Riley Gaines' Killer Legs Couldn't Save These Awful Outfits

Fashion has notoriously been a big aspect of celebrity athletes' images — from basketball player Dennis Rodman and his signature Oakley sunglasses (they seemingly caught Madonna's eye), to tennis star Naomi Osaka sporting custom Nike x Ambush on the court. Unfortunately, some sports stars never reach the podium when it comes to best dressed in the world of athletics ... if they even see a podium at all. Former college swimmer and current MAGA influencer Riley Gaines garnered global media attention after the 200-yard freestyle swimming final at the National Collegiate Athletic Association in 2022. While Gaines was far from placing first in the competition, she was outraged after tying with fellow competitor Lia Thomas — an openly transgender woman. Seizing the growing movement for single-sex sports, Gaines managed to put herself in the spotlight as a victim of gender regulations in the world of sports, pivoting to a conservative public image in the years since.

It would be unfair to paint Gaines as the worst dressed of the Republican crowd (maybe she would place fifth). Currently hosting her own podcast, "The Riley Gaines Show," and acting as a Turning Point USA contributor, Gaines joins other TPUSA ladies, such as Erika Kirk, in their spicy rebranding of conservative fashion. However, despite keeping up a workout routine akin to an Olympian since leaving competitive sports, there are some outfits that even good legs can't save.

In a post to Instagram, Riley Gaines posed alongside her husband, Louis Barker, holding their daughter Margot during her first time at a pumpkin patch. The knee-high, patterned red cowboy boots and dark plaid flannel don't seem to match, and can't help but remind us of the Christian Girl Autumn aesthetic — a term coined from a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, by trans social media influencer Blizzy McGuire in 2019 that became synonymous with "basic" fall attire. The irony of this outfit really jumps out, as one of the women pictured in the original meme, Caitlin Covington, actually donated to McGuire's GoFundMe for gender affirming procedures. It seems Gaines' politics don't really align with her aesthetic.

Posting a series of photos of herself on stage at a Turning Point USA event, Riley Gaines opted for a dull brown blazer-dress and low ponytail. While she might have paired it with a feminine nude stiletto, Gaines' look can't help but feel like she threw on her dad's old blazer and forgot the matching pants. 

The ensemble is far from evoking Miss America addressing the crowd, and more snake oil salesman from the 1800s. There's also a visible gap in the back of her heel, showcasing that while one shoe might fit, her heels definitely do not.

In a post promoting the Brittany Aldean x Southern Wives Club collection, Riley Gaines looks closer to an antebellum era handkerchief than a Southern Belle. Paired with a pair of white cowboy boots, you would think Gaines was on her way to Coachella Music Festival before a conservative fashion event. The baby pink, blue, and lilac flowers lining the bottom of the dress also give the outfit a dramatically youthful and immature vibe — might be best to save this piece for her daughter, Margot.

Riley Gaines, her husband Louis Barker, and their newborn daughter Margot were some of the prestigious guests invited to the White House for Christmas 2025. Gaines showed off her toned muscular legs in an Instagram post, donning a pink velour babydoll dress tied at the neck. The sheen on the dress from the pictures makes the textile look cheap and chalky, with the high hemline throwing off her proportions and making her legs look longer than ever. The frumpy frock also consumes her upper half, leaving the former swimmer smothered by the tacky, off-brand MAGA Barbie dress and matching bow.

While Riley Gaines might not have meant to match her Springer Spaniel for Easter Sunday, an Instagram post from the holiday highlights her clear inspiration. Posing alongside her husband Louis Barker, Gaines is rocking a signature babydoll silhouette with a pair of lace-up mules. There is a surplus of collars on the dress, from the white band at the top of the high neckline, to a thicker white trim draping down from her shoulders, to what looks to be the top of a slip dress poking through. Gaines and her husband have three Springer Spaniels in their family, and evidently the tri-collared dress helps to honor them.