Is All The Female Fashion Scrutiny At Wimbledon Taking Our Eyes Off The Ball?
Serena Williams wore a bespoke version of the Nike Premier Slam dress that has been garnering so many headlines [Photo: PA Images]
We may only be a couple of days in, but the fashion at Wimbledon has been courting more headlines than the actual tennis. If you’re a woman that is.
It started last week when Nike asked players wearing their ‘Premier Slam’ dress to return the outifts for urgent alterations. While the dress, likened to a nightie by some, was technically in keeping with Wimbledon’s strict dress code, there was a suggestion its short, floaty style might not be suitable for competitive tennis.
In qualifying rounds, British player Katie Boulter’s underwear made a repeated appearance as the dress flew up, forcing her to fashion a headband as a belt to keep it in place, while Czech player Lucie Hradecka decided to team her dress with a pair of long white leggings, turning it into a sort of shirt dress.
Lucie Safarova in the controversial Nike Premier Slam dress [Photo: PA Images]
So, this week all eyes have been on the Nike sponsored female players to see how they faired in the controversial dresses. The Czech Republic’s, Lucie Safarova, donned the baby doll dress and despite it riding up a few times, breezed through her first round. But Germany’s Sabine Lisicki opted to shun the slam dress in favour of a more traditional vest and skirt combo, saying she tried the dress on but “didn’t feel comfortable showing that much.”
Serena Williams, also sponsored by Nike, made her 2016 Centre Court debut in a slightly different version of the design, made bespokely for her. The dress still maintained the pleated mini skirt, but had a more fitted bodice.
But the Premier Slam dress isn’t the only garment taking people’s eye off the ball this week. Caroline Wozniacki and Garbiñe Muguruza were both sporting the fashion-forward looking adidas by Stella McCartney Barricade collection. The outfits feature laser-cut holes which not only look cool, help keep players feel cool by improving breathability and contain technology that helps regulate the temperature of the wearer.
Venus Williams chose a classic cap sleeves design [Photo: PA Images]
In a nod to the current trend for a more preppy style, Lacoste have also opted for pleated skirts for their brand reps who include Christina McHale and Elena Vesnina. While Britain’s female hopes rest on New Balance sponsored Heather Watson who according to the WTA blog will sport a white version of the popular Spring Tournament Dress, which features a strappy racer back and mesh panel.
And while her sister has opted for more out-there pleats, Venus Williams’ EleVen Game Day Dress offers a more simple, traditional look with cap sleeves and subtle detailing.
Caroline Wozniacki opted for a laser-cut dress designed by Stella McCartney [Photo: PA Images]
But is all this fashion talk detracting from what really matters…the tennis? And why aren’t male players subjected to the same sartorial scrutiny? A quick Google search on Wimbledon men’s player fashion throws up few results (aside from an article on Lewis Hamilton getting refused entry to the final for not adhering to spectator dress code).
Tennis certainly isn’t the only sport that sees a gender skew when it comes to style Vs sporting ability generated headlines. When Dustin Johnson secured his first-ever US Open title this week, all eyes should have been on him. Yet somehow the discussion was all about the length of his partner, Paulina Gretzky’s, dress.
But while we don’t deny we do enjoy the style aspect of Wimbledon, we can’t help but hope the tennis played by the female participants garners just as much attention as their hemlines.
What do you think? Let us know @YahooStyleUK
