Katie Holmes Relaxes a Designer Dress With Her Affordable Madewell Bag and Fisherman Sandals

She delivered a summer Friday outfit a whole 24 hours early.

Katie Holmes wearing a button down shirt with a bevza dress and madewell tote bag
(Image credit: The Image Direct)

On a summer Friday, I'm all about an easy work outfit recipe I can assemble in five minutes or less: breezy layers, comfortable sandals, and maybe a hint of menswear if I really want to get down to business (but in a casual way). Katie Holmes joined my wavelength a full 24 hours early this Thursday, juxtaposing a designer dress with her affordable Madewell tote bag, chunky fisherman sandals, and an oversize button-down shirt.

Holmes effortlessly balanced on the high-low tightrope power-walking around New York City while chatting on the phone. These, loyal fans know, are the times that Holmes usually cooks up her best nonchalant street style. She delivered once again on June 20, beginning with the base of a colorblock sundress by Ukrainian designer Bevza. She added a blue and white striped shirt on top, unbuttoned all the way to beat the week's heatwave—and show how she subtly played on the dress's seaside-toned palette.

Katie Holmes wears a Bevza sundress with a button down shirt fisherman sandals and a madewell bag in new york city

Katie Holmes could have played her sundress safe with a kitten heel or her blueberry Mary Janes. Instead, she dressed it down with a Madewell tote and fisherman sandals.

(Image credit: The Image Direct)

Then came her accessories, starting with her Madewell bucket bag. The roomy, under-$200 leather tote first appeared in her wardrobe last fall alongside a pair of Adidas Sambas. It flew off of shelves shortly afterward, owing partially to its five-star ratings and partially to Holmes's stamp of approval. (Don't worry: It's back in stock.) She carries it just as often as its cousin: a black, everyday tote by Mansur Gavriel.

Meanwhile, her as-yet-unidentified woven leather sandals marked a completely new wardrobe addition. So far, Holmes has spent spring and summer either reviving the wedge sandal trend with a pair from her A.P.C. collection or dressing up her Birkenstocks. Fisherman sandals have runway endorsements from The Row to Gabriela Hearst to Alaïa, so they were overdue for a cameo in Holmes's closet.

katie holmes carrying a madewell tote bag and wearing adidas sambas

Katie Holmes last carried her Madewell tote bag with Adidas sneakers and relaxed sweats, in 2023.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

At the same time that Holmes was dressing down her work dress, she was also joining an emerging celebrity street style moment. Oversize, pajama-like tops are the relaxed summer shirt trend A-listers can't stop wearing this week, from Selena Gomez (with black pants and Zara sandal heels) to Jennifer Lawrence (with Mary Janes and a slip skirt). Even Jennifer Lopez, traveling solo in Italy while wearing a matching set and Dior basket bag, has worked an oversize shirt into her dolce vita wardrobe.

Considering that Katie Holmes will often squeeze three chic outfit changes into 24 hours, this may not be the last look she parades today. Still, it's the one I'll have in mind when I'm assembling my own summer Friday outfit tomorrow morning.

Halie LeSavage
Senior News Editor (Fashion & Beauty)

Halie LeSavage is the senior fashion and beauty news editor at Marie Claire, where she assigns, edits, and writes stories for both sections. Halie is an expert on runway trends, celebrity style, emerging fashion and beauty brands, and shopping (naturally). In over seven years as a professional journalist, Halie’s reporting has ranged from fashion week coverage spanning the Copenhagen, New York, Milan, and Paris markets, to profiles on industry insiders including stylist Alison Bornstein and J.Crew womenswear creative director Olympia Gayot, to breaking news stories on noteworthy brand collaborations and beauty launches. (She can personally confirm that Bella Hadid’s Ôrebella perfume is worth the hype.) She has also written dozens of research-backed shopping guides to finding the best tote bags, ballet flats, and more. Most of all, Halie loves to explore what trends—like the rise of doll-like Mary Janes or TikTok’s 75 Hard Style Challenge—can say about culture writ large. (She justifies almost any purchase by saying it’s “for work.”) Halie has previously held writer and editor roles at Glamour, Morning Brew, and Harper’s Bazaar. Halie has been cited as a fashion and beauty expert in The Cut, CNN Underscored, and Reuters, among other outlets, and appears in newsletters like Selleb and Self-Checkout to provide shopping recommendations. In 2022, she was awarded the Hearst Spotlight Award for excellence and innovation in fashion journalism. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Harvard College. Outside of work, Halie is passionate about books, baking, and her miniature Bernedoodle, Dolly. For a behind-the-scenes look at her reporting, you can follow Halie on Instagram and TikTok.