The Stunning Style Transformation Of Molly Qerim

Television personality and sports anchor Molly Qerim is best known for co-hosting the weekday morning sports debate show "First Take." Born March 31, 1984, the Connecticut native now works in New York City at ESPN studios. The sportscaster was previously married to Jalen Rose, but Qerim and Rose have since called it quits. But her relationship status is not the only thing that has changed over the years. Qerim has undergone quite the evolution to get to the stylish and confident reporter she is today, just like ESPN host Laura Rutledge's similarly stunning transformation. Qerim is not afraid to make bold choices or break up any tension on "First Take" between guests and her co-hosts. The Emmy award winner is known for her mediator skills, sports knowledge, and her impeccable fashion from head to toe. 

The debate show host may work in a male dominated field, but she does it in style, proving sports casting is a career where women can thrive. "There is part of you as a female — no question — that feels like you have to be over prepared and outwork the men because people are automatically going to look at you and say, 'Well, you didn't play football' or 'You don't know what you're talking about,' because you are a female," Qerim once said during a 2016 interview with Sports Business Journal. Qerim has changed jobs and styles throughout the years, all while challenging stereotypes about women in sports. Check out the stunning style transformation of Molly Qerim since joining the sports network in 2006.

Molly Qerim began her career and style journeys before she even graduated from the University of Connecticut. When she was an undergraduate student at the university, she landed an internship with ESPN in 2005 while majoring in communications with a minor in business administration. Qerim graduated from UConn in 2006 and later earned a master's degree from Quinnipiac University in broadcast journalism. In an interview with her alma mater, Qerim credits the university for helping jumpstart her broadcasting career. "I was able to have a TV show on UCTV, which was a lot of fun and helped me along my career path," she told UConn magazine in 2017.

While she is known for her incredible dresses and captivating, fashion-forward looks now, Qerim started her on-air position in less eye-catching outfits. In college and shortly thereafter, Qerim's on-air style often involved muted tones like blue, black, and gray with some pops of color and the occasional pattern. She frequently wore tailored blazers when first starting out, projecting a capable air. For instance, in 2015, Qerim shared a throwback picture from when she covered the Super Bowl in 2007. For the big game, she opted for a fitted light gray suit jacket and matching pants, a professional but understated look. When she first started at ESPN, the UConn graduate covered prestigious games like the Heisman Trophy presentation, the NBA Draft, and the NBA All-Star Game. Like other ESPN anchors, such as Charissa Thompson and her stunning transformation, Qerim's style evolved as her career did.

Molly Qerim dressed for the job when she first started reporting. While she often kept it professional in suit jackets on air, she also embraced the sporty look and repped her favorite teams in her everyday wardrobe, including Huskies gear, her alma mater's basketball team. The "First Take" co-host shared a throwback picture on her Instagram story from almost two decades before she first got a job at the sports network (via The Sun). During her first year at ESPN, she gave major Sporty Spice vibes (if Sporty Spice worked at ESPN). Qerim smiled in the photo while wearing a red baseball hat and a long sleeve shirt with the sports network's logo on them. As was typical in the late 2000s, she rocked a glossy lip and wore her hair straightened.

In the early and mid 2010s, Qerim continued to rock the casual sporty look. In a Facebook photo from 2010, when she was still early on in her career, she posed at a sporting event in a blue sports jersey, baseball hat, and the classic skinny jeans that would soon dominate the era. Five years later, she rejoined ESPN and was named full-time moderator of "First Take" on the network. In a photo she shared to Instagram in 2015, she wore another branded outfit. Qerim sported yoga pants with a mesmerizing black and gray triangle pattern, which she paired with a white cut-off Nike tank top. Her hair looked naturally wavy and she beamed in the snapshot, displaying her confidence as she re-joined ESPN.

After Molly Qerim had been in the sports reporting world for about a decade, her confidence and personality began to shine through in her outfits. She was not afraid of her outfits distracting from her work. In fact, for many viewers, her newfound sense of style added to her appeal. By the late 2010s, Qerim was a true fashion icon and fan favorite.

