The style was popular in the late '80s and early '90s, according to celebrity hairstylist Porsche Waldo, adding that Rihanna has a similar cut that is more "spiky" and "punklike."
Last year, Holmes sheared off her long locks to create a sleek bob that some compared to the look popularized by Victoria Beckham, Holmes' friend. Internet critics weighed in: Some loved it, others hated it, sniping that Holmes looked like her then 1-year-old daughter Suri.
Stylists are greeting the new 'do with mixed reviews.
"I'm personally not crazy about the look on anyone," says celebrity stylist and beauty expert Billy Lowe, adding that the cut with its soft neckline reminds him of a wig. "I liked her much better in the bob. I thought it was really sophisticated, very chic and very trendy."
Stacy London, co-host of TLC's "What Not to Wear," raved about the cut, saying it fit her face and her fashion persona much better.
"This whole sort of fashion evolution since becoming Mrs. Tom Cruise, I think it has taken her time to find her sea-legs," says London. "This haircut is clearly a step in the right direction."
The 29-year-old Holmes, who played Joey Potter on "Dawson's Creek" from 1998 to 2003, is in New York preparing to star in a revival of Arthur Miller's "All My Sons," which goes into previews Sept. 18.
