Leanne’s Fashion Thoughts: Wimbledon
Posted on 27th Jun 11 by Leanne Cunningham | 
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New fashion writer Leanne Cunningham presents her thoughts on Wimbledon’s sartorial line-up this year.
Last weekend we all watched as Rory McIlroy became the youngest person in history to win the US Open. Whether a fanatical fan of golf, or merely wishing to cheer on a young man making history, it became hard to ignore the numerous images of the twenty two year old from County Down. While the stereotypical golf apparel had previously been thought of as plaid trousers, sweater vests, and flat caps, McIlroy could clearly be seen in more street style clothing, in various shades of blue and white. Fitted out by clothing and sunglass makers Oakley Inc. due to their belief that he suited their ‘extreme sporting image’ following his decision to dye his hair a surfer shade of blonde last December. While it is not known how much the endorsement deal is for, it is likely to be renegotiated and increased following his win. Clothing endorsements in sport have become a multi-billion pound industry with many tournaments now getting column inches for players attention-grabbing outfit choices, with Wimbledon being no exception.
Each year Wimbledon, which is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, has a number of certainties surrounding it: rain will delay matches, strawberries and cream will be eaten, and the all-white dress code for each player. Appearances at Wimbledon are taken very seriously, with Ralph Lauren providing the outfits for ball boys and girls, and the centre court grass being expertly measured. When the tournament started in 1877 the white dress code was enforced due to the belief that the color would mask perspiration, which was seen to be discourteous, particularly in the case of female participants. Female participants were expected to be dressed in full length skirts, necklines which were comparable to V-Neck jumpers, and arms to be covered at all times. In 1905 May Sutton Bundy caused a stir by rolling back the cuffs of her dress, which revealed her wrists. This was due to her complaint that the sleeves were “too long and too hot”. By the 1930’s calf length skirts were beginning to be allowed, followed by knee length skirts in the 1940’s. Style continued to develop, with skirt becoming shorter and materials were becoming more lightweight until a decade ago players such as Anna Kournikova changed the focus of the image surrounding tennis.
With human nature comes a desire to display individuality and push the boundaries within the strict dress code. Examples of this in previous years include Venus Williams wearing a twenties style flapper dress, Roger Federer showing his pride of winning the prestigious tournament by wearing a gold-emblazoned blazer, and the three-quarter length trousers Rafael Nadal wore in 2005. The Williams Sisters have continued to shock spectators every year by causing a fashion fuss, with many of the outfits being louder than the frequent grunt heard on court. On the opening day Venus Williams obliged this tradition by appearing on Centre Court wearing a mini lace jumpsuit. Williams has described the jumpsuit as “very now”, and is now expected to be copied by many high street fashion stores. The use of lace was a nod to the Duchess of Cambridge‘s wedding dress and the gold belt used showed an appreciation for vintage flair. On the whole, the outfit proved that being fashionable was favored over function, which is mirrored in her tennis clothing line EleVen.
While Venus Williams style has attracted the most attention this year, a number of other players are worthy of consideration for their style. World number thirty one Bethanie Mattek-Sands caused a stir by stepping out onto court fourteen for round one wearing a fringed jacket decorated with twenty four tennis balls. As she walked onto court wearing the jacket rumors began to surface that she would be disqualified due to tournament rules stating that ‘any competitor who appears on court dressed in a manner deemed unsuitable by the committee will be liable to be defaulted.’ Upon being informed on the rules the American simply stated “I’m not hitting any balls in it. Don’t worry, it’s too heavy to wear.” While she exited the competition after losing the match she has promised to be more daring at the US Open in August.
And finally, fashion off the court is always a cause for discussion with many A-listers making an appearance in the crowd. Celebrity spectators have so far included Noel Fielding, Kirsten Dunst, Kim Cattrall, and Grace Jones. Also, eyes will be on Andy Murray’s girlfriend Kim Sears as she mixes designer clothes with high street, choosing to wear many Topshop pieces while watching Murray reach the semi final last year. Kim is clearly aware of the fact that eyes will be on her and that fashion is fast becoming a significant talking point of Wimbledon.