Katie Holmes is a lot like Marie Claire editor-in-chief Nikki Ogunnaike in that she's never really cared for capsule wardrobes. A theater kid at heart, this is a woman who takes immense pleasure in letting whim and whimsy guide the way she gets dressed. Her personal style is rooted more in a feeling than a clearly defined aesthetic—an exuberance that can sometimes lead to puzzling results. But every so often, she lands on something truly inspired.
On Wednesday, Nov. 20, the Dawson's Creek star blazed a new trail with a pilgrim-chic ensemble that felt perfectly timed to next week's Thanksgiving holiday. Dressed from head to toe in under-$400 separates from New York-based brand Cinq à Sept, the Broadway star devised an unlikely combination of textures in a black leather midi skirt and light-wash denim slingback pumps plucked from the line's first-ever footwear collection.
With a pointed toe and a saddle brown leather ankle strap, the freshly launched shoe—which dropped today in tandem with the brand's Resort 2025 season—is undoubtedly destined to join our running list of the best slingback heels. The same style also comes in two other colors: dark wash denim and sandy beige canvas. But if the mere notion of walking in anything taller than a kitten heel sends a shooting pain down your calves, Holmes has already found a slingback flat alternative from Franco Sarto that you're sure to love.
Fabulous shoes aside, the piece I truly can't get over is her layered pullover featuring a crisp poplin Peter Pan collar shirt sewn beneath a cropped black knit vest. With a pre-styled piece like this, anyone can be the CEO of fall layering.
So call it Plymouth Colony-core if you must. Without pioneering minds like Katie Homes, the state of street style would very dull indeed.
