People have many thoughts about the best jeans, as they are a garment that has been around for literally generations. Everyone has that one pair that is non-negotiable and absolutely no better. That's why this summer's barrel-leg trend, with its cartoonish silhouettes, has denim lovers going crazy with both excitement and disgust.

However, the bowleg style was not the most controversial of the fall 2024 denim trends. Its divisive nature overshadowed the pants many of us wore that are now making a comeback. Yes, I'm talking about flared jeans. Like other early 2000s trends, flared jeans are in the midst of a comeback. And world-renowned denim enthusiast Katie Holmes, of course, has embraced both looks.

During the warmer months, she favored the barrel-leg style, but now that the temperatures are dropping, she's going full 2002 with nonstop flares. Earlier this month, she stepped out in a pair of medium washes featuring a classic bell-bottom, but contemporary loose fit.

Her Banana Republic jeans were a great example of today's reincarnation, boasting a roomier fit and more subtle flare. They were a stark contrast to the painted jeans she loved in high school.

Proving her allegiance to this style, Holmes wore another pair over the weekend: on October 13, she wore a pair of dark-wash jeans with a crew-neck sweatshirt for coffee in New York City. Because of the pants' preppy associations, Holmes styled them with a staggered coat and her favorite leather loafers.

Holmes is usually at ground zero, the point where a trend's comeback begins in earnest. Earlier this fall, she spearheaded the return of the quilted utility jacket and the resurgence of the Mary Jane flat. So consider this week's denim sighting an official Katie Holmes signal.