Katie Holmes Gives Us A Master Class In Styling The Blue Button Down Shirt
Sometimes I am thoroughly and completely enchanted by a celebrity’s street style. I will readily admit to spending a ridiculous amount of time analyzing the style of celebrities such as Zoe Kravitz, Jennifer Lawrence, Jo Ellison or Grece Ghanem to name a few. My latest obessession is Katie Holmes. Holmes has been a street style darling for years, but something about her recent undone, easy to access style has piqued my interest. So, when I was scrolling this morning and saw articles in Who What Wear and The Zoe Report with the latest Katie Holmes street style offering, I dug right in.
A simple blue button down, cream baggy trousers, black Birkenstocks, black slouchy tote, stacked gold necklaces and 90s inspired sunglasses. A decidedly solid outfit and easy to recreate. Maybe not my favorite look of hers, there is a lumpiness that I am having a hard time getting over, but bells are going off in my head and I cannot ignore them.
Could it be that Katie Holmes has just help declare the Blue Button Down as the shirt of summer 2024?
Let’s discuss. In one garment, you can hit the style notes of Quiet Luxury, Old Money Style, Casual Comfort, Preppy and one of 2024’s most popular colors, baby blue. It’s easy to style, versatile and easy to find, in fact, you might already have one in your closet.
And, the bells keep ringing as I start to realize that I have seen this before on Ms. Holmes. As I scroll my collected images of her past style offerings, I count more than 10 looks that have featured a blue button down shirt.
Here I present to you, how Katie Holmes has styled the blue button down.
Worn untucked, sleeves rolled with cropped flare raw hem jeans, white loafers, crossbody bag and black square sunglasses. I love that her ponytail adds playfulness and that she avoids looking overwhelmed by the silhouette by showing her ankles and forearms and using the crossbody to define the waist. It keeps the look sporty and youthful.
A striped blue button down, barrel jeans, black loafers, black tote and black square sunglasses. Again, she keeps the shirt loose, but adds a half tuck. Ankles, forearms and deep v-neck help her show enough skin so she is not swallowed up by the volume of the garments. The look is very clean. Notice the lack of jewelry.
A starched menswear blue button down, plaid mini skirt, denim tote and blue ballet flats. And of course, Katie’s trademark messy bun. What I love about this look, is that she is able to wear two very young trends (satin ballet flats and a tennis skirt) and make it work. The oversized men’s shirt tamps down the girliness.
An oversized blue shirt tucked into a brown patent leather high waisted skirt with nude heels and black clutch. Minimal jewelry, red lips and mirrored sunglasses. Once again she uses the shirt as a neutralizer, keeping the look daytime appropriate and not over the top sexy.
A slightly more fitted blue button down worn over a grey ribbed tank with white sweatpants, a black tote, silver necklace, oversized sunglasses and black Adidas sneakers. The red phone case also adds interest. I know sweatpants are not for everyone, but I have a feeling this outfit might change some hearts.
Normally I am not a fan of pop over shirts. I prefer my buttons to go all the way. However, I don’t hate this look on Katie. Paired with long carpenter jeans, black Adidas sneakers. light brown belt, dark brown leather tote, silver necklace and red square sunglasses, this look is able to bring together five neutral shades and make it work. Lesson: Don’t be afraid to wear mismatched accessories when the rest of your outfit is monochrome.
The striped blue shirt worn on a date night. One detail that I love about this outfit is the mixing of the small stripe and the small plaid. It is so beautiful. Worn with black booties, black crossbody, silver necklace and do I spy another blue shirt to wear over the outfit when the evening starts to cool? Oh, how I wish I could see how she styled this, but alas, but google searches are giving me nothing.
Two outfits styling a light blue chambray knot button shirt. The first paired with cargo pants, sneakers and a printed tote. The second, worn with straight leg jeans, a tote and black sandals. I actually found a few knot button chambray shirts on Poshmark and Ebay while I was searching if you like to try this look. Try this vintage knotted button shirt one, or this J. JIll Knotted Button shirt, or this one with a Mandarin collar.
Here is a short sleeve blue shirt outfit to mix things up. The half tuck at her waist and the long hem line of the jeans give her length in her legs. The low profile Adidas sneakers and small black bag match the proportion of the shirt, while the cateye sunglasses and the cap sleeves give a vintage feel.
Not a fan of light blue? She has plenty of other easy to recreate styles with oversized button down shirts. Here is a look with a pink striped shirt, black jeans, black sneakers and a pastel striped tote.
What do you think? Are you feeling the blue button down?
Love,
Lisa