Katie Holmes is a woman who sticks to a clothing formula. The actress has always relied on simple, stylish silhouettes to keep her "downtown mom" look. As the season warms up, Holmes is looking for ways to subtly glam up her usual off-duty outfits.

Take a look at Holmes' most recent appearance, spotted in New York City on Tuesday, May 7. The Dawson's Creek actress was out in Manhattan wearing a camel-colored linen vest from Lafayette 148's Pre-Fall 2024 collection. She left some of the top and bottom buttons undone, giving the silhouette an effortless "I just threw this on" look.

She paired the vest with wide white pants and black suede sneakers. She added the ultimate cool-girl accessories to the mix: oval tortoise sunglasses, a leather black shoulder bag, a gold necklace, and silver earrings.

The most noticeable aspect of Holmes' outfit was the way she layered the vest on top. The silhouette featured blue suede trim on the collar and sleeves and XL pockets on the front.

Holmes may be on to something when it comes to outerwear choices. The slouchy barn jacket, also known as a choir coat, was a practical wardrobe staple for decades before it morphed into a trendy "work" take on workwear. Spearheaded by traditional brands such as Carhartt and Dickies, this rugged silhouette is not just for tough physical work days, but, in Holmes' case, also serves as a statement piece for off-duty fashion.

After spending the winter months in long coats from Frankie Shoppe, the actress has been experimenting with fun outerwear silhouettes in recent weeks. Earlier this spring, she tried on a studded denim trench. And on Friday, May 3, she paired a button-up top and barrel jeans with a Mango suede bomber jacket. She contrasted the casual look with brown square-toe ballet flats.

Channel your inner Katie Holmes and shop similar styles below, as barn jackets rise as one of this season's biggest outerwear trends, favored by runways including Prada.