New Yorkers needn’t use a thermometer or Bureau of Meteorology to read the outside temperatures. Nor, a listicle counselling them on the best new season purchases to inject into their wardrobe. Instead, a glimpse of Katie Holmes’ off-duty wardrobe should suffice in advising both elements. Her latest ensemble succeeds in doing just that—alerting Manhattanites that it is time to part with their woollen coats and embrace the (slowly) rising Mercury by taking to the streets in an unexpected springtime Canadian Tuxedo.
With Holmes the unsung hero of elevated unconventional suiting (see: her grey, feather-trimmed Prada power suit and buttery yellow oversized set), the actress has redefined trans-seasonal tailoring by sporting a button-down vest and matching flared jeans from Banana Republic. Not ever one for the dandy three-piece suits à la Blake Lively in A Simple Favour, Holmes has still broken new ground in refreshing a borderline 70s double denim look.
The outfit comprised of a slim-cut denim waistcoat with contrasting canary-coloured stitching and two pockets, and a slouchy flared jean featuring a singular soft pleat running down her leg. The Dawson Creek alumni completed the look with a decade-appropriate sleek belt and square-toe-heeled loafers.
Holmes’ personal style has always featured timeless wardrobe staples like trench coats and cashmere cardigans rendered in a fashion-forward, off-beat edge. Both uptown boheme and classically elegant, it’s a rare surprise to see a style meet at this intersection and still be so synonymous with a bygone era. Though denim for spring isn’t particularly groundbreaking, Holmes does break new ground with her unfiltered references.
It’s something we saw on the Fall/Winter 2024 runways of Paris Fashion Week in both Paco Rabanne’s “trainspotting” daywear and the rhapsody presented at Chemena Kamali’s debut collection for Chloé. But here, Holmes is not only conveying that “everything old is new again”, but serving as a guide through styling timeless pieces in ways that hark back to vintage cues for the new season.
