Katie Holmes Won Street Style This Year

As 2020 comes to a close, we’re declaring it now: Katie Holmes was the best-dressed celebrity on the streets. That’s not to say she was the flashiest, or wore the most buzzed about labels, though. Instead, we mean that Holmes, who turns 42 today, completely nailed the fashion vibe of 2020. Namely, being comfortable but somehow still put-together at the same time. She toed the line between aspirational and relatable perfectly. She rarely stepped out in sweats, the garment of the year, instead turning to classic wardrobe staples that struck the balance between being comfortable and chic. In a year where dressing down was all but a mandate, she still made casual look cool. 

Dressing in 2020 was a total challenge in itself. With nowhere to go or to be seen, it was easy to put fashion aside in favor of cozy sweats or PJs. But knowing that the paparazzi lingered at every street corner, Holmes put in the extra effort for her city-outing ensembles—and it paid off. Even so, she never looked over-styled or ridiculous: her outfits were fashion-forward, but never flashy or tone deaf, considering the current moment. (Her stylist, Allison Bornstein, played a key role in this.) She even made pieces such as Bottega Veneta’s trending (and tricky) square-toe mules look completely casual and effortless by wearing them with a Canadian Tuxedo. 

The key to Holmes’s winning style this year was its accessibility. Almost every item she wore was ultra-wearable—even if it was from a designer label, you could likely find a less expensive iteration. Her shoe game especially nailed this idea: you didn’t find Holmes teetering around the city in stilettos, rather flat styles from Birkenstock, Le Monde Beryl, and even Sorel snow boots. The star often favored affordable ready-to-wear pieces, too. This year alone, she wore clothing from Mango, J.Crew, Gap, and other labels that have accessible price points, proving that good style doesn’t have to mean a major splurge. Essentially, Holmes did what so many other stars don’t, which is wearing outfits that us regular folks can actually emulate at home. Not to say that her outfits were basic—but compared to the out-there fits from trendsetters such as Bella Hadid or Kylie Jenner, Holmes’s style is less aspirational, and more rooted in reality. 

Meanwhile, a budding romance also did Holmes some fashion good in 2020. On multiple occasions, she was spotted out with new boyfriend Emilio Vitolo Jr., and the couple complemented each other in sleek coats or blazers. But the best part about Holmes’s fashion moments this year? From the get-go of the pandemic (we’re talking March and beyond), she was an early adopter of masks. You never caught her once without one on the streets. She even experimented with them, too, wearing a tie-dye mask from Barriére and sleek black styles from evolvetogether, among other styles. Safety and style—it was 2020’s winning combo, after all. 

Below, some of Holmes’s best style moments from the year.