Katie Holmes's Easy Spring Work Outfit Uses 3 Essentials

Katie Holmes walks in New York City wearing a bomber jacket

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 18 April 2025

Put down Pinterest and step away from TikTok: the best spring outfit idea I've seen in weeks is a scroll away, courtesy of Katie Holmes.

The Our Town star spent the first few weeks of the season dabbling in runway pieces curated by her stylist, Brie Welch. One night, she attended Printemps' buzzy opening in a Fall 2025 Tory Burch look featuring a bambi print dress and baby kitten heels over tights. On another, she stopped by Othello's Broadway premiere in a strapless Khaite gown and coordinating sandals. But this casual Friday sighting ditched the new collections for pieces she knows and loves: an oversize button-up shirt, a flowing A-line skirt, and a pair of buckled Miu Miu ballet flats.

Katie Holmes on a New York street wearing buckled flats and a skirt — Katie Holmes built her most relatable spring outfit yet for an April 18 walk.

Alex Mill

Jo Shirt in Striped Cotton Poplin

Miu Miu

Nappa and Calf Leather Ballerinas

Selvi

Esme Skirt

Styling has never been quite as complex as rocket science, but I was still shocked at the ease of this formula. Had Katie Holmes swapped her oversize canvas bag for a leather tote, she could have been on her way to Marie Claire headquarters. (Of course, Katie being Katie, this outfit came from one of her legendary afternoon strolls through Manhattan.)

Tailored shirting and breezy skirts have been my personal best spring work outfit for nearly half a decade. A tailored striped shirt and a flowing midi skirt have the perfect amount of juxtaposition. Add a studded, buckled flat like Holmes's, and the outfit earns even more texture—without ever feeling office-inappropriate. It's a look I come back to often because it takes all of five minutes to plan: had the temperature been about five degrees colder, I'd also throw a gray knit sweater or Sézane trench coat over my shoulders.

Throw-on-and-go outfit formulas are a pillar of the Katie Holmes fashion lexicon. She loves a white-on-white leisure suit as much as Banana Republic jeans and a T-shirt. Her shoe rack is filled with Mary Jane flats and wedge sandals to pair with all sorts of denim and flowy skirts in an instant. Her shirt-skirt-ballet flats stack is just the latest example of a no-fuss, always chic spring outfit.

While I can bet you already have at least two-thirds of her look in your closet, I've shopped out a close alternative ahead.

Build Katie Holmes's Easy Spring Work Outfit

J.Crew

Étienne Oversized Shirt

Open Edit

Cotton Poplin Maxi Skirt

GANNI

Black Feminine Buckle Ballerinas

TOPICS

Halie LeSavage is the senior fashion and beauty news editor at Marie Claire, where she assigns, edits, and writes stories for both sections. Halie is an expert on runway trends, celebrity style, emerging fashion and beauty brands, and shopping (naturally). In over seven years as a professional journalist, Halie’s reporting has ranged from fashion week coverage spanning the Copenhagen, New York, Milan, and Paris markets, to profiles on industry insiders like celebrity stylist Molly Dickson, to breaking news stories on noteworthy brand collaborations and beauty product launches. (She can personally confirm that Bella Hadid’s Ôrebella perfume is worth the hype.) She has also written dozens of research-backed shopping guides to finding the best tote bags, ballet flats, and more. Most of all, Halie loves to explore what style trends—like the rise of emotional support accessories or TikTok’s 75 Hard Style Challenge—can say about culture writ large. She also justifies almost any purchase by saying it’s “for work.”

Halie has previously held writer and editor roles at Glamour, Morning Brew, and Harper’s Bazaar. She has been cited as a fashion and beauty expert in The Cut, CNN Underscored, and Reuters, among other outlets, and appears in newsletters like Selleb and Self Checkout to provide shopping recommendations. In 2022, she earned the Hearst Spotlight Award for excellence and innovation in fashion journalism. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Harvard College. Outside of work, Halie is passionate about books, baking, and her miniature Bernedoodle, Dolly. For a behind-the-scenes look at her reporting, you can follow Halie on Instagram and TikTok.