Katie Holmes Breaks the Office-Only Curse on Khaki Pants With a Babydoll Dress and Ballet Flats

Shorts season is noticeably quiet this year. For every singular pair of Daisy Dukes, celebrities style ten alternatives: white skirts, oversize trousers, cut-out jeans. As an avid shorts hater, I'm happy to see even khakis getting their time in the sun.

That's right: A-listers like Katie Holmes are making a strong case for a khaki pant revival, in lieu of thigh-restricting shorts. At this point, Holmes can pull off even the most divisive drawers, from skinny jeans to sweatpants. But on July 9, she outdid herself with khaki pants that were previously cursed for eternity as an office-only staple.

Paparazzi captured Holmes on another signature stroll through New York City, wearing a lexicon of on-brand pieces, starting with baggy bottoms. She doubled down on her cargo pant endorsement with khaki trousers made of quick-drying synthetic blends. Then, Holmes styled a babydoll dress as an elongated tunic, one of her favorite hacks since the '90s. The LWD was sleeveless with sheer lace lining along the neckline and hem. The Dawson's Creek star also layered a white tank top underneath à la Kendall Jenner.

Holmes's khakis were the perfect length to peek at her now-signature glove ballet flats. Various versions dominate her street style rotation, but these supposed Mansur Gavriel shoes are her current fixation. Complete with elasticized uppers and rear pull-tabs, they're a relaxed alternative to other ballet flats in Holmes's closet. Most of her flat footwear feature structured tops and heels (see her Le Monde velvet Mary Janes).

To no surprise, Holmes's approval sold out the Mansur Gavriels months ago, but Jil Sander offers a shockingly similar style.

Holmes is one of the first stars to co-sign a khaki comeback. The cargo side of her pants, however, is in the midst of one itself. In recent months, Miley Cyrus, Camilla Morrone, Gigi Hadid, Kim Kardashian, and Rihanna (to name a few) have boarded the Kim Possible-inspired bandwagon—minus the cropped turtleneck. In May, Holmes herself tried the cargo pant trend at Dr. Barbara Sturm's pop-up in Soho. She chose a navy blue shade with cascading oversize pockets.

In early June, Rihanna gave Balenciaga's cargo-skirt hybrid a go in black as opposed to Holmes's safari-ish tan. With Holmes's look as the blueprint, though, khaki cargos are primed for a takeover come fall.

Shop Khaki Pants Inspired by Katie Holmes