Katie Holmes is an American icon. After making a name for herself as the beloved Joey Potter on the ever-popular teen drama Dawson’s Creek, the actress went on to star in some of the 90s’ most cult films (Disturbing Behavior) and the 00s’ biggest blockbusters (Batman Begins), all while becoming a tabloid sensation.
Katie has always been a beloved style icon of the millennial generation, setting street-style trends and serving as major inspo for stylish women far and wide. Remember that cashmere bra moment? Here, as the actress turns 45, we look back at her earlier fashions in a series of iconic outfits that include 90s slip dresses, sweet cardigans, and Y2K geek chic.
At The Ice Storm premiere, 1997
Before stealing our hearts as Joey Potter, Katie made her acting debut in Ang Lee’s family drama The Ice Storm alongside fellow up-and-comers Elijah Wood, Tobey Maguire, and Christina Ricci. Here, she attends the film’s premiere wearing the era’s ubiquitous slip dress trimmed in dainty black lace.
At the Emmy Awards, 1998
Katie rose to national fame after landing a starring role in 90s teen drama Dawson’s Creek. In the show, Katie plays the wily, tomboyish Joey Potter, who’s best friends with the titular Dawson, played by James Van Der Beek. Here, the on-screen BFFs take the Emmys red carpet together, Katie wearing a sweet princess gown and matching floral clutch.
At the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, 1998
Maxi-length slip dresses were a staple in Katie’s wardrobe at the beginning of her Dawson’s Creek tenure. Here, the actress pairs the favourite style with a sheer cardigan — and a megawatt smile — at the 1998 Kids’ Choice Awards.
At the MTV Movie Awards, 1999
Sure, Katie became a 90s icon off the back of Dawson’s Creek, but she also starred in a handful of cult films, including crime-comedy Go and sci-fi horror Disturbing Behavior. For the latter, Katie won the MTV Movie Award for Breakthrough Female actress. Here, on the event’s red carpet, she dresses the part in a very 90s twin set, leather coat, and platform sandals.
At the Boys and Girls premiere, 2000
Before Miu Miu AW23, there was Katie Holmes. The actress channeled Y2K geek chic — now experiencing a revival at the hands of the Italian label — at the Boys and Girls premiere in 2000. Fun fact: in addition to (undoubtedly) serving as inspo for the label’s AW23 collection, Katie also served as the label’s face for its SS09 campaign.
At the MTV Movie Awards, 2005
Remember TomKat? After meeting in 2005, Katie and actor Tom Cruise embarked on a whirlwind, PDA-packed romance that took the tabloids by storm. Of course, Tom’s love-crazed couch-jumping incident lives on in the cultural consciousness to this day. However, Katie had her fair share of lovesick public displays, too. Take the 2005 MTV Movie Awards, for example, where the actress, all giggles and toothy grin, presented her paramour with the MTV Generation Award. For the occasion, Katie wore a sexy plunging jumpsuit, a departure from her demure 90s looks.
In NYC, 2019
On an unassuming day in late August 2019, Katie slipped on a Khaite cashmere bra and cardigan and changed fashion history forever. The look, photographed as the actress hailed a taxi in NYC, went mega-viral, receiving coverage from the likes of Vogue and The Cut, and causing the ‘bradigan’ twinset to sell out in one hour. And those were just the short-term effects. In the long-term, the outfit in question made Katie a millennial style icon and transformed Khaite from cult label to womenswear agenda-setter. Talk about Katie’s influence!