Tennis Outfit

Tennis Outfit

Tennis and Lace: Do They Match?

Over the years, tennis has become one of the most hugely watched and talked about sports in the whole world with million spectators all awaiting results especially of the four prestigious Grand Slam tournaments which are held annually. In chronological order, these tournaments are the Australian Open which happens every January in Melbourne, the French Open between May to June in Paris, Wimbledon on June to July in London and the US Open in August to September in New York. Nowadays, not only the games are under scrutiny but also the sportswear or teamwear of the players.

At the start of the French Open, Venus Williams easily won over Patty Schnyder with consecutive 6-3 victories. Unfortunately, spectators and people worldwide talked more about her outfit than her performance. Williams' wore a lacy black-and-red outfit that looked more like lingerie (or a corset) than a tennis uniform. The much-talked about outfit gave the "illusion of being see-through" and one can't help but look back at the skimpy green uniform she wore in the Australian Open in January. This uniform showed a lot of skin and even gave others the idea on whether or not she wore underwear at the game. It makes one think that it is a good thing tennis showdowns are categorized by gender or opponents might not be able to concentrate.

 

The tennis uniform and apparel has certainly changed over the years. When the sports started, men tennis players wore long pants while women had to wear a full-length dress in very heavy fabrics like flannel. Women's tennis apparel even included a bustle and sometimes a fur. It was only in 1884 when Maud Watson won the first Wimbledon Ladies Championship that white tennis apparel became popular and became the norm. But then women champions started experimenting with styles and making daring fashion statements in theirs sportswear. When Lottie Dod won her Wimbledon she wore calf-length skirts while May Sutton wore her father's shirts in the 1905 Wimbledon. She explained that the bigger size gave her more freedom of movement. In 1919, Suzanne Lenglen wore a flimsy and revealing calf-length cotton frock with short sleeves. And in 1949 it was further changed when Gertrude Moran wore the regulation white dress with white satin trim and a pair of lace trimmed panties beneath.

 

It seems that Wimbledon women champions set the fashion on-court for other tennis players to follow. Venus Williams' tennis fashion has certainly been daring, even risqué, and we hope these uniform shirts, skirts and other daring fashion in uniforms does not diminish the respect we have for the sports. As fashion evolves, we can expect tennis players to either go with the flow or make their own fashion statements. What is really important is that these players feel comfortable not only in the style and fit of their team uniforms but also in the fabric of every sportswear. And in the case of the Williams' girls, lace is one fabric that hasn't been done in tennis and they have wanted to do. Since it has been much talked about the past days, does this mean we can expect more lace in sports uniforms?

About the Author

Stacey Johnson is a product consultant for an online uniforms superstore. She writes on the side about various topics she loves like books, sports, music and many others. She has first interest though in writing for her online store http://www.uniformpoint.com/.

<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><input id="jsProxy">

would you wear a womans tennis outfit wile playing against another couple if your girlfriend told you to?

no

Lady Gaga like tennis ball dress for Bethanie Mattek-Sands (CC Subtitles)