Let’s talk about Katie Holmes’ bonkers street style & puffy-sleeved blouse

Katie Holmes steps out in Style in New York

Back in the day, we used to cover Katie Holmes’ street style with more regularity. Trust me when I say that her style was usually noteworthy in a bad way. A lot of people credited her for the rise of the “boyfriend jean” style, and she kept trying and failing to make chunky ankle boots happen about eight years ago, the final years of her marriage to Tom Cruise. Post-Cruise, Katie’s street style has been mostly low-key but not particularly good. She dated Jamie Foxx quietly for years, so it was almost like she was never trying to draw attention to herself or her relationship.

But now Katie and Jamie are over and so for the past few months, there’s been a flurry of “street style” pics of Katie going about her single-girl business in New York. In September, she wore a cashmere bra-and-cardi set which made headlines and promptly sold out immediately. And now this – Katie out and about in New York yesterday, wearing what will probably be the latest fashion trend. Ripped jeans with a puffy-sleeved white blouse. With a turtleneck underneath? Is this THE LOOK?

Fashion IDs on this ensemble: the jeans and blouse are both from Khaite, which is apparently one of Katie’s favorite labels, and she’s worn jeans from them before. I… think this sucks? The jeans are awful and so is the shirt. The t-neck paired with the blouse is stupid. The only thing I like here is the purse. That’s a constant for me with Katie Holmes – I am always into her purses. She has great taste in purses. And terrible taste in everything else.

Katie Holmes steps out in Style in New York

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

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76 Responses to “Let’s talk about Katie Holmes’ bonkers street style & puffy-sleeved blouse”

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  1. Becks1 says:

    The turtleneck with the blouse is giving me major flashbacks to my catholic school days, when we had to dress like that in the winter because the schools were so cold. So, no, I’m not wearing that now, lol.

  2. Lisa says:

    Katie either gets it right or very wrong. I thought her style with Tom Cruise was very good where she got it right most of the time.

    • Char says:

      He was working with the best brands to dress her, it was basically the same way Kanye groomed Kim. Remember when Victoria Beckham was Katie’s plus one to big designers shows? How time flied 🙂

      • tiredTreaded says:

        I was just thinking shades of Posh Spice which doesn’t suit Katie. She’s more wholesome, ie, flat shoes & plaid shirts.

  3. Agirlandherdog says:

    I like the jeans. Everything else is just… I don’t even think horrible begins to describe it.

    • Guest says:

      I like the jeans too

    • Erinn says:

      Lol, so do I. I never buy anything THAT ripped up, because it doesn’t seem practical. I’ll buy jeans with small amounts of distressing. But if I had Katie Holmes money, I’d probably buy that pair lol. I think if she ditched the turtleneck and reigned the fluffy sleeves in just a bit, she’d look great. It’s not my style, but she can weirdly almost pull it off.

  4. Eliza says:

    Her PR team is working hard for their money. This woman has not been in a hit movie in 15 years, yet she’s always in the papers. She maintains visibility by staging photo ops.

    • Bettyrose says:

      I will always have mad respect for her escaping Co$. But the fact she was ever in a hit movie at all is baffling. She was a loveaable teen star, but never an actress by any measure.

      I actually sort of like this outfit tho.

    • FHMom says:

      She’s dressing to be noticed.haha
      I totally respect her for escaping TC, also, burner phone and all.

    • Pinetree says:

      I’ve come to assume 80%, 90% of what she wears is actually chosen for paid advertising. She did ice cream, handbags, charities, and a bunch of other promotions. Her pap walks are for sale, I assume. This one is as outrageous and fug as possible to get maximum clicks, via the tactic known as ugly-baiting.

  5. Esmom says:

    I saw this yesterday and the turtleneck jumped out at me, such a funny/preppy twist to the look. I feel like she’s been looking pretty great lately but this look is cray. I like her hair, though.

  6. Snowslow says:

    I LOVE the blouse and would wear it in a heartbeat.
    But never with those horrible jeans and terrible shoes.
    Stilettos are the work of the devil (patriarchy) to prevent a woman from running away.

    • MB says:

      Same. I had never heard of this brand before so i just sussed out the website and I am OBSESSED. This shirt is fashioney as hell and I love it. But i would wear it tucked into some tight black cigarette pants and either a ballet flat or a black heel.

  7. aurora says:

    No. No no no. Just…no.
    That’s all I got.

