Gabby Thomas was hyped for the 2025 ESPY Awards, and not just for the competition. A week earlier, she posted a highlight reel of her 2024 Olympic moments on Instagram with the caption, “I was nominated for Best Female Athlete at the ESPYs! You can vote once a day.” On June 12, she followed it up with another post in a sprint suit, reminding fans to vote. She clearly had her eyes on the win, but beyond the nominations and the red carpet glam, Gabby had something more meaningful in mind. When she arrived in a crisp white dress with feathered trim, it wasn’t just a fashion statement. It was a quiet tribute, one that fans would only understand once she shared the story behind it.
She donned an all‑white asymmetrical mini featuring a single one‑shoulder scarf neckline and a playful feather-trimmed hem that offered soft movement. What really made it stand out was the feathered trim along the bottom, giving it a light, elegant, almost angelic look. She paired it with white strappy heels and a sparkly silver purse, keeping the whole outfit fresh, clean, and graceful. But there was a secret behind this dress…
Thomas’ ESPY category was being sponsored by TJ Maxx, which also dressed her for the evening. “I’m thrilled to be partnering with TJ Maxx because they’re so committed to celebrating women like me who are redefining the game and owning who they are,” she revealed in an interview with Refinery 29 on July 17, a day before the awards. The Olympic gold medalist also hinted that she’ll be wearing an all-white bridal-era look following her recent engagement to Spencer McManes. In March 2025, she confessed to saying yes to her boyfriend of three years in an interview.
Image via Instagram
She also said, “I went with something white with some fluffy, feathery finishes.” Well, we all saw how elegant the feathers looked on her. It wasn’t the shoes or the track that launched her this time, but a dress and the ESPY red carpet. Gabby’s statement also highlights her readiness to stand up and celebrate women at any moment she can, and this is not her first time. She has done it before when she donned the swimsuit for the 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit magazine.
Gabby Thomas’ idea of fashion
Gabby Thomas has never treated fashion as just clothing. Time and again, she has used it as a way to send a message, and her 2025 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit shoot was no different. Gabby’s SI Swimsuit shoot took place in Boca Raton, Florida, where she was photographed by Ben Horton at The Boca Raton Resort. During the shoot, she donned a variety of swimwear—including silver, green, black, red ones, and a peach-hued one-piece by Haus of Pinklemonaid. But the world took notice when she posted a photo of herself in a silver swimsuit on her Instagram story, not because of how she looked, but the message she had for the world.
When she posted the story, rather than simply aiming for grace, her goal was to send out a message as she posed in a gray swimsuit on her Instagram story. She wrote, “I hear a lot of girls talk about how they are afraid to work out because they don’t want to get too ‘bulky’ or it will ‘mess up their hair. I want to push back on that. Our bodies as women are capable of amazing things!! Strength is beauty.” Taking that into context, she would be more than happy to have worn a dress with such meaning for the 2025 ESPYs awards. What do you think?
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