On Thursday, December 18, all eyes were on Manchester as the biggest stars in the sporting world attended the 2025 BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards.
One of the names lingering on everybody's lips after the ceremony is Ellie Kildunne - the 26-year-old Women's Rugby star was named runner-up for the evening’s top honour, narrowly missing out to Team Europe golf legend Rory McIlroy.
© WireImageBut while she may not have taken home the main trophy, Ellie undoubtedly claimed another kind of victory - sartorial supremacy.
The England player and Olympian made an entrance in a bridal-inspired gown in a wedding gown by Australian bridal brand Asar. Her silk dress featured an elegant asymmetrical halter neckline with a tie detail, and a thigh-high side split skirt adorned with delicate tonal polka dots.
Not only was her stunning gown effortlessly chic and totally timeless, but it also encapsulated 2025's biggest fashion trend
© WireImage"Polka dots successfully trickled down from the high fashion sphere, morphing from Moschino to Mango throughout the summer of 2025," said H! Fashion's Fashion Features Editor and trend expert Tania Leslau, in her '10 Trends that defined 2025' report. The preppy print took flight that September, with thanks to Fendi, Compte and Sandy Liang.
"[They] gripped Gen Z consumers like no other 2025 trend. The preppy print was resurrected by Fendi, Moschino, Conner Ives, Isabel Marant, Bora Aksu, Brandon Maxwell and Altuzarra for AW25, although whispers of the design's popularity were uttered earlier that year."
"On the SS25 runways, designers dotted everything from floaty chiffon gowns to structured tailoring and knitwear, reimagined in oversized scales, metallic finishes and unexpected colourways. No longer relegated to retro nostalgia, polka dots now signalled a playful, expressive femininity. In the fashion world’s endless cycle, the polka dot had its moment once again."
Ellie might not have taken away the top prize on the night, but her outfit surely made her a winner in our eyes.
