Katie Holmes Demonstrates How to Wear a Breezy Linen Shirt Beyond the Beach

She gave her coastal classics a city twist.

Katie Holmes walks in New York City wearing a white linen button down with a leather tote bag and white jeans
(Image credit: The Image Direct)

Forget what you thought you knew about so-called vacation outfits. According to Katie Holmes's latest, instructive look, breezy linens aren't only for a trip to the shore.

Taking a summertime stroll around Manhattan on Monday, August 5, Katie Holmes showed anyone who passed her on the sidewalk how to wear a linen shirt anywhere but the beach. She started by pairing a white striped linen shirt with a somewhat less obvious pant: white, wide-leg jeans. (Yes, the very same ones she bravely traveled in weeks ago.)

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

Katie Holmes took a New York City stroll that doubled as a tutorial in how to wear a linen shirt.

(Image credit: The Image Direct)

Mixing up textures was just the start. From there, Holmes layered on sturdier, city-chic accessories with a hint of trend and major designer credentials. On her feet, she wore a pair of fisherman sandals—a shoe style that's summery, but has some more substance. (From Jennifers Lopez and Lawrence to the streets of Copenhagen Fashion Week, these are currently style insiders' preferred way to do warm-weather footwear.) Over her arm, she toted Khaite's $3,400 Maeve bag in a buttery leather. Last but not least, she slid on a pair of angular sunglasses.

Like Holmes's beloved Madewell tote bag and her hefty collection of trendy sneakers, none of these pieces are particularly hard to track down or impossible to wear. (Well, the Khaite bag might be an exception—it's currently sold out.) They're all items with a near-universal presence in retail. Taking them out of their context—like grounding a breezy linen shirt with a thicker sandal and daytime jean—makes them more interesting, even for a walk around the neighborhood.

This is the Katie Holmes way: Whether she's dabbling in fall 2024's biggest denim trend or trying her hand at a tropical matching set, her recent outfits all tend to flip a prescriptive style on its head. Her latest stroll isn't simply about showing how to wear a linen shirt—she's demonstrating how to wear a linen shirt in a way that's a little more interesting than her vacation fare. Thank goodness her closet hasn't taken time off yet this summer. Onlookers need their free style tips while they can get them.

Shop Katie Holmes's White Linen Shirt Outfit

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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.