Ready for dresses over jeans yet again?
To some, the early 2000s were a fashion fever dream. Juicy Couture tracksuits. Hoodies under blazers. Graphic tees, vests, V-necks and thin scarves. Unironic fedoras. The list goes on.
But for those who were of sentient age during those years, the return of some of these trends can elicit strong reactions, like a jarring visit from the ghost of your past. Now, thanks to Katie Holmes, we have a stirring new entry to the ongoing Y2K style revival debate: the dress-over-jeans look.
Recently, the actor, 43, attended the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball concert in New York City, walking the red carpet in a dressy, deepblue strapless Tove top (which some have called a minidress), loose straight jeans and Margiela sneakers.
We say goodbye to trends, packing away our cargo pants and bedazzled baby tees — only, in some cases, to see those very trends return with a vengeance. As predicted, low-rise pants have returned, along with spinoffs like the purposefully unbuttoned look.
Some members of Gen Z embrace the chaos of the early 2000s’ boldest looks, imbuing their personal style with nods to the aughts and even running TikTok accounts dedicated to Y2K fashion. Twentysomething characters in some of this year’s popular films and television shows wear vintage pieces from the ’90s and early 2000s.
Photos of Holmes’ red carpet outfit made their way across social media,
igniting discussion of her outfit and the dress-overjeans trend of yore. People shared photos of celebrities who donned similar looks years ago, like Anne Hathaway at the “Ella Enchanted” premiere in 2004 and Miley Cyrus at the 2006 Teen Choice Awards.
Brie Welch, Katie Holmes’ personal stylist, worked with the actor on her look for the Jingle Ball. According to Welch, the choice was a combination of her styling and Holmes’ own taste and practicality.
“We decided the rich color and subtle bustier effect detailing of the top was elegant and would be fun if paired with jeans, creating a more youthful feel for Jingle Ball and the atmosphere there,” Welch wrote in an email. (A representative for Holmes did not respond to requests for comment.)
At first glance, some people online assumed the red carpet photos of Holmes were snapshots from 20 years ago, when her starring role as
Joey Potter on “Dawson’s Creek” made her an icon of the late ’90s and early 2000s.
This isn’t the first time the dress-over-pants combination has captured attention. Over the past few years, publications like Vogue and InStyle have written about the trend, discussing ways of making it chic and modern.
As for the sneakers, they felt appropriate for the occasion, Welch said. “On the day of (and because Katie has her own effortless style that should be appreciated here), she said she wanted to wear sneakers because it was a concert and obviously there would be a lot of dancing to Dua Lipa (and nothing is more comfortable!),” she added.
Whether Holmes intended to pay homage to her days as Joey Potter or simply wanted to wear appropriate footwear for a concert, Welch said that the actor is “more than capable of looking cool in an unintentional trend 20 years later.”