    • (TheOG)@Jan90067 says:

      I’ll second that to everything but the purse! lol

      All I can say, is when I saw that, the FIRST thing that jumped into my head was Seinfeld’s “Puffy Shirt” episode!! 😂😂😂

    • Paige says:

      TA @aurora. She has never had any sense of what works for her in terms of a style or fashion. She just wings it and it usually is a MISS….Most performers either have a sense of style when they first are in the public eye or more likely develop one when working with stylists or costume designers.

  8. MellyMel says:

    I hate this and love it at the same time, not sure why. And I actually like the jeans. But her best look was definitely the cashmere bra-cardigan set. It was such a good look! Sexy, comfy and casual all at once.

  9. Valiantly Varnished says:

    I have layered turtlenecks under button downs before. It’s a preppy-chic vibe. But you have to keep the button down simple in order to pull it off. This top is doing THE MOST. And doesn’t really go with what she’s got going on with the jeans and shoes. It’s like two different vibes that are battling each other. I think the top would have worked if she had leaned into the girly vibes of it with a pretty midi skirt.

    • (TheOG)@Jan90067 says:

      I think with a midi, she’d look like she belonged on “Little House on the Prairie”! lol. All she’d need is the bonnet 😊

      • Valiantly Varnished says:

        Nope. It’s all about how you style things. With the a pair of black leather boots it would look really cool. I wear midi skirts all the time and I toughen them up with what I pair them with. Super girly things look fantastic with edgier pieces. The problem with this particular look is that she is wearing the wrong kind of edgy pieces with the blouse.

  10. Heylee says:

    Yah, those jeans are insane in a very good way. I’m actually mesmerized by them.

  11. Harla says:

    Ummm, ummmm, I just don’t have words for this ensemble.

  12. Originaltessa says:

    She and Jennifer Garner should go shopping together.

  13. Eliza says:

    She doesn’t work. She gets paid to do pap walks with her stylist.

    I could see if she’s trying to get a role, but I think she’s good just getting paid money to wear clothes.

    The more off beat, but still nyc, the better because it’ll get headlines and clicks to the designers page.

    • Valiantly Varnished says:

      Maybe. Maybe not. She doesn’t exactly need the money. She got a nice chunk of cash from her divorce. And if she is doing paid pap walks then more power to her.

    • shells_bells says:

      Totally this. I’m a retail buyer and used to work for a brand that did this kind of stuff for marketing. We used Katie once and, if I remember correctly, she got around $30k for a 15-minute walk with one of our handbags. The fact that her top and jeans are the same brand are a huge tip off here.

      • Valiantly Varnished says:

        Good for her! I wish I could make some easy cash wearing free clothes lol.

      • Pinetree says:

        Thanks for the insight, shells_bells. Keeps her visible for roles at the same time but she’s clearly more into fashion than acting. She did a pilot for an FBI procedural and it didn’t get picked up.

      • Pinetree says:

        VV, if she does 50 a year at $30K each, she’d be raking in $1.5 million. Not too bad at all. She doesn’t seem to spend extravagantly (no entourage etc) so it’s good income.

  14. indiesr says:

    She is screaming for help! She has a good figure, she just need someone to guide her. She is trying so hard.

    • Snowslow says:

      Mmmm. Maybe she’s having fun? She was one of the first to sport the boyfriend jeans. She likes to try out new things, it seems to me.

  15. Northern_Girl 20 says:

    I like her shoes

  16. Nina says:

    But I don’t wanna be a pirate!

    • Zapp Brannigan says:

      Lol! Oh Nina thank you for that reference!

    • Other Renee says:

      You all beat me to the Seinfeld puffy shirt reference!! It’s the first thing I thought of when I saw this photo. 😆

      I really dislike torn jeans. Unfortunately, my favorite pair of jeans are so worn that they’ve developed holes on both legs. My daughter says “You finally look cool!” to which I responded “I don’t wanna look cool!” I can’t bring myself to get rid of them though. They are the most comfy thing I’ve ever worn. If only I could make patches work.

  17. DaisySharp says:

    I like the jeans, except one leg is too ripped. I am uncomfortable when there is just a huge hole. The shirt could be great if it were paired with the right skirt. Hate the shoes.

  18. Hello says:

    Anyone have an ID on her purse? ❤️ it

  19. Megbot2000 says:

    Leslie’s puffy shirt line finally recovered from Jerry’s meltdown on the Tonight Show, and it only took 16 years.

