A typical search for “What are the ESPYs?” will tell you they’re an annual celebration of the past year in athletic achievements. The results will document the past twenty two years of ceremonies awarding athletes from Serena Williams to Caitlin Clark for dominating their respective fields (er, courts)—plus surprise appearances from avid sports fans like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. What the run-down of past winners might neglect to mention, however, are the best looks from the red carpet leading up to the podiums inside.
The 2025 ESPY Awards, held July 16 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, delivered a championship lineup of sports style. Like past installments, the athletes being honored at this year’s ceremony are typically seen in their team’s uniforms. But on this special night, they could fly their own style banners and express themselves. The formal-but-personal dress code let sprinter Gabby Thomas try a white feathered dress, while legendary skiier Lindsey Vonn debuted a strapless gown with a mile-high slit. Team USA gymnasts Jordan Chiles and Suni Lee went for gold in a structured midi corset dress and a sequin-spangled maxi, respectively. Just before accepting her two ESPY wins, Simone Biles debuted an Athleta gown based on her favorite T-shirt. (More on that in a second.)
Personal style is never about winning, but these trophy-holders and presenters still managed to get points on the board. Ahead, see all the best red carpet looks from the 2025 ESPY Awards.
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Simone Biles
Simone Biles wore custom Athleta by Zac Posen to the 2025 ESPY Awards.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
A week before the 2025 ESPYs, Simone Biles exclusively told Marie Claire all about her gown for the night: a custom Athleta dress by Zac Posen, based off her favorite $59 Transcend Tee. She said she wanted to feel “comfortable”; her trust in Posen’s mastery of draping and beading resulted in a deep blue gown that flowed off her form like water. Sparkling EFFY jewelry earrings complemented the beading all over her gown, and it shimmered even more onstage when she accepted her two awards for Best Championship Performance and Best Female Athlete.
Gabby Thomas
Track star Gabby Thomas brought heavenly feathers to the 2025 ESPYs.
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Thank goodness Gabby Thomas didn’t hit the 2025 ESPY Awards red carpet at her Olympic running pace. If she had, we would have missed her angelic one-sleeve white dress by PatBo and her beaded top-handle bag.
Ilona Maher
Rugby star Ilona Maher took the plunge (dress) at the 2025 ESPY Awards.
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First she ruled the rugby pitch (and TikTok during the 2024 Paris Olympics). Now, Ilona Maher’s red carpet takeover era is underway, courtesy of her black gown with a daringly low plunge neckline and hip cut-outs.
Jordan Chiles
Jordan Chiles glowed in a sculptural dress at the 2025 ESPY Awards.
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Gymnast Jordan Chiles arrived at the ESPYs with the same attitude she delivered onstage at Marie Claire‘s Power Play conference in Atlanta this spring: ready to take up space. She made her red carpet presence known with a Cong Tri dress that flared out and away from her body into a half-moon skirt that seemingly floated on air. It was made all the more interesting by its woven construction and plunge neckline.
Lindsey Vonn
Lindsey Vonn attended the 2025 ESPY Awards in a dramatic strapless gown.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Presenting the most strikingly minimalist look from the 2025 ESPY Awards red carpet. Skiier Lindsey Vonn is back on the slopes and vying for a spot on the 2026 US Olympic team. She quietly emphasized the strength her comeback takes in a gown with a mile-high slit and an arm-baring strapless silhouette.
Suni Lee
Suni Lee glistened in gold on the 2025 ESPY Awards red carpet.
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No one could forget Suni Lee’s epic performances with Team USA at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics. But if anyone needs reminding of her gold medal status, they’ll only need to look at her 2025 ESPY Awards gown. Gilded silver and gold leaves coated a semi-sheer base, resulting in a nearly-naked dress that can put a Vanity Fair Oscars After-Party pick to shame.
Ciara
Ciara brought a soft shimmer to the 2025 ESPY Awards red carpet.
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Ciara is a regular ESPY Awards attendee, showing out to support her husband, NFL quarterback Russell Wilson. This year, she swapped gear referencing the New York Giants (Wilson’s new team) for a soft off-the-shoulder gown lightly dusted with crystals.
Alison Brie
Alison Brie wore electric blue to present at the 2025 ESPY Awards.
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Did Alison Brie and Simone Biles exchange wardrobing notes ahead of the ESPYs? To present Biles with her Best Female Athlete trophy, Brie arrived in an electric blue velvet mini dress by Alex Perry and silver heels that played off the cool tones of Biles’s red carpet gown. Their coordinating palette looked all the more in sync when they hugged onstage.
Alex Morgan
Alex Morgan went the two-tone route at the 2025 ESPY Awards.
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Some red carpet gowns pick a lane: elegant black dress on the right, elaborate sequined look on the left. Former soccer player Alex Morgan decided to merge the two in a dress displaying the best of both red carpet worlds. Her bodice with oversize pailettes was the just-right contrast to her black skirt (and extra-high leg slit).
Sloane Stephens
Sloane Stephens chose a regal white dress for the 2025 ESPY Awards red carpet.
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Tennis player Sloane Stephens brought a fresh definition of “suiting up” to the 2025 ESPY Awards red carpet. She eschewed a halter neckline or simple strapless gown for a remixed double-breasted blazer dress. When she strode onstage to accept her Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award and delivered an impassioned speech, she looked like she meant business.
Kristin Juszczyk
Kristin Juszczyk went the corseted route at the 2025 ESPY Awards.
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Any given NFL season, you’ll find Kristin Juszczyk creating one-of-a-kind pieces for fashionable sports fans (including Taylor Swift). On the 2025 ESPYs red carpet, she flipped the script and wore a Wiederhoeft style favored by Sydney Sweeney. Her baby pink gown showed off the label’s impeccable tailoring with a super-cinched waistline and a distinctive, belted drop waist.
Chiney Ogwumike
Chiney Ogwumike glittered at the 2025 ESPY Awards.
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She shows up to the 2025 ESPY Awards in sweeping purple sequins, she scores. Basketball star Chiney Ogwumike looked radiant in her strapless column gown and strappy sandal heels.
Ashleigh Johnson
Ashleigh Johnson suited up in white at the 2025 ESPY Awards.
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Water polo gold medalist Ashleigh Johnson delivered a clean finish to the ESPY Awards best-dressed with a wide-leg, quilted white suit and tiny trunk bag. But the real standouts in her look are the baroque pearl chokers winding around her neck and the cowrie shells braided into her hair.
