If you’re not caught up on this latest controversy, here is the breakdown. Serena Williams wore a badass, black catsuit designed by Virgil Abloh and Nike to the French Open back in May, then a tutu look to the US Open on September 26th. These looks sparked controversy for being “too unprofessional” and the French tennis association announced a plan to implement a dress code because “one must respect the game and the players”. The reason she wore the catsuit was to help with her blood circulation after a difficult pregnancy however, critics were calling it a ‘black panther inspired look” and Serena was banned from wearing it again. Not only has this happened to Serena Williams but to other major female tennis players who have been shammed, criticized and sometimes even fined for expressing themselves through clothing while on the court. At the United States Open, the French player Alizé Cornet received a penalty for temporarily removing her shirt, because she realized it was on backwards, on court and inadvertently flashed her sports bra. When male players change shirts, no one second-guesses it.
In tennis, women are allowed to practice in shorts but expected to play in skirts which is an outdated, sexist tradition. Women are also paid significantly less than their male counterparts when they are equally as talented. For example, Serena Williams has earned tens of millions of dollars less than Novak Djokovic even though she has many more Grand Slam single titles. The reason this matters is because this discrimination and gender inequality is not limited to tennis, but is pervasive in every single sport and in our current society. We focus so much on women’s looks: who they are wearing, what they are wearing, why they are wearing it, etc. that we are ignoring what women can bring to the table and the impact they can have.
Serena Williams and her controversial catsuit have sparked a conversation about gender equality in sports and in general. She is currently being featured in Nike’s new ad campaign and praised for speaking out on behalf women in sports. With all of the politically charged debates about gender equality and women’s rights, how celebrities and sports stars dress matters more than ever.
HCXO,
Abby