Amid the holiday merriment and all-star performances at this past weekend's iHeartRadio Jingle Ball, Katie Holmes made an unlikely fashion statement. Sporting a blue satin mini dress on top of a pair of rough-edged jeans and Maison Margiela sneakers, Holmes' formal/casual red carpet look was a blast from the not-so-distant past. Armchair fashion critics are divided over whether or not the Y2K style relic deserved a proper revival.
Now, after causing a bit of a social media stir, Holmes' stylist Brie Welch broke down her thought process behind the look in a new interview with The New York Times. Welch says she sought to capture “a more youthful feel for Jingle Ball and the atmosphere there” by paying tribute to Holmes' own early-aughts style by mixing more dressed-up items like the Tove bustier (that Welch insists is a top) with more casual pieces like the wide-leg Reformation jeans.
“We decided the rich color and subtle bustier effect detailing of the top was elegant and would be fun if paired with jeans,” Welch told the publication, adding that the sneakers were actually Holmes' own suggestion. “On the day of (and because Katie has her own effortless style that should be appreciated here), she said she wanted to wear sneakers, because it was a concert and obviously there would be a lot of dancing to Dua Lipa." As further backup, she added: "Nothing is more comfortable!”
While the look had more than a few up in arms over what many decried as tantamount to a fashion crime, Holmes' nod to one of the Y2K era's more quirky trends had others fondly reminiscing about some of Ashley Tisdale's classic red carpet outfits. Filled with multi-layered, sequin-studded, feather boa-sporting masterpieces of chaotic early 2000s tween fashion, Tisdale's High School Musical prime has recently enjoyed a bit of a renaissance, with the star herself even joking that she would even go so far as to recreate one of her classic looks should she have gotten an invite to the Met Gala.
Who knows — with Holmes already on board with the retro layered look, maybe there's still hope that Tisdale's invite from Ms. Wintour won't get lost in the mail next time around.
Photo via Getty/ Theo Wargo