Wimbledon 2008 was a showcase of new design in sportswear while adhering to the classic tennis all-white. Serena Williams wore a half trench at warm-up and played in long sleeves. Maria Sharapova played in trouser shorts and a tuxedo-style top (Russian Alla Kudryavtseva diverged from graciousness and said the outfit was her motivation for beating her). She also wore $5,000 Tiffany drop earrings. And Jelena Jankovic played in a fit and flare dress.
But this piece worn by Urszula Radwanska outshines all of those. It’s a mini-tutu designed by Nike that appears to be adapted straight from Givenchy S/S 08 Couture, the line that was the best thing to happen in fashion in the past two years.
An interesting fact about the history of fashion at Wimbledon: in 1949 American Gertrude Moran was mad she had to play in pure white instead of the colored outfit she wanted. She spitefully retaliated by having Ted Tinling, a player liaison and budding designer, create an outfit with ruffled lace panties intentionally visible below the hem of a short skirt. The photographers went into a frenzy jockeying for spots to lay on the backcourt to get the raciest shots — and the public loved it. Tinling was asked to leave Wimbledon and went on to become a big name designer. Moran had a wave of publicity that affected her game from which she never rebounded. Tennis had a resurgence of popularity and became fashion conscious until the 90s. Since then the BBC has actively censored any focus on fashion, but it appears they’re loosening up for a second wave.
