Serena Williams sent out a powerful message with this outfit
Unfortunately, Serena Williams has to spend far too much time justifying her on-court outfits, especially when she faces criticism from people who would never call out Andy Murray for what he plays in.
Last year, she was praised for wearing a catsuit not long after giving birth to her daughter, and even then she faced backlash for competing in tournaments again so soon. Again, no one challenged Andy Murray about this, when he has a little one at home too.
She said the catsuit made her feel 'like a warrior', and it even featured technology that helped prevent blood clots, a serious health problem she faced after the complicated birth. Sadly, the French Open didn't see things that way and decided to ban it.
French Tennis Federation president Bernard Giudicelli said, 'I think that sometimes we've gone too far… It will no longer be accepted. One must respect the game and the place.'
But she hasn't let that stop her, and I'm so here for it. Yesterday the tennis pro made another high fashion statement at the French Open, wearing a black and white cape by Virgil Abloh for Nike. The set also featured a skirt and crop top underneath.
And on the cape (yes, true heroes DO wear capes), were the words, 'queen', 'champion', 'mother' and 'goddess'.
What Serena did, on top of winning her match that is, is show that she won't bend to dated, misogynist rules, and that her fashion choices really don't have anything to do with her performance.
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And that, my friends, is worth much more than a trophy.
Penny Goldstone is the Contributing Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK. She writes about catwalk trends and the latest high street and Instagram sartorial must-haves. She also helms the Women Who Win franchise.
She has worked in fashion for over 10 years, contributing to publications such as Cosmopolitan, Red, Good Housekeeping, and Stylist.
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