Katie Holmes's Fishtail Braid Is So Back-to-School Coded
I'm not sure what it is about the combination of a turtleneck, jacket, and braid that sends me back to the excitement I used to feel about putting together back-to-school looks with my mom during my elementary school years. And that's exactly what Katie Holmes delivered when she attended Veronica Beard's Icons Party in New York City last night. Her look felt very grown-up schoolgirl. No, not in that way. In the effortlessly sophisticated way we've come to expect from the actor and director.
Holmes was spotted at the West Village's Corner Bistro for the pre-Fashion-Week soirée, which was also attended by fellow great-hair-havers like Natasha Lyonne, Nicole Ari Parker, and Karen Gillan. She wore wide-leg jeans with a black mock turtleneck and a cropped, navy jacket—an absolutely ideal September outfit.
But what really completes the start-of-fall feel is that low fishtail braid. The perfectly imperfect artsy-meets-preppy plait was secured with elastics at both the base and the ends, because who has time to do the whole hair-wrapping thing? This looks just as good!
OK, so, not everyone is a skilled self-braider, but hairstylist Tommy Bucket once gave Allure some great tips on how to nail this relatively easy alternative to the typical braid: Name, pull sections from underneath when you cross over to get that scaly look. You'll want to use your index fingers to pull a half-inch section of hair from near the base of your ear and cross it over, and repeat from the other side.
So while it seems every celeb has been wearing the sleekest, takes-a-village buns I've ever seen (I'm looking at you, Hailey, Selena, and Lindsay), Holmes reminds us that a braid style we've dabbled in since childhood looks just as cool.
More cool, casual celeb hair looks to try:
Now, watch Selena Gomez's Allure cover shoot:
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18 of September 2025
