The elite athletes who attend the ESPYs get the opportunity to kick off their cleats and put their best feet forward fashion-wise. On the red carpet, they no longer have to worry about the perils of their usual athletic wear, such as grass-stained glutes, leotard wedgies, or drenched underarms. Unfortunately, being in peak physical condition doesn’t make choosing formal wear less of a challenge — as evidenced by the 2025 ESPYs attendees who didn’t exactly bring their style A game to the Dolby Theatre.
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The event also gives all of our favorite WAGs the chance to see what percentage of their significant others’ contract bonuses they can spend on their designer ensembles. But even being married to one of the wealthiest professional athletes doesn’t guarantee sartorial success; the wife of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Brittany Mahomes, wore one of her most inappropriate outfits at the 2023 ESPYs.
On the list of 2025 ESPY nominees, there was a lot of potential for some exciting style plays. It included WNBA “it” girl Caitlin Clark, who has worn some head-turning outfits off the court; Olympic GOAT Simone Biles; and Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, whose gymnast girlfriend Olivia “Livvy” Dunne stole Brittany’s crown as the ESPYs’ biggest attention-grabber in 2024. Then there are the attendees who dropped the ball with their red carpet looks.
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Did Katie Austin get her sports-centric events confused?
Katie Austin made a play for Brittany Mahomes’ Queen of the ESPYs Worst-Dressed List title this year with her very loud cry for attention. While the fitness instructor’s abs were a killer accessory, her diamante bra top and matching netted skirt were far more appropriate for a Sports Illustrated Swim event. (Maybe she was making a very Mahomes move by reminding everyone that she appeared in the magazine?) Her dark beige underwear also looked like someone chose the wrong flesh tone when putting a plastic pelvis region on a Barbie.
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Maybe Funny Marco won a battle with a bear
“The Revenant,” but make it fashion. Comedian Funny Marco was probably going for guffaws with his patchwork blazer, shorts, and bear paws — at least, we hope his outfit was supposed to be a joke. It’s what you might get if Leonardo DiCaprio’s bear-brawling frontiersman was instead a traveling tailor who pieced together an outfit and made himself a new pair of fuzzy slippers after taking down a grizzly.
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Lindsey Vonn’s look just kept going downhill
Former Olympic downhill skier Lindsey Vonn didn’t get to show a lot of leg out on the slopes, so it’s understandable that she seizes the opportunity to flaunt them when she can. But the open side of her strapless plum dress reached above her hip bone, which revealed not just the full length of her leg but the strap of her underwear. With her hair styled to appear damp, she looked like she had made a mad dash from the hotel pool and thrown a bedsheet around her body. It was another look that was more appropriate for a Sports Illustrated Swim red carpet.
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All Isaiah Hartenstein’s outfit was missing was some lemon slices and butter
Sorry, but when you’re 7 feet tall and wearing an asparagus-green suit, it’s going to be difficult to dodge the Jolly Green Giant comparisons. But despite his towering physique, Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein somehow managed to find a pair of pants that looked a few sizes too large. At least he avoided looking too much like a tasty seafood side by opting for a white shirt over one in this summer’s hottest hue: butter yellow.
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Hally Leadbetter really needed a better neckline
Golf influencer Hally Leadbetter joined the parade of ESPYs attendees dressed for the wrong event. In her case, she was begging to be slimed at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards with her oozy neckline. Unfortunately, while her melting décolletage was one of the more unique looks on the red carpet, it wasn’t exactly flattering.
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Rae Burrell’s tattered gown wasn’t the cat’s meow
What if it were Scarlett O’Hara’s black and white dress that was made out of curtains instead of her iconic green one? And what if she had a comforter on her bed that matched her window dressing? And what if she also owned a bunch of cats? WNBA star Rae Burrell answered these questions with her head-scratching look covered with raw edges; it looked like a clowder of kitties went to town on the fabric of her gown before the strips were haphazardly sewn together.
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Ashley Adionser’s gown gills were giving predator of the deep
There are plenty of fish in the sea, and “Love Is Blind” star Ashley Adionser looked ready to take a bite out of them after her split from Tyler Francis. The shimmery blue sequins on her curve-hugging dress resembled fish scales, and it would have looked great on her if not for the too-tight bust and the series of cutouts on the front. In addition to cheapening the gown, they looked unsettlingly similar to the gills of a shark. Adionser was even carrying a chum-pink handbag with fleshy fringe.
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Sadé Vanessa didn’t have to worry about losing Robbie Chosen Anderson
Sure, it was Celine design, but Robbie Chosen Anderson’s harness still gave the impression of a wayward toddler whose mother was worried about him wandering off. The former NFL wide receiver’s army green pants also featured an athletic stripe that made them feel like too casual a pairing with his crisp white dress shirt, while his wife and “W.A.G.S. To Riches” co-star, Sadé Vanessa, was ready for prom in her pearlescent white gown.
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