Venus Williams: more fashion or more tennis?
It is fascinating to watch Venus Williams on the court these days, as the court seems to be a ramp for her where she showcases her daring rather eccentric outfits, instead of playing tennis. The French Open was by far the biggest eye-opener for not just the Venus fans but also for the tennis fans at large, as she wore a red and black lace dress there which is believed to be the most controversial outfit worn by her till now.
At the Wimbledon 2010, she wore a short and white Tina Turner-esque dress. Venus tried to show off her clothing line by wearing the outfits of his collection called “eleVen” on-court. Even though her dresses are greeted with much appreciation, some audiences still think that at times they are ‘less sophisticated’ and ‘over the top’.
Although “eleVen” was closed in 2009 due to bankruptcy, but this didn’t kill the style diva in Venus Williams as she still continues to wear daring, innovative and eye-catching outfits in almost every tennis tournament to whom she is a part of; she still designs clothes by taking online orders and her website is also advertizing her new designs.
The Williams sisters appear to have been successful in jazzing up the traditional all-white Wimbledon Cup by turning the plain whites into fashionable tennis attire. Now, the paparazzi not only focus on the brilliant tennis played by them, but they also adore their erratic fashion sense.
During the US Open 2010 also, Venus wore a black dress with silver sequences in the form of an explosion, which seemed to draw immediate attention of not just the audience but also her opponent’s. According to Venus, this outfit defines the city of New York for her, which is an exuberant and exciting city to be in. She wore the same designed dress but in pink, red and black colors during her different matches.
It’s not just her outfits but also the accessories she wears along with them that have grabbed the attention of so many fans. These accessories, which usually include hoops, earrings and a necklace with a heavy pendant, are also as visible and in-your-face as her outfits. The earrings are often in gold and are long, heavy and shiny.
It makes one wonder that how does she manage to play professional tennis with such huge distractions all around her; shiny and heavy jewelry, flashy and skimpy outfits and hair beads that take about 4 hours to make? Some critics question Venus’ style of dressing and also inquire if this is in adherence to the appropriate tennis attire required. Some have gone as far as to say that wearing such dresses is extremely unprofessional in the world of tennis.
What has created more controversy is the so-called racist element. Venus is said to have “racy fashion choices” as she wore lack-lace corset dress with flesh tone undergarments at the French Open, which was deemed inappropriate by many tennis enthusiasts. But Venus does not regret wearing that outfit at all. “[That dress is] very historical at this point,” Williams said, further adding, “I would do it the absolute same way. I was trying to do something fun that was still functional.”
Tennis and fashion seem like two inseparable entities in the world of today, particularly among the female tennis players. Venus Williams, in particular has proven that one can play good tennis and also be fashionable at the same time. Venus’ defeat at the hands of Kim Clijsters in the US Open 2010 semi-final has been a huge disappointment to many Venus supporters, not only because she lost but also because they won’t be able to see her yet another daring outfit in the final.
(The above is writer’s own independent opinion)
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