his own Zankov label, described the Mateo bomber’s color as “a special, very deep burgundy with a kind of raspberry undertone to it.” For him, “color is important.” His own label does not really work in leather, he explained, which made the project appealing. “It was a really great opportunity for me to try other kinds of materials in other categories,” he said.
Paired with blue denim and a multicolor sweater, the burgundy leather adds warmth without looking loud. It is also a smart alternative to the classic black or brown leather jacket.
How to Wear Barrel Jeans This Fall
Choose a high rise, which balances the volume of the leg and defines the waist. Keep the length at or just above the ankle so your shoes show. Pair with flats: loafers, ballet flats or low boots all work, and they keep the look easy. On top, stay close to the body or slightly cropped, a bomber, a short cardigan or a tucked-in knit, so the curve of the leg remains the focus. Add one rich color, burgundy, plum or chocolate, and keep the rest neutral. The lesson worth borrowing is that a new shape feels easy when everything around it is familiar.
Style icons of every generation are refreshing their classics this season, like Cher, 80, with a white Moncler jacket.
The Bottom Line
Not skinny, not wide-leg: Katie Holmes, 47, is wearing Banana Republic’s $148 High-Rise Barrel Jeans with loafers this fall. With flats, the curved leg looks relaxed and polished, and a burgundy leather bomber does the rest.
