When embroiled in the utter despair of a breakup, your outer aesthetic is often the last thing on your mind. But after enough Netflix binges and late-night Seamless orders, the need to peel off your sweats and slip into something more socially acceptable can start to arise. You may assume the perfect post-breakup look doesn’t exist. But reader, you’d be wrong. Because either by divine design or accidental styling, Katie Holmes has stumbled upon it.
In August, news broke that Holmes had split with fellow actor Jamie Foxx after quietly dating for six years. Although the couple’s relationship was ultra low-key, Holmes has emerged from the ashes of the breakup in more eye-catching looks than ever. Whether intentional or not, Holmes has tacitly been mounting a post-breakup fashion tour, stepping out in everything from a monochromatic navy suit by Gabriela Hearst to an amber-colored silk midi dress (the Thanksgiving dinner outfit of my dreams).
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It all started in early September. A few weeks after the split, Holmes was photographed casually hailing a cab in an oversize cashmere sweater, which had fallen from her shoulder, a matching bra peeking underneath. The $520 bra, from Khaite’s pre-fall 2019 collection, sold out in an hour following her outing. Twitter was starting to take notice.
By the end of October (and after a cycle of killer looks), one user declared, “The year is 2019. Katie Holmes is a bonafide street style star.” It was kind of like that moment in a movie where the heroine is thrown into a New York City montage set to a bubbly pop song showcasing a transformation: Katie Holmes is single, wearing Saint Laurent, and ready to mingle, folks.
Having consistently avoided the spotlight, Holmes is a somewhat unlikely source of style inspo. Her post-breakup narrative is less obvious than a dramatic chop à la Ariana Grande, or a public Twitter thread like Miley Cyrus. Holmes doesn’t even share many of her coveted looks with her 1.8 million Instagram followers. (Although she’s coincidentally managed to post some chic shots recently.)
It could all be in the effortless execution behind Holmes’s looks. She keeps her choices simple and, therefore, fairly mysterious. Her most enviable nighttime look as of late? A long-sleeved LBD from Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello, paired with a classic red lip and patterned tights, which she wore to two events on the same night.
According to Holmes herself, she hasn’t given her recent style narrative much thought. When asked by Vogue about her Internet-breaking cashmere ensemble she said, “It was very comfortable and easy,” revealing that she had casually purchased the items online herself. Per British Vogue, the actress is even working sans stylist.
Holmes is further proof that it’s possible to redefine your look while reshaping your personal life. Or as one Twitter user put it, “lmao Katie Holmes broke up with Jamie Foxx and said ‘it’s time to snap.'”
Below, some of her most snap-worthy ensembles.
