January 2011 ~ Trendy Tennis - Tennis Fashion Blog

Monday, January 31, 2011

The Dos and Don’ts of Tennis Fashion - Inspired by Australian Open 2011

3:50 PM Shushanik No comments

Even though the women of tennis are typically in great physical shape, they are still real girls – not super models. The styles on display at the Australian Open this year showed that tennis gals can benefit from a little fashion advice, just like the rest of us!

The Dos and Don'ts of Tennis Fashion for Women

Choosing an outfit for a tennis match is a bit more challenging than dressing for a trip to the gym. To make the most of on-court style, we recommend the following dos and don’ts of tennis fashion.

Do: Dress for Comfort. We shouldn’t even have to say it - this is pure, unequivocal common sense. How many times have we seen Venus Williams tugging and pulling at an article of clothing on court? Highly competitive situations are uncomfortable enough – clothing should be a non-issue! We think this look from Alize Cornet is an ideal example of on-court comfort at the Australian Open.

Alize Cornet Alize Cornet of France serves in her third round match against Kim Clijsters of Belgium during day six of the 2011 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 22, 2011 in Melbourne, Australia.

Don’t: Trade Comfort for Attention. Certain ladies love to be noticed, but don’t sacrifice comfort for headlines! In this case, Venus Williams has yet again checked comfort AND good taste at the door!

Venus Williams Venus Williams of the United States of America serves in her second round match against Sandra Zahlavova of the Czech Republic during day three of the 2011 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 19, 2011 in Melbourne, Australia.

Do: Concentrate on the Cut. Choose a style that highlights the best features of your figure and hides the not-so-flattering elements. Grand slammers certainly make enough money to purchase well-cut garments. While Caroline Wozniacki is an attractive young woman, this skirt calls attention to her mid-section, an area that she may want to de-emphasize.

Caroline Wozniacki Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark plays a forehand in her first round match against Gisela Dulko of Argentina during day one of the 2011 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 17, 2011 in Melbourne, Australia.

Do: Opt for a Beautiful Color. If necessary, hire a professional stylist to help you select shades that enhance your hair color, eye color and skin tone. While the right color can promote a fresh and rosy glow, the wrong color can render the appearance dull and lifeless.
Don’t: Go “all white.” Even at Wimbledon, there are ways to toss in a splash of color! Check out these examples of color dos and don’ts at the Australian Open.

Jelena Jankovic Jelena Jankovic of Serbia plays a backhand in her second round match against Shuai Peng of Chinaduring day four of the 2011 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 20, 2011 in Melbourne, Australia.

Ana Ivanovic Ana Ivanovic of Serbia celebrates a point in her first round match against Ekaterina Makarova of Russia during day two of the 2011 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 18, 2011 in Melbourne, Australia.

DON’T

Francesca Schiavone Francesca Schiavone of Italy celebrates after winning her fourth round match against Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia during day seven of the 2011 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 23, 2011 in Melbourne, Australia.

Kim Clijsters Kim Clijsters of Belgium plays a forehand in her semifinal match against Vera Zvonareva of Russia during day eleven of the 2011 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 27, 2011 in Melbourne, Australia.

Do: Accessorize! As in every day fashion, accessories can make or break the outfit. To add extra sparkle to your tennis style, make use of color-coordinated hats, visors, shoes, socks, wrist bands and nail polish as with these smart accessory picks...

Maria Sharapova Maria Sharapova of Russia plays a backhand in her fourth round match against Andrea Petkovic of Germany during day seven of the 2011 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 23, 2011 in Melbourne, Australia.

Victoria Azarenka Victoria Azarenka of Belarus celebrates a point in her fourth round match against Na Li of China during day seven of the 2011 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 23, 2011 in Melbourne, Australia.

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Saturday, January 29, 2011

Worst Styles of the 2011 Australian Open

2:35 PM Shushanik No comments

The Australian Open… this is the first chance for tennis fans to see who’s hot and who’s not in the upcoming grand slam season, and to watch a few matches of course. Back to fashion. Was there something in the water that the women were drinking this year? There were so many styling disasters that we (almost) didn’t know where to begin. In fact, with the exception of a token “honorable mention,” men did not even make the list – as a whole they were well-dressed and full of swagger this year – good job guys!

Worst Styles of the 2011 Australian Open

1^st Prize MIND BOGGLING! Venus Williams –Just when we thought we had seen everything that Venus had to throw at us - including the kitchen sink - we were presented with this tasteless excuse for a tennis dress and rendered…speechless. Fortunately (or maybe not) a picture is worth a thousand words! Money may not buy happiness, but it can buy personal style, which leads us to wonder…is Venus blatantly telling us all to “bugger off,” or is this just another pathetic cry for attention? Our advice: Hire a stylist.

