By Lauren Smyczek
Now that the Australian Open is in full force, it’s time to step back from the scorelines and enjoy the players’ on court fashions a bit, shall we?
Though tennis players are typically far more concerned with their job to win matches than with their outfits, the same won’t deny that it’s important to feel comfortable on court. Some of the top players even hand-pick their colors and styles with a team of experts, so let’s see what all the buzz is about at the start of the tennis season.
Maria Sharapova: The day dress is, to put it simply, underwhelming. The silhouette is a bit skimpy on top, and looks more like a slip than the finished product. The yellow (which looks a little green against the blue courts) and light gray combination is decidedly pretty.
However, Sharapova could have gone for a different hue more along the lines of her orange David Koma dress from the “Sugarpova” launch. That color would have stood its ground against the mighty azure blue of the Melbourne courts. (The Koma dress looked like an art deco mermaid goddess dress. Complete with fin-pleats on the hips. Stunning choice unlike this Nike dress.)
B-
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Caroline Wozniacki: The young Dane continues her experimenting with Stella McCartney by adidas and she’s getting really close. From the tragic early days of McCartney’s tennis design, things are finally headed in the right direction. Though as a fashion aficionado, I have to admit that Stella McCartney is one of my favorite designers but her tennis/athletic line never quite resembled her ready-to-wear line. If it did, merchandise would be flying off the rack from popularity. If only McCartney herself were more involved with the tennis line design process … sigh.
This dress though is pretty, if maybe a little understated. The color sits nicely, but timidly, next to the blue courts. The pleats on the back are just the right touch though. And it’s good to see Wozniacki has gotten away from the likes of her 2010 look.
A-
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Serena Williams: In charge as always, Serena’s purple and orange ensemble is strong — as in athletically strong. But the color combo is lacking pop and freshness. Serena looks lethal and beautiful no matter what she wears, but she practically blends right into the backdrop in the photo below. It’s like playing the female version of “Where’s Waldo?”
But be not dismayed, the orange shoes ensure us we won’t miss her, and they just might be stealing the show here.
A-
***
Venus Williams: Venus never disappoints with the extravagance of her on court clothing choices, and this outfit from her own Eleven line is mature. Her hair though is what really caught my attention, with the streaks perfectly matching the watercolor design of her dress.
Overall, however, the ensemble is lacking the energy of what you expect from a brand new 2013 season that the Australian Open offers, and it looks more like an off-court summer dress. But this is definitely a grown-up Venus and that’s refreshing. And her necklace is really lovely. She has a lot of poise and grace out there, and the ensembles are living up to that.
A
***
Agnieszka Radwanska: The Polish beauty went for a fairly strong color, but the silhouette proved to be quite boring. She is fresh-faced, has a flawless figure, and could probably pull of just about anything. How about some risk-taking once in a while, Lotto?
B
***
Ana Ivanovic: Just stunning. But she would look good wearing a brown sack. The yellow and light gray combination isn’t that interesting though, and as you can see, too many players are wearing lemon yellow. I wish she had chosen a color that played with the color of the courts more rather than outright fighting the blue. She epitomizes the balance between ultra-feminine and incredibly athletic. Yet I wish adidas would put her in something by Stella McCartney.
A
