Anyone drawn to the off-duty allure of a New York diva has likely looked to Katie Holmes’s wardrobe at least once. Over the years, the actress has come to embody a distinctly modern kind of low-key polish, the same effortless ease that turned figures like Jane Birkin into enduring style references, making minimalism feel like the ultimate uniform of city nonchalance. Often seen walking through Manhattan in straight-leg jeans, crisp blue shirts, trench coats, and ballet flats, with quiet luxury labels such as Khaite among her regular choices, Holmes is now leaning into a more nostalgic mood, one that nods to the punk-tinged romance of the early 2000s. The clearest proof came with the Chloé and Magda Butrym looks she wore to the premiere of her new film Happy Hours at the Tribeca Film Festival, where black leather and blush satin were finished with a pair of drop earrings in full Y2K mode.
Katie Holmes’s Punk-Romantic Look at the Tribeca Film Festival
Joshua Jackson and Katie Holmes
‘Happy Hours’ World Premiere, 25th Tribeca Festival, New York, USA – 06 Jun 2026
In what felt like a brief detour from the clean, ’90s-inflected simplicity that usually defines her wardrobe, Katie Holmes and her stylist Brie Welch moved into softer, more bohemian territory for the June 7th premiere of Happy Hours at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film also marks her reunion with longtime on-screen love Joshua Jackson, forever remembered by fans as Pacey from Dawson’s Creek.
Both looks played with the same tension between delicate femininity and a sharper rock edge. On the red carpet, Holmes wore an antique-rose silk satin and lace dress by Chloé, styled with glossy black leather Cleia sandals embellished with oversized studs. Later, for the after-party, she changed into an asymmetric silk and lace slip dress by Magda Butrym, layered over black leather pants and paired with a cream-toned Savette clutch. The detail tying both outfits together was her jewelry: Sarah Eisman Studio’s Float Large Drop Earrings, worn with a matching necklace. It was a noticeable departure from the tiny studs and mini hoops that have become celebrity defaults, bringing back the easy drama of the floating, slightly rebellious jewelry that defined so much of early-2000s style.
Drop Earrings Are the Cult Jewelry Piece of Y2K Style
While Beyoncé, J.Lo, and Rihanna helped make hoops a signature of the era, stars such as Paris Hilton, Ashley Tisdale, and Lindsay Lohan turned drop earrings into one of the unmistakable accessories of the early 2000s. Now, as fashion continues to revisit the codes of the millennium with a more polished eye, the silhouette is returning in a sleeker, more grown-up form. Today’s versions are slimmer, lighter, and more delicate, with clean lines taking the place of chunkier shapes. The materials feel more elevated too, moving between yellow gold, white gold, and silver, while stones appear as subtle accents: small gems or crystals set to catch the light like stardust in motion. Their real strength, however, lies in their versatility. As Holmes shows, drop earrings can sharpen a more dressed-up look or bring a glimmer of refinement to something with a grungier attitude. That makes them a natural fit for summer, easy with a beach look by day and just as right with an ultra-light dress after sunset.
