Katie Holmes' Hair Evolution

Face, Hair, Eyebrow, Hairstyle, Chin, Nose, Brown hair, Forehead, Head, Cheek,

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 13 July 2019

Actresses are basically professional chameleons, which means changing their look is just part of the job. Katie Holmes has been America's favorite girl next door since her Dawson's Creek days, but she's changed up her look over the years too. Here's a look back at Katie Holmes' hair evolution, featuring all of her most iconic looks from the '90s through today.

1. 1997

Hair, Eyebrow, Face, Hairstyle, Lip, Beauty, Chin, Shoulder, Cheek, Black hair,

In her early Dawson's Creek days, Katie experimented with funky, twisty updos on the red carpet.

2. 1998

Hair, Shoulder, Hairstyle, Eyebrow, Beauty, Chin, Joint, Long hair, Smile, Black hair,

When Katie first shot to stardom, she had sweet, ringlet curls to match her sweet personality.

3. 1999

Hair, Face, Hairstyle, Eyebrow, Lip, Beauty, Long hair, Layered hair, Black hair, Chin,

In 1999, Katie started to experiment with edgier movie roles—and edgier hair to match.

4. 2000

Hair, Face, Eyebrow, Hairstyle, Beauty, Lip, Chin, Black hair, Long hair, Smile,

By 2000, it was clear that Katie had started to feel comfortable in her own skin—and in some perfectly tousled hair.

5. 2001

Hair, Face, Lip, Hairstyle, Eyebrow, Beauty, Fashion, Long hair, Fashion model, Blond,

In 2001, Katie was all about ultra-chic, ultra-straight long locks.

6. 2002

Hair, Face, Hairstyle, Eyebrow, Layered hair, Hair coloring, Brown hair, Long hair, Beauty, Chin,

In 2002, Katie distanced herself from Joey Potter with a lighter, auburn shade.

7. 2003

Hair, Hairstyle, Beauty, Brown hair, Lip, Neck, Long hair, Fashion accessory, Necklace, Black hair,

By 2003, Katie had darkened her hair again and perfected her loose curl game.

8. 2004

Hair, Hairstyle, Face, Eyebrow, Chin, Brown hair, Ringlet, Beauty, Long hair, Lip,

In 2004, Katie ditched her signature middle part and lightened her hair again, this time to a deep auburn.

9. 2005

Hair, Hairstyle, Lip, Eyebrow, Long hair, Brown hair, Beauty, Chin, Ringlet, Black hair,

In 2005, Katie reversed her part (baby steps) and embraced voluminous, old Hollywood curls.

10. 2006

Hair, Hairstyle, Face, Layered hair, Eyebrow, Chin, Bangs, Brown hair, Black hair, Long hair,

2006 saw one of Katie's biggest hair changes to date—the addition of a very long fringe.

11. 2007

Hair, Hairstyle, Face, Bangs, Chin, Bob cut, Beauty, Black hair, Layered hair, Brown hair,

In 2007, Katie embraced her first truly big hair change with a short bob and blunt bangs.

12. 2008

Hair, Clothing, Hairstyle, Shoulder, Fashion, Bangs, Premiere, Long hair, Dress, Brown hair,

In early 2008, Katie grew her bob out a little and styled it curly.

13. 2008

Hair, Face, Hairstyle, Beauty, Bangs, Chin, Black hair, Lip, Brown hair, Blond,

A few months later, Katie chopped her hair into a full pixie.

14. 2009

Hair, Face, Hairstyle, Shoulder, Eyebrow, Skin, Chin, Beauty, Lip, Black hair,

In 2009, Katie rocked a sleek, chic bob.

15. 2010

Hair, Face, Hairstyle, Eyebrow, Brown hair, Lip, Beauty, Long hair, Layered hair, Chin,

In 2010, we saw a return to Katie Classic, with long dark hair and side-swept bangs.

16. 2011

Hair, Face, Hairstyle, Eyebrow, Chin, Black hair, Beauty, Shoulder, Forehead, Skin,

In 2011, Katie kept it casual and embraced the top knot.

17. 2012

Formal wear, Suit, Dress, Clothing, Tuxedo, Prom, Hairstyle, Cocktail dress, Public event, Event,

Katie added a very bold, very full fringe at the Vanity Fair Oscar party in 2012.

18. 2013

2013 was the year of the high, tight ponytail for Katie.

19. 2015

Hair, Face, Hairstyle, Eyebrow, Shoulder, Beauty, Lip, Pink, Chin, Fashion,

Katie wore her hair slicked back in simple styles in 2015.

20. 2016

Thigh, Leg, Sitting, Clothing, Tights, Beauty, Human leg, Fashion, Little black dress, Long hair,

Katie rocked a funky fringe in 2016.

21. 2017

Hair, Face, Hairstyle, Eyebrow, Lip, Chin, Skin, Forehead, Beauty, Cheek,

Katie's 2017 pixie cut was chic perfection.

22. 2018

Hair, Clothing, Hairstyle, Fashion, Fashion model, Magazine, Dress, Neck, Premiere, Long hair,

Katie wore her hair in a wavy bob in 2018 and lightened the color a bit.

23. 2019

Event, Fun, Premiere, Crowd, Smile, Photography, Party,

Today, Katie has landed back in her comfort zone—long, dark hair with a center part.

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with more than 10 years of professional experience. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.