The Best & Worst Looks From US Gymnast Simone Biles

Simone Biles is officially a legend. As of 2024, she has the most Olympic medals of any American gymnast — ever. And she is already planning her 2028 campaign. But it isn't just her tuck jumps and walkovers that has gotten everyone talking — it's also her fashion. Whether she is on the mat or on the red carpet, Biles never fails to absolutely slay. 

Of course, her style has shifted quite a lot over the years. During her early rise to stardom in the 2010s, Biles often wore looks that were trendy at the time — think skater skirts and skinny jeans. However, in time, she has found her own sense of style on the red carpet. Just take her ultra glamorous look at the 2021 Met Gala. Then, of course, there are the leotards. Biles has worn dozens of gorgeous gymnastics outfits in her time — and as the years have gone on, they've only got more sparkly and more elaborate. 

Biles has certainly never have a "bad" style day, but we've done our best to pick some of our favorite and least favorite outfits that she has ever worn.

For the fair-weather gymnastics fan, one of the most exciting aspects of the sport is the breathtaking leotards — after all, they somehow make all of those flips and jumps and runs seems so much more spectacular, don't they? While Team USA never fails to pull out all of the stops when it comes to their leotards, Simone Biles wore one that was particularly gorgeous in 2023. During her appearance at the US Gymnastics Championships in San Jose, California, Biles wore a glamorous purple leotard that featured a plunging v-neck and countless sparkles. A collaboration with GK Elite, the leotard was designed for Biles and featured her favorite Maya Angelou quote on the back, "But still I rise."

The appearance came after Biles pulled out of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with a tragic case of the "twisties." "It's really amazing," she said to NBC afterwards (via Olympics.com). "Everybody in here believes in me, and my teammates believe in me, my coaches, my family, everyone. So, I just need to start believing in myself a little bit more. But it feels amazing. And I love the fans, I love the crowd. It's really special." It would be hard not to believe in her in this leotard that isn't only stylish but filled with personal meaning.

In 2017, Simone Biles was named Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year after she won four gold medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Although Biles was more than deserving of the award, her dress wasn't our absolute favorite red carpet outfit from the gymnast. 

Biles wore a pattered shift dress that fell to just above her knees. It featured an elaborate, intricate pink, black, white, and orange pattern — or rather, three different patterns — one that spanned the front of the dress, one that covered her shoulders and hips, and one that separated the other two patterns. It created a slightly disconcerting optical illusion that, quite honestly, makes us a bit dizzy. 

While it didn't exactly work — especially with the sneakers — it became clear that Biles wasn't afraid to go big and bold on the red carpet — and for that, we have to applaud her.

Simone Biles burst onto the global stage in 2016 when she competed in her first Olympics at Rio de Janeiro. Not only did Biles take home a staggering four gold medals at the event, she also received plenty of praise for her fashion. Those multi-colored hair ribbons! The chic helix piercing! And, of course, the all-American sequined leotard. As Lauren Cochrane, senior fashion reporter for The Guardian put it, "It comes with so many crystals that when Biles moves quickly — as she is wont to do — she turns into a something like a comet moving across the galaxy."

The Team USA leotard featured an ombré blue bodice, deepening from a cobalt shade at the top to a very deep blue at the bottom. The upper chest and shoulders were white, while the arms faded from white to blue to red around the wrists. And, yes, there were rhinestones basically everywhere. 

It was the first year that Team USA used a technique called "sublimation" to create their striking leotards, which allowed them to print graphics directly onto the leotards. "That technique allows us to get really intricate details, really fine lines, without having to use any other more expensive or more stretch-restrictive surface techniques," said Jeanne Diaz, lead designer of GK Elite to Business Insider. 

In 2017, Simone Biles attended the annual ESPY Awards in Los Angeles where she picked up yet another award — this time, the prize for the Best Female Athlete. Biles opted for another knee-length shift dress for the event. Although it was certainly glamorous, it already felt a little dated by the time she wore it.

