Katie Holmes revives Dawson’s Creek-era cord necklaces for spring

Katie Holmes made the cord necklace look edited, not nostalgic. On Thursday, May 7, in New York City, she wore a simple leather cord with a shimmering gold pendant, then grounded it in a black midriff-baring cardigan, purple ankle-length jeans, gum-sole sneakers, and a croc-embossed tote.

The effect was less Dawson’s Creek rerun than polished off-duty shorthand. A cord necklace only works when the proportions feel intentional: a slim leather or silk strand, one substantial pendant, and enough negative space at the throat to let the piece read as jewelry, not a craft-project souvenir. Holmes’ version had that discipline. The pendant sat at the center like a small talisman, which is exactly why the look feels so current now.

She is not wearing it alone. Jennifer Lawrence, Daisy Edgar-Jones, and the Hadid sisters have all been leaning into the same retro pendant formula, proof that this is no isolated celebrity whim. The necklace also had runway backing during Spring 2026, where Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, and Gabriela Hearst gave the look a cleaner, more refined frame. At Michael Kors, the mood was earthy elegance, with relaxed ease, soft tailoring, fringe, tassels, transparency, texture, warm sunset tones, artisanal accessories, laid-back glamour, and sporty sensuality all working in the same register.

Gabriela Hearst took a more handcrafted route, layering silk necklaces and leather fob necklaces with charms and fringes. That matters because the best cord necklaces live and die by finish: a real vintage piece usually shows weight, even when the cord itself is minimal, and the hardware should feel considered, whether it is a small gold clasp, a well-made jump ring, or a pendant with enough presence to hold its own. Cheap copies often flatten the formula, relying on flimsy cord, overly shiny plating, and pendants that look light enough to vanish under a blouse.

The revival itself has been building for more than a year. Fashion coverage in 2024 was already tracking cord pendant necklaces across social media, music videos, and celebrity street style, while 2023 reporting framed the piece as a leaner ’90s return built around a single pendant. Holmes has simply made the case for it again, and she has done so with the kind of ease that makes a vintage-style necklace feel like part of a wardrobe rather than a trend cycle.