In 2018, the "First Take" moderator brought an air of quiet glamor to the set of the show with a timeless black and white polka dot dress for her segment. The elegant long-sleeved dress was paired with a black Gucci belt and white heels. She kept the accessories minimal, wearing a silver watch, a dainty necklace, and classic hoop earrings. Many fans complimented the early fall look on Instagram in the comment section, noting the classy pattern of her dress and her Gucci belt. While the ensemble was no doubt eye-catching, The ESPN anchor kept the focus of the show on sport. Her professionalism showed through in her dress choice at the time. However, the evolution of Qerim's style did not stop with long, elegant dresses.

Later that year, Molly Qerim entered her animal print era. She previously sported some looks involving animal print, but she seemed to fully embrace the style while hosting "Fantasy Football Now" with Matthew Berry, Tim Hasselbeck, Field Yates, and Stephania Bell. On the three-hour fantasy football show, and in her everyday life, she often opted for patterns like cheetah and snake print.

In October 2018, Qerim shared back-to-back Instagram photos of her recent outfits, both of them featuring animal print. In one Instagram photo, she wore a short, cheetah-like dress in slate and black, showing off her chic city style. The next day, the sports anchor posted another picture to Instagram. She donned a similar white and black snakeskin dress and re-wore the white heels she previously paired with the polka dot dress, resulting in a look with just the right amount of drama. While animal prints are inherently a somewhat bold pattern that risks distracting viewers, the fact that she opted for more muted colors in the animal prints she wore shows the thought she puts into her outfits. Qerim also kept her accessories understated, wearing a smaller pair of hoop earrings and a single chain necklace to complete the snakeskin look. 

Throughout her years in front of the camera, Molly Qerim has let her clothes speak for themselves. She also opted for minimal or understated jewelry and accessories. Yet, it is not only on the set of sports debate shows where Qerim serves stunning looks. Her fashion sense shines off the air too, literally. In June of 2023, she donned a bright, figure-hugging silver dress for a wedding in Atlanta, and fans could not get enough.

The ESPN debate moderator went viral for her Instagram post showing off the ankle-length dress, racking up an impressive number of likes on the picture. The strapless metallic number gave a look of fun sophistication, one that likely stole some attention from the bride's gown at the wedding she wore it to. Qerim did not overdo it with flashy accessories for the occasion. Rather, she wore a simple but elegant sparkling cross necklace and kept her signature brown locks down. Her long, wavy hair was parted to the side, and she kept the makeup somewhat natural, going with a nude-pink lip shade and a slightly more dramatic smokey eye.

Styling denim on denim (without looking like Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake circa 2001) can be a challenge, and so can being a debate moderator amid loud and outspoken sports fanatics on-air. Yet, ESPN's Molly Qerim has done both multiple times and always with a hint of class. Two decades after the former celebrity couple wore iconic matching denim outfits to the American Music Awards, Qerim pulled off a version of the Canadian tuxedo herself.

In September 2021, Qerim shared a photo carousel on Instagram in which she rocked a light denim skirt and a fitted, frayed matching denim jacket for a look that combined punk rock with high fashion. The torn hemline of the skirt was diagonal, falling to her ankles on one side and cut up to her thigh on the other side. It was a more edgier look than the sports moderator had gone with in the past and not one she would have been likely to wear at the start of her career.

Her edgier looks reflected the confidence she was continually gaining in her career. In 2024, for instance, Qerim shared an Instagram post and again showed the power of styling denim on denim. At an ESPN event in Houston, the media personality wore a denim trench coat with a pair of matching bootcut jeans over a relaxed white T-shirt. Her outfit from the designer street wear brand Ksubi was a mix of high and low. She carried an elegant black Jimmy Choo purse to complete the look.

By 2024, Molly Qerim had solidified her place as one of ESPN's top reporters and earned the unofficial title by fans and colleagues alike as the best dressed employee at the sports network. She also cemented her role as co-host on "First Take," along with sports commentator and "General Hospital" actor Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe. In February, during an episode of "First Take," the co-hosts interviewed NBA star and sports commentator Kendrick Perkins. Qerim wore a stylish two-toned dress that captured the attention of the audience and her colleagues. The Emmy award winner looked poised in a stunning teal and black sweater dress. Smith poked fun at his co-host's outfit and insinuated that Qerim was "copying" ESPN's Ryan Clark's former two-toned look. "Did he advise you to wear that outfit?" Smith joked (via The Sun).

