fashionista idea

The obsession with fashion was probably first seen in the Victorian age, with women dressing with one purpose in mind, which was to gain the attention of the opposite sex. In modern times, a Carrie Bradshaw would rather measure the sexiness of a woman depending on the shoes and bags she carries. However the obsession with fashion doesn’t end at this, fashionable outfits are even seen in sports. Women Tennis players have for long tried to make their games more memorable by wearing stylish, designer outfits. The game at times takes a back seat as reporters are more concerned with who sported what, who was a fashion diva and who was a fashion faux pas!

Probably the best thing about this sport is that even though associations like Wimbledon, the French or the Australian Open have certain rules regarding player’s uniform, these rules are not that stringent, thus allowing players, especially women players to experiment. Players like Anne White have shattered dress codes by playing in a white bodysuit during the 1980 Wimbledon, and more recently Serena Williams was seen sporting a white “trench” coat during the warm up matches of the Wimbledon 2008.

Serena Williams has sure been a popular name when it comes to tennis fashion. She is well known for her unusual and colorful outfits on court and in the year 2002, her name flashed across every news bulletin due to the black lycra suit she wore while playing in the US Open. During the 2004 US Open, she was banned for playing in knee high boots which she wore with her denim skirt.

The fashion beam balance is brought to equality with the likes of Anne White and Serena Williams on one side, trying hard to make radical fashion statements, and on the other Maria Sharapova, Venus Williams dressing to kill, but in a very subtle manner.

In the year 2005, ‘People’ named Maria Sharapova as one of the 50 most beautiful celebrities in the world and by 2006 she was titled the hottest athlete of the world by Maxim for the fourth consecutive year. Her predilection for fashion off court is carried on to the court as well, as if she dresses to be crowned the most fashionable athlete of all times. Off court she has been seen sporting a bikini and on court she is seen wearing the trendiest outfits such as racer back tees or a well cut dress by Nike.

The rivalry between the William sisters is quite apparent in their games, however when it comes to fashion, it is Venus who is seen dressed more in sync with fashion trends as compared to her younger sister. Her outfits confine to the subtlety which is required in the game however her sober dressing sense doesn’t make her a fashion faux pas. The former World No. 1 is spotted wearing regular dresses/ skirts which enable her to live up to her title as a Tennis Champion and a Fashion Diva.

Apart from these international beauties one Indian player who has entered a number of controversies because of her fashionable outfits is Sania Mirza. Quite recently she went on record proclaiming that “As long as I am winning, people shouldn’t care whether my skirt is six inches long or six feet long!”

This young Indian player was caught into the “morality” web with conventional Islamists demeaning her for her revealing outfits; however this did not stop her from being fashionable. In her home country people have often looked up to her as a fashion icon, imitating her outfits and her accessories.

So whether these women win or not, whether they are able to embed their games in the mind of the audiences on account of their play, they surely know how to steam up the tennis court with their fashion statements because as the saying goes the devil surely wears Prada!