At the 2026 ESPYs, Kate Upton paired a blue Schiaparelli bustier dress with gold Christian Louboutin sandals, letting texture replace heavy accessories.
Kate Upton lets surface carry the look. At the 2026 ESPY Awards in New York City on July 15, she wore a strapless electric-blue Schiaparelli midi dress with gold Christian Louboutin sandals and almost no visible jewelry. Kate Upton in textured red carpet styling works because the embossed finish gives a simple fitted shape enough visual depth.
The dress comes from Schiaparelli’s Fall/Winter 2025 ready-to-wear collection. Its straight strapless neckline and close bustier-style fit create a clean upper frame, while the crocodile-inspired embossing breaks the blue surface into raised, irregular sections. Light catches those ridges differently across the torso and skirt, producing darker navy pockets and brighter electric-blue highlights.
That texture matters more than added decoration. A necklace or large earrings would have introduced another focal point near the neckline, but the bare upper section allows the material to remain dominant. The absence of jewelry does not make the look unfinished; it keeps the hierarchy clear.
The midi length also suits the dense surface. A full floor-length gown could have made the pattern feel heavy, while the below-knee cut gives the dress a cleaner ending. A side slit rises above the knee, opening the narrow skirt enough to reveal the footwear and prevent the fitted shape from appearing rigid.
The Christian Louboutin Millennium sandals add the only contrasting color. Four fine gold straps cross the foot and ankle, creating a light metallic finish beneath the darker blue. Within celebrity red carpet dressing, that narrow shoe profile is a smart counterweight to the dress’s substantial texture.
Upton’s slicked-back updo preserves the strapless line, while one loose face-framing section softens the otherwise controlled styling. Neutral makeup follows the same logic, keeping the blue dress and gold sandals as the only strong color relationship.
The outfit succeeds because texture performs the role usually assigned to jewelry, embellishment and extra volume.
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