  20. Ali says:

    I hate ripped jeans in cold weather. Who wants cold knees?? But..I love this outfit on her. There’s nothing practical about it and, maybe just because I have a soft spot for her, I’m like you do you girl.

  21. Sunnee says:

    Lol. She’s wearing Seinfeld’s puffy shirt. Was she tricked by a low talker?

  22. ClaireB says:

    Where are all the “Anne Shirley wishes!” comments? That was my first thought!

  23. Leah says:

    She needs to learn balance. That top requires a more fitted bottom. At least her shoe game isn’t as off as it usually is…

  24. jenner says:

    Seinfeld episode, pirate shirt!

  25. Cay says:

    That shirt is so ’80’s. All she needs is a scrunchy in her hair!

  26. stormsmama says:

    I cant believe I am going to say this
    but
    I actually love what she is doing here. Because few could make this work…Shes doing the Kim Kardashian fashion thing: create outrage and division with a high level of absurdity but
    with Katie there’s also always “accessibility” and the opposite: “aspirational” and here she literally has the whole package.
    The turtleneck is SOO ME in 1987-1989 lol born out of necessity bc I was always cold…

    • kelleybelle says:

      I like it too. She’s always worn great jeans and even Kaiser has said she always likes Katie’s jeans. I love the black suede heels, too. Love the white blouse.

      • StormsMama says:

        Adding that I just saw on Instagram that it’s julia Roberts birthday. And manrepeller shared a pic of Julia in a ripped jeans, a white turtleneck (with black cardigan and black cowboy boots) and it’s classic Julia from her heyday
        And very much what Katie’s look evokes

  27. Sorella says:

    Her style is that of the woman who is pretty in an average way, but one who dresses so oddly and has no fashion sense and yet thinks she is all fashunnn. But her clothes look like they come from Goodwill. And poor thing, not sure where she is going everyday, but it’s certainly not to work lol, in the real world, we call this unemployed.

    • Pinetree says:

      IMO she’s totally strategic and commercial about and definitely not working alone, much less throwing things on at a whim. I’m guessing 90% of the pap walks she does features a commercial relationship with clothing/accessories/other company.

  28. Kaye says:

    It’s bad, but nothing can top the bra with matching cashmere sweater. To show the bra, she had to wear the sweater so off-the-shoulder that it looked like it was falling off.

    Call me crazy, but I don’t want my clothes slipping down so far that it showcases my underwear.

  29. Texas says:

    I love the outfit and think she is rocking it. So it is weird. Why not? Why not embrace and wear whatever makes you happy? I think it is fun chic.

  30. A says:

    …is it wrong that I think she actually looks fucking amazing here? I bought a dress that’s sort of in the similar style as this shirt, and it’s a little too small for me while the neck is too big. Styling it this way might just work w/ that dress.

    I like that she keeps it quirky tbh. Good for her.

  31. Teresa Pinkston says:

    This is what not to wear. That blouse reminds me of the Seinfield puffy shirt episode.

  32. Momma says:

    That is totally the puffy shirt from Seinfeld, right?

  33. Tricia says:

    Diane Keaton called…she wants her clothes back.

  34. Alex says:

    …Pull back that hair and change into some sleek, black cigarette pants and we’re good.

  35. Moorele says:

    It’s the puffy shirt!

  36. NΞΞNΔ ZΞΞ says:

    Her clothes never look like they fit correctly, all borrowed from a stylist’s rack. Memories of Holmes & Yang, that terrible line that Tom bankrolled for her back when she still was still trying to make the marriage work and wanted to be a fashion girl? Props for escaping and independent thinking, though.

  37. Lana234 says:

    The outfit is horrendous. I don’t understand it. I think she is oatmeal and I don’t get why anyone talks about her

  38. Pinetree says:

    Also she doesn’t have to go on location, leave her daughter, memorise lines, and live in a hotel for months to earn this great pap-walk-promotion cash! No movie-promo tours to do either. A total win-win.

  39. L4frimaire says:

    That is a bizarre look. Nothing fits. The jeans are too big in the hip and the rise is too long. The blouse is way too formal and theatrical, and the turtleneck is just bad layering, plus the white looks a bit dingy.It’s all too much but I guess she’s trying.

  40. Mustlovedogs says:

    Sister-wife attempts escape and rips knees out of pants