The deep blue gown featured a single shoulder, a chunky red belt that hugged the waist, and a draping train which fell like a waterfall from one hip to the pool beside her on the floor. She wore silver open-toed heels, dangly silver earrings, and a silver cuff bracelet.

While we all love a good train moment, something about the lopsidedness of this dress is just a little awkward. Even the belt fit awkwardly, appearing somewhat asymmetrical and out of place. Overall, this look feels a little messier than some of Biles sharper red carpet looks that came in later years.

Another event, another stunning, sparkly Team USA leotard. At the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, Simone Biles, naturally, flew through to her events to qualify for the Olympic team. "This is definitely our redemption tour. I feel like we all have more to give," she said at the time (via The Guardian). Of course, she also showcased a few stunning leotards. One of our favorites was this Americana red, white, and blue number, which she wore on the fourth day of the event. 

The leotard, with its white bodice and gradient sleeves, seemed to be a subtle nod to the red, white, and blue leotard she had worn during the 2016 Rio Olympics. The leotard featured sparkly red, white, and blue vertical stripes across the bodice and a sequined turtleneck that faded from purple to red across the sleeves. As usual, Biles turned to GK Elite to design the leotard.

Simone Biles went one of her most businessy looks ever at the 2016 Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment Breakfast. At the event, Biles joined forces with actor Emma Stone to present three girls with surprise scholarships. 

She wore a bright orange pant suit, featuring a fitted blazer, which she wore with the sleeves pushed up, and tailored, pleated pants. She also wore a white button-up shirt with a high round collar. While she adhered to the dress code, we aren't in love with this orange look. In fact, it may have even been out of Biles' comfort zone. "Most of the time I feel confident in sweatpants, but at the same time I can turn around and feel confident in heels, too," she said at the event, speaking about the clothes that made her feel most comfortable (via Hello Giggles). "Usually I go for a dress, or something tight fitting because I have a very little body structure."

Simone Biles headed to one of her first real red carpet events with the 2017 Golden Globe Awards — and, unsurprisingly, the completely held her own amongst the elite of Hollywood when it came to her style. Taking inspiration from the name of the event (and perhaps from her record breaking performance at the 2016 Rio Olympics), Biles went, well, gold!

She wore a glamorous floor-length gown, which featured a glistening gold bodice with a deep v-neck and a textured, scale-like design. Below the bedazzled belted waist, the dress fell in a dramatic pale gold pleated skirt. She finished off the glam look with a diamond bracelet, a pair of gold drop earrings and matching gold eyeshadow and nail polish. She even wore gold body glitter. The gymnast wore her hair in big, bouncy Hollywood waves. Listen, whether it's medals or clothes, gold is kind of Biles' thing — and she certainly proved it here!

In 2020, Simone Biles made a trip to the Lower Eastside Girls Club in New York City where she gave a talk with Piera Gerlardi. The event was pretty casual, with Biles doing a meet-and-greet with members of the club. Biles kept her clothes suitably casual for the occasion, wearing a rolled turtleneck sweater with wide vertical stripes in navy, blue, red, white, and tan. She paired this sweater with a pair of skinny jeans and white sneakers.

This wasn't our favorite look from the accomplished gymnast. The blocky sweater felt out of place and detracted attention away from Biles' face. Perhaps fewer stripes would've sufficed. Sticking with her go-to red, white, and blue could have worked, but the navy and tan stripes felt out of place. Meanwhile, skinny jeans were decidedly out of fashion by 2020. If we're talking trends, this look might have been more appropriate about a decade earlier.

This looks was nothing short of a slay. Simone Biles attended her first Met Gala in 2021 and she certainly delivered on the fashion front. The gymnast represented sporty fashion wearing a jumpsuit-dress by Area x Athleta for the occasion. The look consisted of a chic black jumpsuit with a turtleneck and long sleeves, which was absolutely covered in sparkly stars, presumably in a sartorial nod to some of her famous leotards. The star of the outfit was the elaborate structural silver train that wrapped around her body before falling around her feet. According to Vogue, the dress took 100 people and over 6,000 hours to make.

