Each year the Williams sisters never disappoint with their daring "outside of the box" tennis outfits. So far this year Venus is already making the news not only for her return to the game on the opening day of Wimbledon yesterday and her tennis prowess but for her “jumper” outfit which had to be explained to UK audiences was not a jumper in UK terms but a jumpsuit as it is referred to in the US. Jumpsuits are totally in fashion this summer and a great fashion idea for tennis I think though the big question in the tabloids have been about the outfits' appropriateness for the game of tennis.
Picture from the Mail on Line: Read article by By Jessica Satherley and Lauren Paxman here
Fashion designers do wear their creation and Venus is no different as this is a fashion number straight out of her own clothing line, EleVen. In the past Venus’ tennis ensembles bore the Nike emblem but not this time, it is all EleVen. Venus insists that she has gone for simplicity this year with this jumpsuit but I beg to differ. The jumpsuit is made from a lovely light cotton with leafy designs and is very 70’s in design with bat sleeves and cut out back. Details include a gold zipper and thin gold belt around the waist and let’s not forget the accessories, gold necklace with medallion pendant and disc earrings. No doubt Venus is going for that sport-luxe style which is a big trend at the moment with fashion designers like Marc by Marc Jacob going for the casual chic jumpsuit and DKNY using colour block trainers to give that sporting look and feel to their sport-luxe jumpsuits. View trend reports spring 2011.
Not practical for playing tennis some may argue and from the shots caught on camera maybe it is not the most sensible of tennis wear. But you know what each to his own!!!. This is her stage, her office, where she goes to work. Was it last year or year before Federer turned up to all his Wimbledon matches wearing a Blazer on court. Not that he played in it, but it was curious to say the least.
Fashion and non fashion critics either like this jumpsuit or hate it and while most of the tennis sports news reports centre around how impractical this cocktail evening jumpsuit is for playing tennis, they are simply providing Venus with her own catwalk for her EleVen by Venus Williams collection. What’s really important is that tennis champions like Venus who have won Wimbledon five (5) times always let their rackets do the talking as no matter what she wears it does not detract from her stroke play or her instinct to win which is what it is all about.
Click here to see more of Venus' controversial tennis outfits over the past years.