Underrated Fashion Icons: Serena Williams
In the realm of sports, you cannot think of a revolutionary athlete without having Serena Williams in mind. Following her career debut in 1995, she dominated women’s tennis for over 20 years. Williams highlighted apex athleticism by collecting an insane record of 23 Grand Slam titles. She also exhibited successful entrepreneurship after becoming the first athlete to land a place on the Forbes list of America’s richest self-made women in 2019.
Like her sister, Venus, Serena has been a strong advocate for equal pay among male and female tennis players. In response, Wimbledon and the French U.S Open eventually decided to offer the same prize pay for both men and women in 2006.
Serena is known for her powerful serves during games, and I’m not just talking about the plays. She eats up all her competition through her unique fashion statements. Sure, she has caused a little controversy, but the queen knows how to keep the girls bitter with every look! In light of her recent retirement announcement, I wanted to share some of the most iconic Serena looks of all time:
1999 U.S. Open
Image courtesy: Twitter
She came, she saw, she slayed! 17-year-old Williams had all eyes on her from the start as she grabbed her First grand slam title in the sweetest soft yellow Puma mini. All while rocking her signature heart-shaped beaded do, a popular hairstyle that faced much racial discrimination at the time. In fact, her sister Venus faced a penalty for “causing a disturbance” due to a bead coming out of her hair during the 1999 Australian open. Would it still be a penalty if a white girl’s hair tie fell out?
2004 U.S. Open
Image Courtesy: Twitter
Some say Paris Hilton is the queen of the early 2000s, but Ms. Williams truly deserves the crown. Serena put the Y in Y2K as she sported this crystal Nike cropped tank with a pleated denim skirt. Though not pictured, she also wore matching knee-high Nike boots that had me searching Depop for hours the minute I first set eyes on this look.
French Open 2018
Image Courtesy: Vox
The look that shook France: This sleek, black Nike catsuit helped provide better blood circulation after William’s traumatic C-section. She wore long pants for a while after developing a blood clot from giving birth to her daughter. While the public and media fanned over the look, The French Tennis Federation banned her catsuit look, claiming it was inappropriate. She was told, “It will no longer be accepted. You have to respect the game.” Just because Williams caused a sensation with this look, doesn’t mean she was the first to flex a catsuit. Tennis star, Anne White, wore one during 1985 Wimbledon; while White was made fun of, no bans were placed. This incident was a plain act of discrimination and overt sexualization of a black woman’s body.
Wimbledon 2021
Image Courtesy: Twitter
Wearing all white and feeling Godly: Serena stepped out in London with this regal Nike ensemble with a detachable flowy train. Without saying a word, Williams told us her style is simply unmatchable. Though facing an injury during this game, she exuded elegance honoring her forever reign over the court.
U.S. Open 2022:
Image Courtesy: Popsugar
Her final show: The 2022 U.S. Open came after the player’s declaration to move on from tennis. Williams shimmered on the court with a head full of diamonds and a diamond-encrusted dress and layered flowy skirt. She also wore custom PE Nikecourt Flare sneakers with crystal Nike swooshes. It seems like this may be the end of an era for the star as she opened up about wanting to steer away from tennis and focus on expanding her family. However, Serena left with the impression that she may not have played her last game. “I’m torn, I don’t want it to be over, but at the same time I'm ready for what’s next,” she explained to U.S. Vogue. Who knows? This may not be the final chapter. Whatever decision she makes, she will succeed. And regardless, Serena has truly been a trendsetter and inspiration to little black girls all across the globe.
Strike Out,
Gael Laguerre
Boca Raton
Gael Laguerre is a content writer for Strike Magazine Boca. She’s a textbook Aquarius: super hyper-independent but also super hot. In her free time, she enjoys music festivals, writing sad poetry, and oversharing on twitter. You can reacher her at lgaellynn@gmai.com.
