This Elegant Ballet Flat Is Katie Holmes's Key to Leveling Up Her Sweatpants
She can make even the most bland basics look cool.


If I've learned anything from street style, it's that celebrities prefer a very specific uniform during errand runs. Whenever Katie Holmes, Jennifer Lawrence, or Gigi Hadid are out and about, they all wear at least two of these staples: lightweight trousers, a "fits everything" tote bag, and walking-friendly flat shoes. On June 5, Holmes went three for three.
During another stylish stroll, Holmes paired gray straight-leg sweatpants with—you guessed it—black ballet flats, one of her all-time favorite shoes. Complete with elasticized tops and rear pull-tabs, her footwear appears to be from Mansur Gavriel. She's infatuated by the New York label's various flats, as well as the designer's carry-alls.
Katie Holmes elevates her gray sweatpants with black ballet flats.
On top, Holmes sourced her everyday essentials once more for a trendy denim button-down. Always on board for a spacious tote, she carried a leather shopper bag from Mango atop her shoulder. Her exact style is on sale for $46, which is a welcome substitution for her go-to $745 Manu Atelier tote.
Throughout 13 years living in the New York, Holmes has mastered the ultimate cool-girl maneuver for walks around the city: She can elevate even the most bland wardrobe basics. A plain white tee? She's got it. A neutral trench? No problem. And yesterday, the Dawson's Creek alum truly outdid herself by making sweatpants feel sleek.
Holmes paired her sweats and denim shirt with an on-sale Mango tote.
In 2024, Marie Claire meticulously catalogued Holmes's ballet-flat-filled comings and goings in New York. This year, there have been fewer outfits to copy and paste. The Our Town star has been laying low this spring, making only a handful of appearances clad in head-to-toe Tory Burch and off-the-runway cargo pants.
As remote writer, Holmes's laid-back OOTD popped up at the perfect time—I needed some at-home outfit inspo. The next time I style sweatpants (likely tomorrow), I'll dress up my pants du jour the Holmes way.
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Meguire Hennes is the fashion staff writer at Marie Claire, where she breaks down the celebrity looks living rent-free in her head (and yours). Whether a star is walking the red carpet or posing on Instagram, Meguire will tell you who they're wearing and why. When she's not gushing about A-listers from J.Law to Rihanna, Meguire also covers breaking industry news.
Previously, Meguire was the fashion news writer at The Zoe Report. She received a bachelor's degree in fashion studies at Montclair State University, and has freelanced at Bustle, Women's Health, Well+Good, and more. You can find her words across the fashion, beauty, health, and wellness verticals, because her Libra moon wouldn't let her settle on one beat. Follow her on Instagram for BTS moments from her Marie Claire era.
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