The first week of Wimbledon and we usually expect to hear about upsets, rain, more rain, Tim Henman, and well, more rain. But this year, it was fashion that took not only center stage, but Center Court at the All England Club. Clothes have been much talked about, what’s fashion without accessories?
So much has been made of Maria Sharapova’s “Swan” dress, although I have heard it being compared to other animals, namely the gills of fish. To me, as the ruffles flew up in the swirling wind as the leggy Russian took her traditional walk to the back of the court and then again to the service line, her dress nearly resembled a Victoria’s Secret costume with the angel wings flapping from behind. Wings, now that is a bold accessory.
Then news broke about Venus forgoing her skirt in favor of mini shorts, but what about that chunky jewelry she was wearing? A jade pendant and large crystal earrings (they looked too big to be diamonds, but who knows?) that bobbled every time she served—ouch! But that couldn’t have hurt as much as Janko Tipsarevic’s eyebrow piercing and arm-length tattoos.
The other Williams meanwhile was wearing a bandana around her head as well as an elastic band, which kept coming off, until she did away with it. The headpiece might have been better suited to house cleaning than Center Court, but who was paying attention to that with all the drama surrounding her taped calf and unbelievable comeback?
Speaking of headbands, Arnaud Clement would not be himself without his trademark headband and sunglasses. Only he could get away with wearing shades on an overcast Wimbledon afternoon.
From hair accessories to hair as an accessory. Svetlana Kuznetsova channeled Bo Derek from the movie “10” sporting long cornrows of braids thanks to some help from hair extensions.
And what about handbags? For the past couple of seasons, some apparel makers have been custom-making matching handbags to accompany their gear. The bags used to be small to midsized but now they are more designer and for lack of a better word, big. And golden, or shiny, or have bamboo handles. But this pales in comparison to this year’s shoes.
Never have we seen so much detail on an item of clothing so little photographed—until this Wimbledon. Having your name stitched on your shoes was once noteworthy but not anymore. If you really want to keep up with the Jones’, you better think bigger, and sparklier.
Shahar Peer showed her patriotism on her shoes, clad with the white and Tiffany blue Israeli flag and the word “Shahar” embroidered on the back of them. Meanwhile, Jelena Jankovic showed that she is a sweetheart, having her first name and last initial pasted on the back of her shoes, along with a heart. Her other accessory? Her make-up. After all, no self-respecting professional would go out to play in a Slam without being camera ready, right? Okay, so she took out her Chanel compact to check something in her eye, but how convenient was it that she already had it packed in her tennis bag? And what about the fidgeting with her hair and eyelashes? Mary Pierce, look out.
More shoes? Let’s not ignore the elephant in the room any longer, the four-time defending Wimbledon champion. Roger Federer, the man who Mary Carillo said was becoming “more and more metro sexual by the hour,” and might pull a Chihuahua out of his bag, was perhaps the most decked out of all. Just because he is the most decorated player in the event doesn’t mean his clothes and um, handbag, should be. The clothing, traditional and a tribute to the past, fair enough. But what about that ornate bag and all of the gold lettering? Not too mention the shoes: white with (more) gold striping and his initials as well as mini Swiss flags on the sides. Well, you be the judge.
But what was the most popular accessory of all these past two weeks? An umbrella, of course.