$Venus Williams\' \'Alice in Wonderland\' Dress$

2^nd Prize PAJAMA PARTY! Francesca Schiavone – With capped sleeves and a ruffled skirt, scrappy Francesca Schiavone looks a bit like a teenaged boy wearing the pajamas of a four-year-old girl! Our advice: Go sporty with a splash of color.

3^rd PRIZE YIKES! Kim Clijsters – We are all about going green, but not when it comes to color in tennis apparel. We hate to say anything negative about good-natured Kim who became a new champion of Aussie Open, but this unflattering ensemble has her looking like a pale, shapeless kiwi fruit. Our advice: 1. NEVER wear this color again, and 2. Contrast goes a long way.

Kim Clijsters of Belgium plays a backhand in her second round match against Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain during day four of the 2011 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 20, 2011 in Melbourne, Australia.

4^th Prize R-R-RUFFLES! Nadia Petrova –With her often streaky performance, it is long past time for Nadia Petrova to get serious about her work. Sadly, this dress does not shout, “I am a mature tennis player!” Our advice to Nadia: Dress your age, not your shoe size.

Nadia Petrova - 2011 Australian Open - Day 4

5^th Prize WHAT?? Caroline Wozniacki – Alas, if not for this atrocious skirt, which made Caroline look 25 pounds heavier than she actually is, she might have made our “best-dressed” list. Her cute visor, hints of bright color and beautifully painted nails had all the markings of a stylish girl-on-court! Our advice: Ditch the separates, and try a nicely-fitted dress.

Caroline Wozniacki Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark serves in her first round match against Gisela Dulko of Argentina during day one of the 2011 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 17, 2011 in Melbourne, Australia.

And finally, to throw at least ONE male into the mix:

Honorable Mention goes to Gael Monfils – With entirely different shades of blue, it appears Gael may have pulled quickly from his own closet to dress for the Open this year. Our advice: Coordinate. Also, sleeveless is a bit juvenile – take a tip from Rafa Nadal, and put the guns away.

Gael Monfils Gael Monfils of France plays a forehand in his first round match against Thiemo De Bakker of The Netherlands during day one of the 2011 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 17, 2011 in Melbourne, Australia.

Keep an eye out for our Dos and Don’ts of Tennis Fashion!

Do you agree with this ranking? We'd love to hear your opinions in the comments.

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Thursday, January 27, 2011

Best Styles of the 2011 Australian Open

11:59 AM Shushanik No comments

It’s that time again…for tennis fans, late January marked the beginning of the Grand Slam season with the Australian Open. Venus Williams, Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova…it’s not just about how well they play, it’s about how great they look while they’re serving, swinging, grunting and sprinting from one end of the court to the other. Upon thorough analysis of this year’s fashion successes and faux pas, we’ve come up with our favorite styles of the 2011 Australian Open.

Best Dressed - Men

Do the men who play tennis just have better taste than the women? As opposed to a small group of fashion-forward women, there were a host of well-dressed men at the Open this year, and we have done our best to narrow the pool.

1^st Prize EYE CANDY!! Rafael Nadal - What is it about this guy? For starters, his impeccably-cut shorts and matching headband are well-complemented by a splash of color and bright white accents – bringing out his dark, delicious skin tone. But it’s Rafa’s attitude that really makes him shine. He’s either a really unassuming guy or a great actor, and as Serena Williams has shown us, tennis players don’t necessarily make good actors!

Rafael Nadal Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a forehand in his second round match against Ryan Sweeting of the United States of America during day four of the 2011 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 20, 2011 in Melbourne, Australia.

2^nd Prize CLASSIC AND COMFORTABLE! Roger Federer - In the crowd of dapper Dans at these grand slams, Roger Federer always stands out. Like Rafael Nadal (in the last few years), his custom-tailored shorts are ever tasteful, and he is one of the few tennis players that actually looks good in white. On court and off, Roger Federer exudes style!

Roger Federer Roger Federer of Switzerland serves in his fourth round match against Tommy Robredo of Spain during day seven of the 2011 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 23, 2011 in Melbourne, Australia.

3^rd Prize HOT AND SPICY!! Fernando Verdasco – Like his fellow Spaniard, he can ROCK the bright neon! Paired with black shorts and socks, this outfit is near perfect – matching green wrist bands would have sealed the deal! With his uber cool new haircut to complete the look, Fernando Verdasco is head-to-toe caliente!!!

Fernando Verdasco Fernando Verdasco of Spain plays a backhand in his first round match against Rainer Schuettler of Germany during day one of the 2011 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 17, 2011 in Melbourne, Australia.

