Wear This, Not That! 2011 French Open

As the 2011 French Open draws to a close, we again take on the role of “Tennis Fashion Police.” After reviewing this years contenders, here are a few on-court style recommendations based on the ever-important Four C’s of Tennis Fashion: comfort, cut, coordination and color!

WEAR THIS…                    NOT THAT!

 

If you are a “ruffle girl” like Arantxa Rus (top left), we recommend this adorable Adidas adiZero orange tennis tank and pink skirt. The flattering fit and stylish ruffles allow easy on-court movement while ClimaCool® and ForMotion™ technology (along with the internal-compression short) keep Arantxa cool and comfortable on the French clay! In addition, bright colors add pizzazz to any tennis player!

While this pastel-orange tennis dress worn by Magdalena Rybarikova (top right) appears to be fairly comfortable, it is shapeless and unexciting! We recommend a better cut and a brighter color.

WEAR THIS…                    NOT THAT!

If you want to wear shorts, then WEAR SHORTS for goodness sake! Svetlana Kuznetsova (top left) sports a well-cut tennis outfit by Fila - Whiteline Sleeveless Tennis Polo and Essenza Knit Tennis Short that fulfill all four C’s and add a fifth: contrast - and, it suits her athletic persona!

Francesca Schiavone could use a little color (even black) and contrast in addition to a better cut. This “pajama dress” is just too frilly for such an athletic player and obviously not that comfortable, hence the unattractive addition of the compression short. We recommend a sportier look for Francesca and some bright color to accompany her feisty, on-court personality!

WEAR THIS…                    NOT THAT!

While we are not sure if it is Samantha Stosur or fellow Aussie, Rennae Stubbs who is the copycat, our point here is to develop a style that is all your own!

Read More

Top Five Worst-Dressed Tennis Players: 2011 French Open

The French Open…this is the highlight of the year for clay-court tennis aficionados! For those of us that love tennis AND fashion, there were plenty of stylish players on the red clay in 2011 – some are still around, and others have said “Au Revoir.” When it comes to style mishaps, we thought we were in the clear with the absence of the Williams sisters, but this is plainly not the case. Check out our picks for the…

Top Five Worst-Dressed Tennis Players: 2011 French Open

1st PRIZE – Bethanie Mattek-Sands – What??
This “get-up” is just wrong on so many levels we don’t even know where to begin…the photo says it all!

 

2nd PRIZE – Kim Clijsters - Jackson Pollock, Gone Wrong!

Note to Kim: Splatter paint went out in the 80’s, and even when it was trendy, it was unattractive. There is waaaay too much going on with this outfit, and on top of that, these colors are awful! The idea is to choose shades that complement the orange-red clay, and this shade of pink is the furthest thing from complementary!

 

3rd PRIZE – John Isner - Bar Graphs make Bad Fashion!

One would think that the last thing John Isner would want is to call attention to his “Herman Munster” physique. Our advice: Go for solids, John!

4th PRIZE – Magdalena Rybarikova – Pajama Party!

Did Magdalena raid Francesca Shiavone’s closet? The “pajama experiment” was a dismal failure in our opinion, and we hope it will NOT be making a comeback next year. Our recommendation: try something a little sportier, and ditch the pastels - they have a tendency to “wash out” players with a light complexion. This goes for you too, Maria Sharapova!

5th PRIZE – Jelena Jankovic - Jumped the Shark?

Clothing can say a lot about a person. Compared to the simple and classic Reebok styles we were used to, this dress from her new sponsor, ANTA, looks busy and cheap. While we typically love Jelena in pink, this shade doesn’t pair well with the burnt-orange clay. And, instead of matching or complementing the outfit, these purples shoes clash!

Do you think that there was something else that deserves the WORST mention? Let us know!

Read More