Fiend at Court Unplugged
Before I delve too deeply into this topic, I first have to make it perfectly clear that my personal policy is to never accept fashion advice from an engineer. If the relevancy of that statement is not immediately obvious, let me provide a reminder the tag line of this blog here: “An engineer overthinks tennis in a daily tennis journal.” Based on a lifetime of experience, engineers and fashion don’t normally play well together.
Shortly after the conclusion of the Australian Open, an issue of the Baseline tennis email newsletter hit my inbox carrying an article bearing the headline that Serena Williams had won the “best dressed” title at the 2021 Australian Open. Reflecting on her ensemble worn at the tournament this year I was simultaneously surprised and not surprised. It is the perfect time to explore the topic of tennis fashion… I will give this topic my best engineering effort.
The first thing to do is to establish the meaning of the words style and fashion. That understanding is necessary because they are related to the concept of “best dressed.” My understanding of the word style is that it encapsulates the way an individual expresses themselves. Clothing is a prime way to express personal style, but there are many other mechanisms that can go into it.
Fashion, on the other hand, refers to the dominant style within a population. In other words, what is “in fashion” is determined by what the majority of people have adopted as their style. Fashion is very much relevant to place and time. Consequently, a person’s style may or may not be consistent with the current fashion.
The next obvious question is who gets to determine “best dressed” which is the vanguard of fashion. The New York Times ran a piece on that exact subject in 2019. In a random coincidence, Roger Federer had just topped the “International Best Dressed List,” the release of which was the catalyst for that article. The NYT observed that we are living in an era where the avenue for expression of personal style is broadly available on an individual basis. In other words, the consumer can find exactly what they want online and the options available for individuals to express personal style are unconstrained.
That same NYT article wondered if “best dressed” lists determined by arbitrary powerful gatekeepers with the influence to dictate fashion trends might be obsolete. Baseline seems to be the self appointed gatekeeper for fashion in tennis clothing. In fact, in addition to the “Fashion Aces” article which names the best dressed, they also regularly run “Fashion Faults” highlighting those that perhaps made questionable wardrobe choices.
If Baseline is really the arbitrator of tennis fashion, it might be good to know exactly who they are. In short, Baseline is a product of media conglomerate that also includes the Tennis Channel and tennis.com. The USTA logo is also featured on the “About” page for Baseline. Clearly there is some sort of partnership agreement between the Tennis Channel and the USTA, but I was unable to find any recent articles with details of the precise relationship.
The recent “Fashion Aces” newsletter in isolation, makes it tempting to observe that Baseline is pandering to the major manufacturers. Nike, New Balance, and Asics all garnered high marks for what most of their players were wearing. Similarly, Adidas was heralded for the sleeveless shirt worn by well-muscled Michael Mmoah. The Adidas muted yellow and green kit sported by Jessica Pegula was similarly praised. It is an inescapable fact that the major clothing manufacturers are important sponsors and advertisers for Baseline, tennis.com, and the Tennis Channel.
The Adidas case is interesting, because Baseline also worked up a solid hate for other parts of that manufacturer’s line. In an ironic twist, Alexandar Zverev was castigated for wearing the same sleeveless shirt as Mmoah. He simply does not have the muscle definition in his arms to pull it off. Given Zverev’s ongoing off-court issues, dressing him in in a shirt style that is sometimes colloquially known as a “wife beater” is an interesting choice.
When it comes to style and fashion in tennis attire, my personal yardstick is the extent to which the outfits are assimilated into the amateur tennis playing community. In other words, how many people purchase the outfit and integrate it as a staple of their tennis wardrobe. When that happens, by definition it becomes the fashion.
With that backdrop, we have arrived at my own definition of “Best Dressed.” It is the person who pioneers a personal style that broadly influences the personal style preferences of others. The “Best Dressed” person is the one who wears something before everybody else realizes that they need it as well. In other words, the one that inspires the thoughts “That looks good!” followed by “I want to look like that.”
According to Baseline, Serena was the “best dressed” player at the Australian Open. Garbine Muguruza was designated as the leading “fashion fault.” I would wager that the Adidas “Y” dress worn my Muguruza will be purchased and worn to some extent by the tennis playing public. In case you missed it, Serena wore a color block asymmetric body suit. I don’t think Nike has any plans to even offer it on the retail market.
Tomorrow we’re diving fully into discussion of the body suit. However, probably not the one you are expecting.
- AO 2021 Fashion Aces: Serena Wins Best Dressed Title, Jonathon Scott, February 15, 2021, Baseline email newsletter.
- Fashion vs. Style: Key Differences Between Fashion and Style, Masterclass Article, November 8, 2020.
- What Does Being Best Dressed Mean?, Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, December 16, 2019.
- Baseline: About Us, http://baseline.tennis.com/about/, viewed 3/4/2021.
- AO 2021 Fashion Faults: Muguruza’s Adidas Y-Dress, Jonathon Scott, February 16, 2021, Baseline email newsletter.
