Katie Holmes' Stunning Style Transformation Since Her Divorce From Tom Cruise

Katie Holmes looks totally different after her divorce from Tom Cruise. Holmes and Cruise divorced in June 2012, after six years of marriage and after becoming parents to daughter, Suri. Their divorce was harrowing. Holmes spoke about it in July 2022 with InStyle, and admitted to its challenges. "That time was intense. It was a lot of attention, and I had a little child on top of it," she said. While her divorce was rough, it sounded like her marriage might have been even harder. Holmes was concerned about Cruise's adherence to Scientology, allegedly, and wanted to keep her daughter away from the organization. This partially precipitated the divorce.

Holmes has always been a fashionable person, but when she was with Cruise, her style was more demure and certainly less adventurous. Holmes wore feminine, modest pieces and didn't steer into any experimental territory. Now, she's a major style icon and has admitted to having a fashion philosophy. Even apart from Cruise, Holmes has undergone a transformation from her Dawson Creek days up until the contemporary moment. Perhaps most shocking of all is that Holmes isn't the only woman who had a dramatic post-divorce glow-up after leaving Cruise. Nicole Kidman also underwent a style transformation after divorcing the actor. For Holmes, it's been nothing but trend setting ever since her divorce. 

When Katie Holmes was married to Tom Cruise, she tended to dress like a pretty princess. She went for halter top dresses, scarves tied in her hair, with matching handbags, looking every bit the doting wife. What we love about her post-divorce style is how much Holmes has come into her own. She doesn't look like she's dressing up for a husband anymore. She looks like she's dressing for her, and this authenticity is likely why so many people have gravitated towards her style in the last decade. It expresses independence and freedom.

Holmes absolutely kills it when it comes to elevated, casual dress. She is undeniably the queen of wide-leg denim, taking the comfortable staple to the next level by making unexpected combinations. At the Alice + Olivia show at New York Fashion Week in February 2024, Holmes showed up giving a display of this exact magic. She wore denim on denim with a black turtleneck base and a cream jacket. Best of all, she wore hot pink socks with black strappy sandals. The look was perfection. She wore spare, minimal makeup and her hair was long and dark. 

When Katie Holmes was married and a new mom to her daughter, Suri, she wore dresses one way. "When my child was really small, I was drawn to wearing a lot of dresses," Holmes told The Times in 2024. "You do go through these different phases of motherhood and they inform what you feel comfortable in and what you don't. So over the years my style has changed here and there." Holmes did wear a lot of dresses as a new mom in flowing cuts and peasant trends. These styles were more whimsical and loose. 

The times have changed, and Holmes wears completely different dresses after her divorce from Tom Cruise. The star opts for sleeker, more contemporary styles. Her dresses are more form-fitting and glamorous. She even goes for gowns with strategic cut-out styles to show off her toned mid-section. At the 2024 CFDA Fashion Awards, Holmes looked absolutely sumptuous in a pink and red Carolina Herrera gown with torso cut outs. She played on the gown's length by pairing long, drop earrings. This very grown up version of a dress marks Holmes' departure not only from early motherhood but also from Cruise, and the final result of dressing for herself is a pleasure to behold.

Back when Katie Holmes was married to Tom Cruise, we didn't see her in a lot of sheer pieces. This could have been the era — maybe see-through lace garments weren't trending — or, it could have been the wrong moment for that kind of fun on her fashion journey. Thankfully, that's changed considerably. At the Michael Kors Fall/Winter 2024 Show in New York City, Holmes wore a sheer maxi dress with a bralette peeking through, as well as black, high-waisted underwear. She donned an oversized blazer to finish things off. There's something about the daring seduction of this look that makes us pretty certain she would never have worn something like that while with Cruise. 

Holmes has opted for a much more playful wardrobe since setting out on her own. Pieces are skimpy, excessively long, oversized, lacy, geometric, strange, and quirky. It's everything that a wardrobe should be, and a little sheer panelling never hurt anyone. Because when Holmes is having fun with her looks, the final results are fabulous. 

Katie Holmes stunned at the Patou menswear show in Paris on January 26, 2025. She showed up in a blue blouse that was buttoned up backwards, and Holmes popped up the collar. It was a risk, but it came with a huge payoff. She wore brown slacks and a brown leather trench coat. It was her unexpected accessories that made the look a masterpiece. Holmes wore black and white polka dot heels and finished off the ensemble with a statement brooch. The menswear top and trousers created a strong base, while Holmes feminized the final effect with whimsical heels and long, lustrous hair. She kept her makeup simple and elegant, with a strong mocha lip. 

When Holmes was married to Tom Cruise, her style was much more subdued. She was stylish — no doubt about that — but her looks were more predictably feminine. We can look back and consider moments when they walked red carpets together, like in June 2005 at the premiere of "War of the Worlds" when Holmes wore a simple black dress with a pearl necklace. She looked beautiful but everything was coordinated and she didn't take as many risks. We love her style no matter what, but it's very cool to see how Holmes has evolved, and how her post-divorce taste has become much edgier and sophisticated at the same time.

One of the great pleasures of contemporary life is eyeing photos of Katie Holmes taking in New York City life. Her street style is an inspiration in and of itself, and these candid snaps double as fashion guides. Holmes consistently steps out in statement denim — it's arguably her best look — with stunning jackets, cool girl tops, great shoes, and fun bags.

Holmes established herself in New York City with her daughter, Suri, after Holmes and Cruise split. But with such a bustling city, it meant that Holmes and her daughter were more visible. "The city has a lot to offer, and I use it. Yes, it's a little too exposed at times, and we work hard to maneuver and navigate," she told InStyle in 2022. "But what I love about New York is that for me and my child, this is our vibe. When there are 25 things to do every night, it takes you out of your own thing." In fact, Holmes' relationship with New York seems akin to her evolved style following her divorce; it became her "own thing." The city offered her a sense of freedom that enabled self-expression, and it's paid off. Holmes is constantly stepping out in something stylish, and her use of wide-leg denim is a dream.