Qerim took the comment in stride and revealed that it was not her first time wearing the dress. Over the course of her career, she learned how to recycle looks and admitted the dress was a repeat. She confidently responded to Smith and reminded him of her fashion influence. "That two-toned fit, that design that Andre Julius [a fashion designer] did, that was my idea," Qerim said. "I did the original two-tone in my closet. Ryan Clark and Andre Julius will tell you that. So, Stephen A., I want you to remember this. I set trends. I don't follow them. You hear me?" Molly responded (via The Sun).

An East Coaster at her core, Molly Qerim does not let cold weather get in the way of serving some of her most fashionable looks. Winter in New York City may be cold, but Qerim heats it up with her stylish outfits. In a since-deleted Instagram post from January 2025, the ESPN co-host showed off her knowledge of both fashion and classic movies when she channeled the 1972 movie "The Godfather." The sports show's own godmother of fashion embraced winter style in a photo she shared to Instagram in which she paired a luxurious mink coat over an emerald green silk pants and a matching top. She captioned the image with a quote from the film, writing, "Never tell anyone outside the family what you're thinking — Don Corleone" (via The Athlete Lifestyle). 

Not one to do a whole closet overhaul each year, Qerim previously rocked the ankle length coat the year before. She paired the vintage coat with a sports jersey and ripped jeans in a street snapshot. Instead of mimicking the look of an Italian mob grandma attending church, Qerim gave a trendy mix of sporty casual with timeless luxury. In 2018, Qerim also quoted the movie "The Godfather" in the caption of another photo while showing off her outfit. She stood in front of the Brooklyn Bridge in an all leather ensemble, captioning the image, "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse." The juxtaposition of her all-black outfit with gold accents in 2018 to a more colorful winter look in 2024 shows Qerim's personal style journey.

Molly Qerim knows how to dress for the seasons. For spring 2025, Molly Qerim embraced bright and bold spring colors, but rather than simply wearing a classic floral dress (Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking.), the Emmy award-winning sports show co-host embraced various colors and patterns in her spring wardrobe.

For one on-air outfit in April 2025 that she showcased on Instagram, Qerim wore a long, bright green dress that was cut diagonally across the hem for a unique look. She wore her hair pulled back into a braided ponytail and kept the accessories simple with gold hoops. In another bright and bold spring outfit, Qerim looked like the royals who stunned in pretty pink looks in her bubblegum pink sweater, which she paired with baggy matching pants and white heels. Opting for faded pink denim and slim heels was the perfect mix of high and low. She wore her hair pulled back into a sleek bun and accessorized with thick hoop earrings. In her post, Qerim tagged FWRD, a fashion brand that has Kylie Jenner as its creative director. Qerim seems to be a fan, as she's previously worn other pieces from the same brand.

What's more, Stephen A. Smith recognized his colleague's impressive fashion game on an episode of "First Take" in 2025. "When it comes to fashion, I'm talking about knowing fashion, and knowing what you're supposed to be wearing and when you're supposed to be wearing it," Smith began. "I've told everybody who will listen. Ain't nobody better than Molly ... Fashionista," Smith said (via Sports Illustrated).

Shortly after March Madness ended in 2025, Molly Qerim's spring style continued to evolve. The sports anchor reported on the NCAA Tournament and paid just as much attention to what was happening on court as she did to what was happening in her closet. Qerim has embraced a more preppy look over the years by introducing pleated miniskirts to her regular wardrobe. She turned heads with her miniskirt and jacket combinations in particular. 

For instance, during an episode of "First Take," she again showed her brand loyalty to FWRD by sporting a white pleated skirt with a pin stripe pattern, which also featured a chain across the front to give it an edgier look. She shared her stylish outfit on Instagram and paired the skirt with a white bolero jacket that was cut shortly below her shoulders. In another elevated school girl look, Qerim wore a matching tan denim jacket and denim bubble skirt. She added a cowgirl element by pairing the look with over-the-ankle brown boots and punctuated her post caption with a cowboy emoji. The city slicker posed on outdoor steps with New York City skyscrapers providing the perfect backdrop to showcase her fresh spring 'fit.