Year after year tennis clothing scene becomes more versatile, so it’s harder and harder to select the Top 5 styles that made a statement during the WTA tournaments.
Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog took into account innovativeness, attractiveness factor and visual appeal to single out the most memorable apparel from the season behind us.
Despite the extremely tough competition, this year it is super easy to pick the No.1 design -- it’s definitely Naomi Osaka’s two-piece Nike outfit created for the Japanese’s first Grand Slam title defense at the US Open.
NikeCourt collaborated with Sacai’s Chitose Abe and her signature hybrid silhouettes refreshed the tennis fashion scene with an outfit you simply can’t stop looking at, as it’s asymmetrical layers, cutouts, ruffles and pops of contrast surprise you from every angle.
Osaka rocked two versions of this elegant articulation of a contemporary bodysuit — black with white and black with orange.
Pleated skirts are a women’s tennis fashion staple, but the Japanese designer gave them new life by ditching all the rules and playing with uneven layers and color accents.
The eccentric, one-of-a-kind design looked just as intriguing in motion and when still, while the best thing was that the fashionable silhouette didn’t compromise comfort, as depth, dimension and asymmetry worked together with Nike’s Dri-Fit fabric to perfectly blend sport and couture.
Annual fashion favorites can hardly go without legendary Serena Williams, whose on-court attire is engraved in tennis history as much as her unprecedented performance.
This year, the most famous mom on tour pushed the boundaries by showing up at Roland Garros in a black-and-white crop top and asymmetrical skirt designed by Virgil Abloh for Nike.
The ensemble also featured a matching zip-up jacket that looks like a regal cape, a nod to Williams’ royal status in the sport. The revolutionary piece was emblazoned with the words “mother”, “champion”, “queen”, and “goddess” written in French.
Fifteen-year-old qualifier Cori Gauff had a breakthrough run to the fourth round of Wimbledon and during the memorable fortnight the American was equipped with one of the season’s most stylish looks -- the New Balance Tournament Tank and Skirt. Here we can see the white version of the sporty separates enhanced by sophisticated metallic gold taping, while the attire also exists in just as stunning blue color variant, launched earlier, at Roland Garros, and in the combination of blue and navy with tattersall print, debuted at the US Open.
The New Balance Summer Tournament Tank features a unique split racerback with keyhole cutout and mesh seaming at the waist, while the lightweight New Balance Summer Tournament Skirt boasts all-over mesh pinholes, curved droptail hem and side slits.
Garbiñe Muguruza’s Roland Garros dress from adidas’ Escouade collection has earned its place among the 2019 WTA fashion elite due to the unique way it combines all-over mesh, contrast white drawcord waist and square blue highlights along the pleated hem and armholes.
The lightweight dress, that comes with a coordinating cross strap sports bra and ball shorty, offers icy coolness on the court owing to its breathable mesh fabric and Climacool technology.
Time and time again Fila is confirming that outstanding tennis apparel can be created by adding just a slight twist to a classic sporty design. There’s no need to look further than the archival colors of navy, red and white, as all it takes is creativity to combine traditional elements and add contemporary design elements to produce a fashion-forward look.
The best such example from 2019 is Kiki Bertens’ Fila Fall Heritage Dress that the Dutch wore at the end of the season. It’s a simple V-neck dress with vintage-looking chevron and vertical pinstripes, accentuated by a contrast inset at the waist.
Different types of looks made our 2019 Top 5. Which looks made yours? Let us know on social media: @WTA.