"How do I feel in the dress? It's definitely heavy, but I feel beautiful, strong, and empowered," said Biles at the event. She added, "I want to say to little girls in general, you can be tough in any sport you want to be, and you can be strong. On the other end you can come out feeling empowered and beautiful and wear gowns like this and step out of your comfort zone." It's a great message — and this dress certainly sent that message loud and clear.

Listen, looking back, 2016 wasn't a great year for a lot of people's wardrobes. In yet another early look for Simone Biles, the gymnast opted for a less-than-glam dress on the red carpet for the Glamour Women Of The Year event in Los Angeles.

Biles was photographed wearing a color-blocked deep blue and black dress with a slight asymmetrical hem and small slit. The two color panels criss-crossed around her neck to form a halter, with the blue panel falling across most of the front, while the black panel was visible below it on the side and the back. Think of it like a bizarre wrap dress. Her waist was accentuated with a smaller black accent. She carried a white clutch and wore black strappy gladiator sandals. 

We're not sure what the aim was with this outfit, but we do know it's a rare stylistic miss for us.

Not all of Simone Biles's early looks were misses in our book. In fact, while attending Sherri Hill's fashion show during New York Fashion Week in 2016, the gymnast wore a glamorous white gown for the event. A simple t-shirt shape with short sleeves, a high neck, and a midi skirt, the drama of the dress came from the embellishments. Covered in sparkles, embroidery, and fringe that gave it a 1920s flapper feel, the dress is a maximalist feast for the eyes. Sparkles covered the neckline and the bodice, apart from a sheer panel, which featured detailed rhinestone embroidery patterning and reminded us of some of her best leotards.

Sherri Hill is known for designing prom and couture dresses for young Hollywood stars, and it seems that Biles is a big fan of Hill's elaborate, eye-catching designs. At another event in 2016, Biles wore a bedazzled red gown by the designer while attending the VMAs.

Simone Biles seems to be a real fan of the asymmetrical look. She once again opted for a one-shoulder gown for an event — this time at the 2021 MTV Video Awards. The pale pink dress featured a fitted bodice that came into a triangle at her chest before sweeping into a single shoulder strap. The maxi skirt fell around her ankles and featured a modest slit to offer a little balance to the single shoulder. Biles wore her hair long and straight, tucked behind her ears to show off a pair of sparkly hoops. She finished off the look with a pair of clear heels.

While this look was formal enough for the occasion, it was just too dull and forgettable. For someone known for sparkle, this pared-down look isn't exactly show-stopping, and it won't go down in history as one of our favorites from the gymnast.

Trust Team USA to up their game for the 2024 Paris Olympics. When Simone Biles made her long-awaited comeback after pulling out of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with the "twisties," she did so in style. One of her leotards was particularly eye-catching. On the second day of the competition, she and the other Team USA gymnasts debuted leotards that were brighter (and more elaborate) than any leotards in the team's history. 

The five stylish black leotards by GK Elite featured more than 47,000 Swarovski crystals, which were sewn on by hand. According to WWD, each leotard is worth a staggering $3,000. 

"We are so proud to have partnered with GK Elite on the USA women's gymnastics leotards," Swarovski creative director Giovanna Engelbert said. "One of the most watched and celebrated events of the Games, it is an honor to help bring sparkle to the world's biggest stage." Biles absolutely rocked this history-making leotard and made some history of her own,  qualifying for the team event in the top spot.

In 2017, Simone Biles attended the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards in Los Angeles where she won Favorite Female Athlete of the Year. She went for a fuchsia-colored mini dress for the event. The dress featured small horizontal panels, which gave the impression of a sort of mummy-like wrap design. The pattern criss-crossed over her chest before a single panel served as each shoulder strap. She paired the intricate purple-pink dress with simple black heeled sandals and delicate silver jewelry. She wore her hair twisted and off to one side.

The dress was the perfect shade to match with the Nickelodeon backsplash on the red carpet — in fact, she almost blended into the background in the press photos, which is never a good thing. Besides the color, we're just not the biggest fans of the fit and fabric and have to cite this as one of our least favorites in Simone Biles' fashion history.