Circa 2015, if I was wearing jeans, you can pretty much guarantee they were cropped flare jeans. The style was so popular that I thought they'd be around forever—much like straight-leg jeans have become staples. But not every denim style breaks out of the trend zone, and it seems that was the case with cropped flares. But alas, trends come and go, and the former might be happening right now.
As far as celebrities go, Katie Holmes has become very influential. (We'll never forget how much the sweater-set trend took off after that epic Khaite cab-hailing moment.) So when she's wearing an unexpected denim style, I take note. That's exactly what I did when I saw that she was wearing cropped flares with a raw hem, just like in 2015, out and about in NYC this week. She paired them with a classic combination of a button-down shirt, crossbody bag, and loafers. I'll admit that she made me miss my cropped flares a little and wonder, If Katie Holmes keeps wearing them, will others follow suit?
Scroll on to see her cropped-flares outfit and to shop pairs for yourself if she's convinced you to embrace the trend all over again.
On Katie Holmes: Khaite Layla Paneled Cropped High-Rise Flared Jeans ($440); Hunting Season Crossbody Bag ($305); Gucci Brixton Loafers ($830); Marc Jacobs sunglasses
Shop Cool Cropped Flares
Next up, The Popular Designer Jeans Fashion Girls Purchase Over and Over
-
I Found a Trove of Cool-Girl Basics From the Nordstrom Sale—31 Chic StandoutsThese have closet-staple status.
-
It's Here: The 2025 Version of Skinny JeansSpotted on Emily Ratajkowski in NYC.
-
35 Incredibly Chic Luxury Finds I Would Immediately Buy If My Salary Tripled TomorrowA girl can dream, right?
-
I Own $500 Jeans, But This Under-$150 Pair Looks and Feels More ExpensiveTrust me.
-
Not Black, Not White: The "Just Right" Sneaker Color Everyone in Fashion Is WearingGet on board.
-
I Tried This Curve-Friendly Denim Brand for the First Time—These Are the Jeans I'm Wearing NowEverything you need to know about popular Good American denim styles.
-
Anti–Skinny Jeans Are Still Ruling in 2025—Finally, 15 Fresh Ways to Wear ThemStealing these looks this season.
-
These 5 Inspiring Outfits Are Proof You Can Easily Merge Classic and Trendy StylesTrust me, you're going to want to re-create these looks.