Honorable Mention goes to Juan Martin Del Potro. Decked out in a pleasant and tasteful shade of blue, Juan Martin covers all the basics - cut, color, coordination and comfort – pay attention, ladies!

Juan Martin Del Potro Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina plays a forehand in his first round match against Dudi Sela of Israel during day two of the 2011 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 18, 2011 in Melbourne, Australia.

Best Dressed – Women

The group of well-dressed women at the Australian Open proved to be much smaller than that of the men. We have carefully plucked the roses from the weeds.

1^st Prize SWEET SPLASH OF COLOR! Ana Ivanovic – The ever-adorable Ana sports a comfy and playful dress in hues that highlight her copper-colored skin tone! The peek-a-boo back and green short add just the right amount of sex appeal. If only she could stick around long enough for us to enjoy it! Despite her first round loss though, Ana continually shows us – a smile goes a LONG way!

2^nd Prize THE WHOLE ENCHILADA! Victoria Azarenka – She changed her clothes a lot (starting the Open with our “honorable mention” outfit) but this choice is an even better combination of color, cut and apparent comfort – the total package!

Victoria Azarenka Victoria Azarenka of Belarus plays a forehand in her fourth round match against Na Li of China during day seven of the 2011 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 23, 2011 in Melbourne, Australia.

3^rd Prize UNDERSTATED BEAUTY. Jelena Jankovic – The simple design of this body –hugging dress obviously allows Jelena Jankovic to comfortably move across the court. This beautiful color that she often wears, the pink accents in her shoes, and her brightly painted nails complete Jelena’s classic style.

Jelena Jankovic Jelena Jankovic of Serbia plays a backhand in her first round match against Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia during day two of the 2011 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 18, 2011 in Melbourne, Australia.

Honorable mention goes to Bojana Jovanovski – Sporting a cute and comfortable look, a bright white hat, visor or wrist bands would provide the icing on the cake!

Bojana Jovanovski Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia plays a backhand in her second round match against Vera Zvonareva of Russia during day four of the 2011 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 20, 2011 in Melbourne, Australia.

Stay tuned for our choice of Worst-Dressed Tennis Players of the 2011 Australian Open!

Do you agree with this ranking? Share your opinion in comments.

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Sunday, January 23, 2011

Australian Open 2011 Fashion - Serena Williams

11:38 AM Shushanik No comments

Though Serena is not playing on this year's Australian open due to injury, Nike created an outfit for her which we would like to present here.

Create Serena Williams' Australian Open Style

Serena's dress is inspired by classic movies and her favorite actress Marilyn Monroe. Nike "Down Under" Smash Tennis Dress (also in black and white) - $85 (£49.99) available from Nike, Tennis Express, Tennis Warehouse, Midwest Sports for those in the U.S., Pro-Direct Tennis for buyers from U.K., Tennis Only, The Tennis Shop for Australians.

Serena's shoes are equipped with Nike Air Max cushioning technology which gives maximum cushioning in the heel. It is also super breathable and light. The Nike Air Max Mirabella 3 - $85 is available only in the U.S. stores - Nike, Tennis Express, Tennis Warehouse, Midwest Sports.

Serena's look wouldn't be complete without her Wilson K Blade Team K Factor racket. Buy it on Amazon or demo/buy it on Tennis Express - $129.

To learn more about Nike technologies used for Serena, watch this video.

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Thursday, January 20, 2011

Venus Williams' Australian Open 2011 Outfits

2:24 PM Shushanik No comments

You thought that there can't be anything worse in the world of tennis fashion than Maria Sharapova's dress for Australian Open 2010? Well, after this Aussie Open, I bet you changed your mind. Last year Venus dazzled us with a skin-colored panties. This year she prepared even better surprise - the same panties with tummy-revealing yellow top, paired with a printed skirt.

Venus said in an interview that the outfit was inspired by Alice in Wonderland:

"It's kind of about a surprise, because when Alice goes down the hole, the rabbit hole, she finds all these things that are so surprising".

England cricketer Graeme Swann called the outfit "the worst outfit ever seen on a tennis court". Swann was quoted in his Twitter as saying that Williams, "looks like a cheese and onion slice".

Her first round blue figure-hugging dress with a zipper was another unpractical outfit which required constant alterations. Every time Venus raced the court, the zipper kept lifting up at the front and she was continually pulling it down.

Actually it becomes understandable why the pieces of EleVen brand worn by Venus are not available for general sale... Just nobody would buy them...

