2026 ESPY Awards Fashion Fails: What Not to Wear

Award shows have long served as the ultimate stage for fashion triumphs and blunders alike, especially among celebrities, athletes, and notable public figures. On these nights, as personalities vie for the spotlight, innovation often takes the reins. The drive to dazzle sometimes leads stars to bold sartorial choices that can either make headlines for brilliance or become memorable for all the wrong reasons. The 2026 ESPY Awards, held on July 15 in New York City, was a prime example of this high-stakes fashion game.

Gathering to honor the incredible achievements in sports over the past year, the nation’s athletic elite brought their fashion A-game to the red carpet. While some, like Olympians Simone Biles and Alysa Liu, emerged victorious in the style stakes with breathtaking attire, others were less fortunate. Echoing the notorious fashion missteps of the 2025 ESPY Awards, several attendees seemed in dire need of a new fashion direction.

Among the night’s discussions was Ayesha Curry, known both for her culinary prowess and being married to NBA star Steph Curry. Over the years, Ayesha has dazzled on various red carpets, but her choice for the 2026 ESPY Awards proved divisive. She donned a Christian Siriano creation—a sheer black gown intricately adorned with crystals resembling spiderwebs. The corset’s boned structure awkwardly protruded at the hips, resulting in an unconventional silhouette that some thought revealed too much.

Indeed, this outfit might find a second life should she attend the premiere of Marvel’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”

For a supermodel like Kate Upton, it’s rare to misstep on the red carpet. As a long-time figure in the fashion world, expectations are high for her to deliver one stunning look after another. Despite this experience—and amid rumors about her dwindling public appearances—Upton turned heads for the wrong reasons at the 2026 ESPY Awards. Her choice of a poorly fitted dress failed to complement her slender frame, with its frenetic black-and-blue design only adding to the fashion confusion.

Cameron Jordan was dressed to impress his art class when he stepped onto the red carpet. The New Orleans Saint defensive end wore a light-colored suit with blue and purple swirls that couldn’t decide if it was a Vincent Van Gogh painting or a natural geological formation. Despite the wild mix of colors, he did somehow manage to find a pair of Nike’s that matched the color scheme perfectly. While the suit’s unique pattern felt out of place at the ESPYs, his look would’ve fit right in at a “Dune” premiere. 

Eileen Gu may be an Olympic gold medalist in freestyling skiing, but that does not mean the athlete always look good in gold. She hit the EPSY 2026 red carpet wearing a gold dress that draped onto the floor, but the metallic gown looked like a dull curtain hanging in an old hotel room. The oversized flowers across her right shoulder did not save the look, making the dress look gaudy and over-the-top. Perhaps Gu was simply wearing gold to signify her gold medal status, but this symbolism was too on-the-nose here. 

NFL superstar Russell Wilson isn’t known for his impeccable fashion sense and this was abundantly apparent when he hit the red carpet in a black-and-blue zebra print jacket. The black pattern on his jacket was a duller shade than the rest of his black outfit, making it look mismatched and his bowtie was oversized, making it look like a sloppy afterthought. This fashion hiccup comes as no surprise because Wilson was one of the worst-dressed celebrities at the 2024 ESPY Awards, too.

NBA superstar and champion Dwight Howard is used to having an audience. Yet, while the Hall of Famer may be a hero on the court, he looked like a Bond villain on the red carpet at the 2026 ESPY Awards. The all-black look created a cohesive color scheme, but it was in desperate need of a tailor. His cropped jacket and pants looked too small on the athlete’s tall frame. And while he took a fun fashion risk by wearing flared, bellbottom-like pants, they were ultimately too short, awkwardly exposing portions of his black boots.

Peleton’s head instructor Robin Arzón graced the ESPY red carpet in an all-black ensemble with gold accessories, including a gold belt and purse. She wore a black dress that was teeming with lace around her neckline and draped down her legs. While this look might’ve been perfectly fine at a more daring event, Arzón looked completely out of place. Given the explosion of ruffles and sheer lace, this outfit cannot decide if it’s a bathing suit cover up, a Halloween costume, or funeral duds. 

Dion Dawkins attended the 2026 ESPY Awards with his fiancée, Daiyaana Muhammad, in coordinated outfits. While the matching concept was sweet for the happily engaged couple, they ended up suffering from the same fashion missteps. The Buffalo Bills’ defensive tackle wore a suit that was much too baggy on him, while Muhammad wore a sleeveless dress with an unflattering shape. They went all in on colorless, off-white looks that were uninspiring. Perhaps they should have saved these outfits for the rehearsal dinner?

Volleyball star Harper Murray hit the 2026 ESPY red carpet looking like she pulled her outfit from the back of her closet. She wore a black, silk gown featuring a lacy, sleeveless top. While the bottom portion was salvageable, it was her accessory choices that ultimately tanked the look. Her white Miu Miu purse stuck out like a sore thumb against her all-black outfit and her black flip flop heels looked too casual against the gown’s floor-length. The most creative part of her outfit was her matching lace choker, though that would’ve looked better if it was half its width.