Katie Holmes Confirms the Celebrity-Favorite Pleated Skirt Trend Is a Must-Have

Katie Holmes walks around downtown new york city wearing a camel sweater and the plaid skirt trend — (Image credit: Splash by Shutterstock)

In fashion circles, it takes three to make a true moment. On Oct. 6, Katie Holmes delivered the last example I needed to confirm the celebrity-favorite pleated skirt trend is, in fact, a trend.

En route to rehearsals for her turn in the Broadway revival of Our Town, Holmes mixed a Miu Miu girl favorite—the pleated checked skirt—with an all-time classic cashmere sweater by Falconeri. Between the asymmetric folds of her skirt and the simple, crewneck knitwear, the actress looked like the center of a mood board for Ivy League fall fashion.

Katie Holmes walks around Manhattan wearing a camel sweater and a plaid pleated skirt — Katie Holmes got ready for *Our Town* rehearsals with an assist from Starbucks and the plaid skirt trend.

Falconeri Ultrasoft Cashmere Crewneck Sweater

Miu Miu Check Pleated Skirt

Holmes kept her academic skirt from feeling too much like a school uniform with her choice in accessories. She toted a white leather bag by Bevza that's co-starred in her casual wardrobe this season and stepped into a pair of her best Mary Janes by one of her most-worn shoe labels, Yuni Buffa. A dainty heart locket, aviator sunglasses, and two steaming Starbucks cups completed her outfit. (The extra caffeine really drove home her outfit's academic undertones.)

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Yuni Buffa Lola Mary Jane

Bevza Large Tote

In choosing to give the pleated skirt trend her stamp of approval, Katie Holmes joins good company. Beyond the front row of Miu Miu's Spring 2025 show, where checked skirts are in ample supply, other celebrities have also been dressing like they're getting ready for study hall. This past weekend, Sabrina Carpenter paired a plaid pleated skirt with a crop top in a break from her lacy, crystal-coated Short 'n Sweet tour outfits. Meanwhile, her mentor Taylor Swift's pleated plaid mini skirts by Miu Miu and Rails have been a wardrobe mainstay when she's not onstage in her sparkly Eras Tour outfits. At Paris Fashion Week, Nicole Kidman and her daughter, Sunday Rose Urban, even matched in pleated skirts for a late-night after party.

Taking the celebrity-favorite skirt into real life is simple: just add a crewneck sweater, sheer knee socks, and some loafers. Just don't forget the Starbucks and sunglasses to really channel your inner A-lister.

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Halie LeSavage is the senior fashion news editor at Marie Claire, leading coverage of runway trends, emerging brands, style-meets-culture analysis, and celebrity style (especially Taylor Swift's). Her reporting ranges from profiles of beloved stylists, to exclusive red carpet interviews in her column, The Close-Up, to The A-List Edit, a newsletter where she tests celeb-approved trends IRL.

Halie has reported on style for eight years. Previously, she held fashion editor roles at Glamour, Morning Brew, and Harper’s Bazaar. She has been cited as a fashion expert in The Cut, CNN, Puck, Reuters, and more. In 2022, she earned the Hearst Spotlight Award for excellence in journalism. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Harvard College. For more, check out her Substack, Reliable Narrator.