Pictures from www.telegraph.co.uk

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Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Australian Open 2011 Fashion - Roger Federer

1:09 PM Shushanik No comments

For the first time in his career Roger Federer beat French Gille Simon. Simon got Federer twice in 2008, taking down Roger at the Canadian Open and the Masters Cup. This time Roger dotted the i's and crossed the t's... However the match was tough - five sets with Gille leading after first two...

Since Roger is a defending champion and one of the favorites of this year's Australian Open, I'd like to devote this post to his look.

Create Roger Federer's Australian Open Style
Switzerland's Roger Federer reacts during his second-round match against GIlles Simon of France. The Swiss came through in five-sets. Photo: AP

Switzerland's Roger Federer reacts during his second-round match against GIlles Simon of France. The Swiss came through in five-sets. Photo: AP

So, we saw Roger in Nike Federer Trophy Men's Tennis Polo (also available in yellow) - $80 (£39.99). Buy it from Nike, Tennis Warehouse, Tennis Express or Midwest Sports if you are in the U.S.; Pro-Direct Tennis, Tennis Nuts if you are in Great Britain; Tennis Only if you are in Australia.

The yellow details on the back are actually not stitched, but bonded.

My favorite part is stylish RF logo on the collar

Shorts are Nike Men's Spring Challenger Woven Short - $50 (32,40€; £29.99). Available from Tennis Warehouse, Midwest Sports for American buyers; Tennis Land for EU residents; Pro-Direct Tennis, Tennis Nuts for buyers from Great Britain; Tennis Only for Australians.

http://www.tennisland.eu/images/Image/textile%20nike/AUSTRALIAN%20OPEN%202011/Short%20de%20tennis%20Nike%20Challenger%20Woven%20Printemps%202011%20GRIS.jpg

Roger's shoes are enhanced with the new Lunar technology. A full Lunarlon foam, in bright yellow, dominates the shoe, while a new generation of Flywire support minimized the weight further. Nike Lunar Vapor 8 Tour Men's Tennis Shoe - $120 (£84.99). Available from Nike, Tennis Warehouse, Tennis Express, Midwest Sports - USA; Tennis Nuts, Pro-Direct Tennis - Great Britain, The Tennis Shop, Strung Out - Australia

To complete the style use Nike Spring Swoosh Bandana Maize - $12 (£9.99) from Tennis Warehouse, Midwest Sports, Tennis Nuts, Pro-Direct Tennis, Tennis Only, Strung Out, The Tennis Shop.

and Yellow Nike Wristbands - $8

Don't forget to add infamous Roger's Wilson BLX Six.One Tour racket - $135-179 on Amazon; $199 on Tennis Warehouse, Midwest Sports, Tennis Express, Holabird Sports, Tennis Set; £152.99 on Pro-Direct Tennis, Tennis Nuts; $229 AUD at Strung Out, The Tennis Shop.

Wilson BLX Six.One Tour Racquets

To learn more about the technology Nike used to create the outfit and what a hidden surprise is on Roger's shirt, watch the video.

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Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Australian Open 2011 Fashion - Ana Ivanovic

12:19 PM Shushanik No comments

A Serbian player Ana Ivanovic didn't make it to the third round of Australian Open loosing to Russian Ekaterina Makarova. But even when Ana doesn't play great, she always looks great. So let's try to create her style...

Create Ana Ivanovic's Australian Open Style

www.australianopen.com

Ana is representing new Adidas adiZero collection featuring an
adiZero Dress - $65.

adizero Feather White/Purple Shoes - $109.95

adidas adizero Feather White/Purple Women's Shoe

adiZero White/Intense Green Visor - $18

and of course Ana's Yonex E-Zone 100 racquet - $199

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Monday, January 17, 2011

Date-Krumm Broke Radwanska's Racket

7:00 PM Shushanik No comments

Playing with Kimiko Date-Krumm in the first round Agnieszka Radwanska beat her racket on the ground several times. Two plays later her Babolat broke in half and head flew off the court.

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Australian Open 2011 Fashion - Bethanie Mattek-Sands

4:39 PM Shushanik No comments

Unfortunately for all Bethanie's fans she lost in 3 sets in the first round to a young Dutch player Arantxa Rus.

But if you don't see Bethanie playing in Australian Open 2011 singles matches any more, you can at least look like her.

Create Bethanie's Australian Open Style

www.gettyimages.com

Tank - Women's Slice Printed Tank Tops by Under Armour - $49.99

Skirt and shoes from Under Armour are not available for sale, however you can substitute them by Nike Dri-FIT Accuracy Knit skirt ($49.99) which would look even more flattering with the white line matching the black and white tank.

and ASICS Women's GEL-Game 2 Tennis Shoes - $46.95