Venus Williams won her second-round match today at Wimbledon against Kimiko Date-Krumm, and she wore the same outfit that drew a mixed reaction following her first-round match Monday, but she said she is "trending towards simplicity" with the look, according to Imogen Fox of the GUARDIAN. Some question whether the "mini lace jumpsuit ... actually qualifies as simple but to sweat the details would be to miss the point." Williams has "already aced the style victory," as the outfit "managed to shoehorn several different trends into one over-designed piece of tennis kit." Fox: "She's the undisputed fashion guru of SW19 and that makes her a champ, whatever else Wimbledon has in store for her this fortnight" (GUARDIAN, 6/22). TENNIS.com's Jonathan Scott noted the response to Williams' "immaculate, flowing one-piece ... replete with gold hot pants” has been "mixed." The “loose, super-short toga all but gives her the appearance of the goddess for whom she is named.” Scott wrote, “It's a great getup from the five-time champ. So apropos with the V neck, of course, and the cut-out sleeves and detailed material draping her lithe form are winsome, as are the golden belt and zipper. It's a much-needed and yet still-classy departure from all the yawn-inducing lawn attire gracing the courts this fortnight” (TENNIS.com, 6/20). Venus on Monday said, "Jumpers are very now, as is lace. The shoulders have a lot of draping, also in the moment. It's a trendy dress. I'm really into zippers, so it has a focal point of a zipper in the front" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/21).
THE NEW PUFFY SHIRT: ESPN's Dick Enberg and Chris Evert discussed Williams' outfit prior to today's match. Enberg noted Evert was wearing a shirt with ruffles and asked, "Is that because Venus Williams has got a different looking outfit for this championship?” Evert smiled as she touched her V-neck shirt and said, “It will be interesting to see if she wears her ‘toga’ out there.” Enberg: “You know, she says that zippers are ‘now,’ and I thought about that as I dressed today. I’ve been in the ‘now’ for a long time.” Enberg later said of Williams' attire, "One scribe here in London described it as it looked as if she tore the curtains off her windows in her Florida home and put them on her back.” Evert: “I hope she doesn’t hear that.” Evert noted Williams has taken fashion courses, and she and her sister Serena are "very much aware of what they’re wearing and how they’re looking, which adds a little spice to the game” ("Wimbledon," ESPN2, 6/22).
IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY: In London, Satherley & Paxman wrote Venus and Serena Williams “have so much in common” as they both “have terrible fashion sense.” Venus' “white onesie was so short you could clearly see the golden hotpants she was wearing underneath every time she bent forwards during the match.” The outfit from Venus' own clothing line, EleVen, also had a “curiously baggy, and very unflattering top-half, which made her chest look saggy as she ran around the court” (London DAILY MAIL, 6/21). Meanwhile, Serena said her inspiration for the outfit she wore yesterday for her first-round match against Aravane Rezai "was to be classic.” She said, “I kind of took a classic line and brought it to tennis with the cardigan as well as the dress, how it has just a simple line up the center and I added godets in the front just to add a little bit of flow. It reminded me of something like you would see in the ‘60s. And I love it. It’s so feminine, it’s almost like a little baby doll. So I really think it’s cute” (“Wimbledon,” ESPN2, 6/21).
STYLE POLICE: In Manchester, Deborah Linton wrote “making a style statement on centre court is now as much a part of tennis as the ball boys and Wimbledon promises to indulge fashion lovers for a whole two weeks as its stars strut out their new looks on the court-cum-catwalk.” Roger Federer has “undoubtedly become the stand-out style star for the boys," while Maria Sharapova fills that role in the ladies' draw. Federer “oozes panache with his sophisticated and stylish outfits that manage to combine the traditional with the trendy just perfectly.” Sharapova has taken over as the game’s “eye candy,” as she has “trotted out a string of sexy and style-conscious outfits at some of the world’s major competitions." Meanwhile, Linton wrote Serena Williams is “gradually becoming more hit than miss and her white mini trenchcoat a couple of years ago was a triumph” (MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS, 6/20).
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Mattek-Sands enters Wednesday's match wearing
all-white jacket adorned with tennis balls |
BETHANIE EVER AFTER: ESPN's Patrick McEnroe prior to the start of Bethanie Mattek-Sands' second-round match today against Misaki Doi reported Mattek-Sands had told him that she "had something special she was going to bring when she walked out because it’s Wimbledon." McEnroe: "She had these glasses that were like 20 different colors, and I said, ‘Well, that’s very colorful you know, for Wimbledon.’ And she said, ‘Well, just wait.’" ESPN's Chris Fowler noted Mattek-Sands has been working with the same designer "who sometimes creates stuff for Lady Gaga" so she can "come out on the court in something unexpected." ESPN's Mary Jo Fernandez confirmed that and said, "So it’s not just Venus Williams with the outfits.” McEnroe: “She won’t be coming out in any steaks though, right?” Fowler: “Eye black, high socks maybe. That’s something to prepare yourself for." Mattek-Sands entered her match wearing an all-white jacket that had white tennis balls attached to the sleeves. Enberg said, “Well folks, Bethanie Mattek is the Lady Gaga of tennis. Let’s see what she’s wearing today as she goes out to Court 14." Evert said laughing, “Oh Bethanie!" (“Wimbledon,” ESPN2, 6/22).
