Katie Holmes defends her infamous dress over jeans outfit

The ‘Dawson’s Creek’ star raised eyebrows last year with her Y2K-inspired look

Katie Holmes has finally spoken about the viral moment she wore a dress over jeans, which instantly sparked a debate over whether early 2000s style was really back.

The 44-year-old actor discussed the controversial fashion moment during Thursday’s appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show. While speaking to host Drew Barrymore about her most iconic looks, the Dawson’s Creek alum admitted that she didn’t really understand why the dress over jeans outfit received so much attention.

Holmes revealed that the navy blue mini dress, which she wore to the 2022 Jingle Ball in New York City last December, was actually a corset top that she “threw” on with relaxed light wash jeans and Maison Margiela sneakers. The decision behind the viral look was actually quite simple, Holmes explained: “I knew I wanted to dance there because I was going with my nephews. So, I threw my sneakers on and I thought I looked cool.”

But when she posed for pictures on the red carpet, the outfit choice sparked numerous comparisons to early 2000s fashion, while some fans admitted that they weren’t quite ready for the dress over jeans look to make a comeback.

“Katie Holmes woke up and decided it was 2002,” said one person on Twitter, while another wrote at the time: “Wait… Is this picture recent???? I thought it was from the early 2000s.”

Despite the online debate surrounding her outfit, Holmes maintained that she doesn’t put much thought into her daily fashion choices, and prefers to wear clothes that she feels comfortable in.

“I thought I looked cool,” Holmes said. “I felt cool! I felt great and then I woke up the next morning and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’”

She added: “I didn’t know that that was such a thing. I don’t think about it, I really don’t. I like to go and have fun.”

Holmes isn’t the only fashion-lover to defend her Y2K outfit. Her stylist, Brie Welch, said in an interview with the New York Times last December that the look was actually a collaboration between her own styling and Holmes’ own taste.

“We decided the rich color and subtle bustier effect detailing of the top was elegant and would be fun if paired with jeans, creating a more youthful feel for Jingle Ball and the atmosphere there,” Welch told the New York Times, before adding that Holmes is “more than capable of looking cool in an unintentional trend 20 years later”.

Katie Holmes attends the Z100's iHeartRadio Jingle Ball in New York City on 9 December 2022 (Getty Images)

The Batman Begins star also addressed the dress over jeans outfit in a recent cover story for Glamour’s April Issue, saying: “Come on, women, let’s hold each other up here. Let’s look a little bit past what we’re wearing. That’s our duty amongst each other. I feel like the woman’s journey is deeper.”

Holmes has been known for her eye-catching fashion and love for style over the years. She was most recently spotted sitting front row at major fashion shows for New York Fashion Week this spring, including Michael Kors and Tory Burch, as well as the Chloé show at Paris Fashion Week last fall.

She’s also shown her love for fashion by making many red carpet appearances at the Met Gala, where she’s worn ensembles from Calvin Klein, Zac Posen, and Marchesa.