Katie Holmes Says She Refuses to Let Hollywood “Dictate” What She Wears

“I’m adamant about having a life…”

Katie Holmes is seen out and about on August 11, 2024 in New York, New York
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Actress and mom Katie Holmes is opening up about the near-constant expectations society has of celebrities...and why she's not letting it dictate her life (or her wardrobe).

In a recent interview with Town & Country, Holmes said that unlike the past, "fashion is really big now."

"It didn't used to be," she told the publication. "As an actor, you weren't necessarily photographed all the time on the street. It's different now, and it's flattering, but it doesn't change how I live or dress."

The 45-year-old went on to say that she's "adamant" about living her life on her own terms instead of looking to the entertainment industry to tell her what to do or how to look.

“I’m adamant about having a life and not letting this industry dictate decisions as simple as what I wear or as complicated as what I do," she explained. "You don’t want to be afraid of anything, right?”

katie holmes

Katie Holmes is seen out and about on August 11, 2024 in New York, New York.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Recently, Holmes partnered with French fashion label A.P.C., putting her celebrity name on a line of sweaters, shirts, mini skirts and jeans.

In a recent interview with The New York Times, the fashionista said that she "never really anticipated" being the face of a fashion brand...which turned out to be just one of the many reasons why she was an ideal partner.

“We like how real she is, that her style is appealing to everyone,” Judith Touitou, A.P.C. creative director, told the Times in an interview. “For a celebrity, she is very sophisticated but also accessible.”

Clearly, Holmes' philosophy of having the entertainment and fashion industry come to you, and not the other way around, is paying off.

In the same interview with the Times, she admitted that dressing up to run a routine errand just because she knows her photograph will be taken is "really hard for me to understand."

"(It) just doesn’t feel right to me," she added.

Katie Holmes walks in New York City wearing a pair of white jeans and a white stripe linen shirt with fisherman sandals

Katie Holmes walks in New York City wearing a pair of white jeans and a white stripe linen shirt with fisherman sandals.

(Image credit: The Image Direct)

In a 2022 interview with Shape, the actress said that she's now at a place where she can "enjoy life," adding that she also loves a good "adventure."

"That's the thing I like best about myself," she told the publication at the time. "I like to meet people and experience lots of things. I'm always up for new challenges."

Holmes also admitted that the confidence she now has as a woman in her 40s was a work-in-progress, and something she had to build over time.

"Confidence is something I've had to grow into. You can be confi­dent in certain areas of your life, but then you have to work on other areas," she said. "The more focused I am about achieving a goal, the more my confidence goes up, because then I'm mentally organized about what I want to do. If I'm not feeling sure about something, I sit down and work on exactly what it is I want to accomplish and all the different ways I can achieve it."

Danielle Campoamor
Weekend Editor

Danielle Campoamor is Marie Claire's weekend editor covering all things news, celebrity, politics, culture, live events, and more. In addition, she is an award-winning freelance writer and former NBC journalist with over a decade of digital media experience covering mental health, reproductive justice, abortion access, maternal mortality, gun violence, climate change, politics, celebrity news, culture, online trends, wellness, gender-based violence and other feminist issues. You can find her work in The New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, New York Magazine, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, TODAY, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, InStyle, Playboy, Teen Vogue, Glamour, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, Prism, Newsweek, Slate, HuffPost and more. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their two feral sons. When she is not writing, editing or doom scrolling she enjoys reading, cooking, debating current events and politics, traveling to Seattle to see her dear friends and losing Pokémon battles against her ruthless offspring. You can find her on X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook and all the places.