A Year After The Famous Bradigan Moment, We Look Back At Katie Holmes’s Best Style Moments

The outfit that summed up 2019 wasn’t from the Met Gala’s ‘most outrageous’ list or Killing Eve’s costume department. It was something so seemingly ordinary that the number of stories generated (hundreds) and the sell-out time reported (1 hour) was really quite extraordinary. It was a cashmere cardigan and bra combo (the so-called bradigan, catchy right?) worn by Katie Holmes. It’s hard to put your finger on it, but this outfit’s anatomy was note-perfect, from the way the cardigan (Khaite’s Scarlet style) slipped off her right shoulder to how it was unfussily unbuttoned to reveal the matching bra to how the sleeves were rolled just-so. The subsequent frenzy was also because of its wearer. Katie was the picture of effortless style and, whether or not the tabloid rumours about her ‘breakover’ are to be believed, it cemented the actor’s fashion sense as ‘one-to-watch’.

That was just over a year ago, during which time, together with her stylist Allison Bornstein, she’s continued to curate an enviable wardrobe. It’s one that’s always pared-back, and never looks like it’s trying too hard, with her most successful outfits looking like she simply threw them together with what was closest to hand.

Back when the red carpet was still in business, she proved that, however minimal her style, she could still surprise. Khaite’s off-one-shoulder ruched white dress, which Katie chose for January’s American Australian Association Arts Awards in New York, was a lightning bolt moment to anyone who pegged her as a poster-girl for girl-next-door dressing. Ditto the pair of tiger-print boots (Khaite, again) that she slipped under a silvery silk gown for a screening in November.

In fact, her footwear choices are always on-point. Whether it’s her lo-fi old reliables - Birkenstock’s Arizona sandals and Common Projects’s Achilles leather sneakers have been her constant companions this summer - or something a little more outre, she’s fully aware that shoes can make or break an outfit. Doreteymur’s Stainless ankle boots, which have a subtle cowboy vibe thanks to their toe and heel, are a great example of how the actor gives her outfits edge.

Dora Teymur, the Istanbul-born footwear designer, says he’s always been a fan. ‘I wanted to be friends with Katie Holmes and Michelle Williams for the entire six seasons of Dawson’s Creek,’ he says, ‘We got quite excited last year when her stylist said she loved everything in the collection.’ Katie paired her boots with a pussy-bow blouse, a trench coat and wide-leg jeans when she last wore them, an approach that the designer calls ‘almost normcore’: ‘She is very chic and plain,’ he says.

As the reigning queen of cardigans, it’s no surprise that she’s become a lockdown style hero. For New York’s sweltering-hot summer, she’s been relying on a capsule wardrobe of high-waisted trousers (Ulla Johnson’s Rhodes) with ribbed tank tops or wide-leg jeans (Reformation’s Jackie) with checked or sheer-spotted shirts. ‘She exudes such confidence and ease, and that is how I hope all women feel in our pieces,’ says Ulla Johnson. ‘She’s been a longtime honorary member of the UJ family.’ Ease is also the word to describe her hair, which is always either scraped back into a ballerina bun or left to wave down to her shoulders; another testament to her no-muss, no-fuss approach to getting out of the house.

Like many of us, she’s also invested in luxe loungewear, with a pair of cashmere sweatpants by Ven Store. ‘We have a very organic relationship with Katie’s stylist, Allison,’ says founder Charlotte Lewis. ‘She picked out the grey cashmere sweater and pant set, which she thought would fit seamlessly into Katie’s wardrobe.’ Katie wore the track pants to SoulCycle in March, pairing them with a leather tote (Khaite) and her favourite sunglasses (Westward Leaning). ‘Katie has a unique quality in that she really wears her pieces, rather than them wearing her,’ says Charlotte. ‘Genuine style has the power to drive sales; for us this was evident when she wore our pants.’

That’s the thing. Everyone wants to dress Katie. Another favourite brand is Totême, the Swedish brand from Elin Kling and Karl Lindman, who say it’s a privilege to see her wearing their clothes, whether it’s their button-down cardigan or their taupe turtleneck. 'We love seeing women in the street dressed in Totême,’ they say, ‘And we’re fortunate enough to count Katie Holmes amongst our fans.’ As to whether or not she can top 2020’s best dressed list - and create an even more awkward portmanteau than bradigan - we’ll have to wait and see.

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