Like many children of celebs, Suri Cruise headed to college hoping to escape the celebrity shadow that her parents, Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise, have cast on her for her whole life. When she graduated from high school, Suri started the process by using the name “Suri Noelle” instead of using her very recognizable last name. She used it when performing in a “Head Over Heels” production, but this was just the start of a new chapter for Suri. Before her daughter went out on her own with a clean slate, Holmes talked about how Suri’s journey of personal growth reminded her of her own. In 2019, she told Elle UK, “Every age that my child has been and my age at that time has been a good match. We kind of grew up together.”
A couple of years after that, in June 2021, Suri was photographed by paparazzi taking a walk in NYC with her mom. The teen looked like a doppelgänger of a young Katie, with long, wavy brown hair, blue jeans, and a vintage tee. Still, Holmes spoke to The Times in 2024 before Suri headed off to college, maintaining that her daughter had her “own sense of style and her own expressions.” She admitted that Suri will occasionally raid her closet, which explains why their looks are sometimes similar.
When it was time to move into her dorm, Suri looked like a regular 18-year-old. Katie helped her move-in daughter at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Photographs taken in August 2024 showed Holmes moving around boxes to help out with the movie. Suri wore white sneakers paired with a flowing white blouse and baggy jean shorts. This was just the start of her time in Pennsylvania and the beginning of her college transition.
Loading…
Suri Cruise gets attention (and praise) for her sense of style
Just like her mom turned heads for her fashion sense back in the day, when Suri gained more independence in college, she started coming into her own style. She started looking like a grown-up and underwent a makeover, perhaps due to the influence of college friends or her new sense of independence in Pittsburgh, away from the celebrity drama that followed her in New York. Hello! Published images of her in December 2024 showed her with a dramatic haircut, now closer to shoulder length than her previously flowing hair. It was worn in a ponytail with oversized blue jeans and a green puffer jacket, which she wore when she was home on a break from school.
Months later, her style change was even more evident, and in June 2025, we saw a total transformation. Again, in NYC, she was seen with a form-fitting black tank top, a matching sports bra, and black thonged sandals for a cohesive look. Fan accessories went wild for the look, and people complimented her casual-chic sartorial choices.
The next month, the 19-year-old visited her mom on-set during filming in NYC, wearing red sneakers with olive green cargo pants and a white cropped tank top. She made people do a double-take as she looked just like her mom back in the “Dawson’s Creek” days. Days later, she strayed beyond her usual casual style with a more adult look that Hola! captured — a boho-chic red dress covered in an attractive paisley pattern, complete with a skinny brown belt around her waist, which nicely broke up the pattern.
As Suri continues her college years, her evolving style seems to reflect a broader journey of independence and self-discovery. While she will always be connected to Hollywood through her famous parents, she’s clearly carving out her own path and identity, both personally and publicly. From casual campus looks to more polished, fashion-forward outfits, her transformation shows a young woman growing confident in who she is. Whether she embraces her mom’s influence or experiments with her own unique choices, one thing is certain—Suri Cruise is stepping into adulthood entirely on her own terms.
