Serena Williams‘ 2016 tennis season was marked by her Wimbledon title and her stepping down from the No.1 position in the WTA rankings, but how did the American fare in the fashion department? Let’s have a look, as part of my traditional Fashion Retrospections series.
Serena’s Australian Open outfit was as striking as the country’s sunshine, captivating with its lively yellow color, daring crop top and generous use of mesh. This look definitely gets a pass to Serena’s rich archive of memorable tennis outfits and my Top 5 of this season’s best fashions.
The Nike Spring Premier Victory Skirt is unique for its open hole mesh material that brings both functionality and edge to an all-around pleated skirt.
In Indian Wells and Miami, Serena showcased an omega blue version of the look, just as striking as the yellow one, or maybe even more beautiful.
My favorite feature of the top are the side vents and V-shaped back panel for breathability.
En route to the Internazionali BNL d’Italia title in Rome, Serena wore a nice grey and black combo, with purple details breaking up the dullness.
At Roland Garros, Serena removed the originally-planned mesh from her NikeCourt Premier Dress and produced a dramatic effect with her large back cutout extending all the way to her waist.
My favorite part of this dress is ribbed trim at the neckline and sleeve cuffs, as a retro touch.
Isn’t Serena’s Wimbledon dress one of the most beautiful white tennis dresses we’ve ever seen? What’s not to love about the conservative high neck, counterbalanced by flirty tiers in two levels at the back of the skirt? Also, the standard racerback gives a mandatory touch of sportiness to the design. No wonder Serena won her seventh Wimbledon title!
I love it when players accessorize with their country’s flag at the Olympic Games and Serena showed just how it should be done with her manicure and hair details this year in Rio.
I crave for players to go bold with their US Open outfits. I’d rather see a failed risk than an ordinary design in NYC. Serena knows how to play the tennis fashion game and at the final Grand Slam of the season she chose the Nike Fall Serena Premier Dress, whose “circus skirt” (that’s how I’d colloquially call this pattern) matches the pink Nike sleeves.
The queen also had a night version of the dress, which was used in the pre-tournament promo.
My verdict: Serena’s 2016 clothes are a dream come true for the biggest fashionistas and for grand stages. Are your favorites also the crop top ensemble and the white dress?
MORE 2016 WTA FASHION RETROSPECTIONS:
- Dominika Cibulkova‘s perfect fits: Lacoste blue and white tennis fashion
- Angelique Kerber‘s rise to No.1 WTA ranking with Adidas
- Agnieszka Radwanska‘s year with Lotto: Dramatic mesh, ruffles, busy prints
Can’t wait for the outfit this coming 2017 season. Any info or leaks yet?
Loved the white dress and the navy blue iteration of it.
Wasn’t this one of the most bold and daring fashion years seen from a top player since sharapova in 2010. I’d forgotten how beautiful the French open dress was, everything was very good this year. I hope 2017 is as exciting!!
Ozzie, I’ve seen Garbi’s outfit, Ana’s dress and some Lacoste photoshoot, just that I’m on vacation now, so I’m not publishing much. There will be talks about new outfits when we approach the 2017 season.
I love Serena’s Wimbledon and Olympics dress. I feel it’s so elegant and it suits her body well. I can’t wait for your retrospection of Ana’s dresses for 2016!
SHE KILLED IT
Fitting outfits for the Queen of tennis. I love how Nike is experimenting with serena’s looks This year they added three outfits to my fav Serena dresses post 2010 – Her AO dress, her classic retro look with edgy back French open outfit and of course the lovely combination of conservative polo neck and very feminine pleated bottom WImbledon/olympics dress. I’d have added her USO outfits as well But I had very high expectations for that design but it looked bit different in action. Incase if you’re wondering about the outfits already on the list, they are Her USO outfits 2012,13, her french open outfit 2012,14 and her london olympics outfit
1. Indian Wells and Miami
2. French open
3. Rome