The 2014 Fashion Scoop from DOWN UNDER

Every January, the Australian Open sets the fashion trends for the upcoming season. Disappointingly enough, this year there weren't many highlights. The outfits were relatively boring, with just a handful providing some kind of excitement. The standout piece came from Venus Williams' EleVen line, the clean-cut zebra dress being both edgy and classy. In the men's camp, Roger Federer continues to set the tone, looking sharp and fresh in his signature RF attire. 

In terms of colours, light blue and pink dominated the scene. While Adidas put forth a light blue-orange combo, Nike opted for shades of pink for its main collection. Again nothing spectacular here. Stella McCartney tried to spice things up and selected a sunny, vintage-looking print. She failed miserably. Her garments looked overdesigned and dusty. Wozniacki's dress is again a hot mess—so many weird things going on there, plus the use of green in addition to the heavy yellow print and the orange.

I was pleasantly surprised by Lacoste. They're line is always fresh and has that expensive feel to it. Also, Maria Sharapova chose turquoise to make her look better than I've seen her in ages.

The Queen of Style

Venus Williams - EleVen

Although she toned down her eccentricity, Venus remains the most exciting tennis fashionista. Although the dress is simple, the zebra print makes it interesting and exciting. This was my favourite piece from this year's Aussie Open. The garment is the perfect example that the American found the great balance between making fashion statements and creating clothing appropriate for the tennis court. 

I'm Blue da ba dee da ba die

Ana Ivanovic - AdiZero

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - AdiZero

Although I do not like the blue-orange combo, AdiZero continues to be the definition of coolness on the tennis court. However, while Ivanovic and Tsonga can look good wearing a plastic bag, the same does not stand for some of the other players—and this collection can easily highlight that. The overall proposition is relatively weak (boring design, uninspired colours, same cut as in previous seasons), but the clothes do maintain the line's trademark cool vibe.

Angelique Kerber - Adidas

Boooring … this Adidas look is so dull it's not even worth the bother. Please, I know you can do better! 

Maria Sharpova - Nike 'Maria Sharapova' Group

I am not a fan of Sharapova's on-court style these days, but there are a few positives about her Australian Open garment. First, the colour—the vibrant turquoise, which looks great in contrast with her skin tone. Second, the attempt to spice things up with the crazy printed underpants. Third, the cutout in the back, which is nice. Not sure why, but I actually like how this outfit looks on her. It's probably due to the colour, which does wonders against her skin, but I think this is the best I've seen her look in quite a while. 

Jelena Jankovic - FILA

Julia Goerges - FILA

I've always been a fan of Fila. They constantly produce great clothes that are sharp and expensive-looking. I particularly like this year's colour palette with the mix of turquoise, purple, and black. Although Jankovic's dress is interesting, I prefer the separates that Goerges is wearing—the colour blocking works better there.

Genie in a Bottle

Eugenie Bouchard - Nike 'Maria Sharapova' Group

Eugenie Bouchard is the latest tennis sensation. The young Canadian is quickly emerging as one veritable fashionista. As a consequence, she was given an upgrade in style by Nike, being among the exclusive few to wear Sharapova's limited signature line. Although the clothes stand out, they're not always the most flattering. Take this garment for example. It's the same problem that Vika had at the US Open. The skirt should probably be a few inches shorter and pulled a little lower, but Genie is one of those players that would look good in basically anything. She can do no wrong.

The Master

Roger Federer - Nike RF Group

I strongly believe that Roger Federer is the best dressed tennis player. Although his signature line is relatively classic in the approach, the Swiss always finds a way to look fresh and cool. In Melbourne, he wore checked shorts, part of a nicely balanced airy outfit. The greatest thing about Federer's attire is the detailing—the red touches providing a nice pop of colour.

Pink Overdose

Serena Williams - Nike

Serena came to Melbourne determined to win the crown. The overwhelming favourite, the American opted to make a load fashion statement wearing a bright pink, polka dot dress. The dress has an interesting colour blocking, the front and upper part being pink, while the back is all black. I wasn't blown away by the garment. It is a pretty safe choice—the cut is the standard V-neck, plunging neckline the American so loves—but in true Serena manner, she upped the styling by adding a pink blazer and matching pink-black nails to the ensemble. When she steps on to the court she is truly a presence, so I applaud her for that.

Victoria Azarenka - Nike

Worrisomely Vika did not just lose her mojo on court, but she's also gone astray with her fashion choices. The pink ensemble does not do her justice. This is just a pretty dull, too pinkish top and skirt that does not live up the expectations. The hip Belorussian should be wearing bold, edgy clothes. Let's relight the magic, Vika! Let's go back to Melbourne 2011. 

Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci - Nike

Boooring again. Nice palette, but I feel the colour blocking is exaggerated. I was confused when I first saw this outfit.

Sloane Stephens - UnderArmour

As I said a couple of times before, I strongly believe that Sloane Stephens is the shiniest fashion prospect in tennis at the moment. Although extremely young, the American has a cohesive style. She is classy, but extra hip and fresh. She loves daring colours—like pink, fuchsia, neon yellow or orange—which perfectly complement her dark skin tone. In Melbourne, she wore a vibrant peach dress, which had a looser fit than what she's usually wearing. While I like the change, I feel this cut is not the most flattering for her. The bottom part is too wide and it opens too much, adding a few extra kilos to the hip area. She should stick to wearing fitted clothes.

Stella's Sunny Disaster

Laura Robson - Adidas by Stella McCartney

Andrea Petkovic - Adidas by Stella McCartney

Flavia Pennetta - Adidas by Stella McCartney

Caroline Wozniacki - Adidas by Stella McCartney

Oh my, oh my! What a mess did miss Stella McCartney put together here?! Not really sure where to start, but I cannot quite digest this whole collection. OK, she chose a vintage print, which could have been wow, but she kept adding until the end result became yow (made up the word to rhyme). Let's take the separates. The sunny skirt is nice. The top though is crazy. There's so many things going on. First, it's the use of the print in blocks—something I cannot quite understand—it looks like she run out of fabric and found no other solution to fix the problem. Second, the orange waistline stripe. Third, the sheer upper part and the heart-shaped breast line. Four, the busy back. However, regardless of the numerous flaws, this garment still looks fresher than Wozniacki's grandma dress. The use of the print on the lambada skirt makes the dress seem dull and dusted. Plus, the top part comes from a completely different story. The mint waistline strip and the use of the green do not match with the sunny print. Sorry, Stella dear, but this is a hot mess. A failed experiment. I am confident you can do better. Pretty please, show us something designer worthy!

Classy Lacoste

Dominika Cibulkova - Lacoste

Alize Cornet - Lacoste

Simona Halep - Lacoste

As said, I like Lacoste. The cut is clean, the fabrics are rich, the clothes seem comfortable, and the design is nice, without being exaggerated. Plus, the colour palette is warm. 

Pijamas made in Japan

Novak Djokovic - UNIQLO

Since signing with Japanese producer, Uniqlo, Novak Djokovic seems to be playing in his pajamas all the time. Might sound mean, but it's the truth. The design is always the same, thus it looks dated, while the colours are dusted, especially the ever-present rat grey. The Serbian is in desperate need of a fashion make-over.

photos: GETTY IMAGES

The 2013 New York Fashion Scoop

New York, a fashion capital of the world, has always seen displayed some of the most exciting tennis apparel. This year's US Open was no exception with most of the players dressing up to the occasion. Among the stand-outs, Venus Williams wore a gipsy-inspired floral dress that once again showed her creative power. Her sister, Serena, was imperial too, looking like the fashion diva that she is in a nicely pink/grey ensemble. In the men's squad, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal stole the show. While the Swiss looked elegant, yet hip, the Spaniard remained faithful to his athletic, cool style.

In terms of colours, pink and grey dominated the scene, a cool combination, especially if we consider the shades used in Serena's attire. Stella McCartney however, did propose the orange garments I dislike so much. While Wozniacki's dress was once again hideous, Maria Kirilenko was the only one in that camp who showed great taste, selecting something decent-looking. 

Although an ambassador of a less powerful brand, young gun Sloane Stephens is living up to her reputation as the newest fashionista, looking sharp, young and fresh in her magenta UnderArmour dress.

Imperial Sisters

Venus Williams - EleVen

Venus and Serena Williams

Venus Williams proved she is probably the most creative tennis garments creator by showcasing a gipsy inspired floral dress. The cut is great, the fabric seems expensive and the transparency at the top and the hem adds a touch of class. I also liked the separates she wore in doubles, the floral top and the pink skirt, respectively the pink top and the floral skirt. It's all about the details and Venus knows that. Her clothes are unique, sophisticated, hip, and most important, they tell a story. I am a huge fan of her EleVen line.
I am not sure what happened to the hair though, the fuchsia hairdo being too crazy for me to understand.

Serena Williams - NIKE 'Day Look'

Serena Williams - NIKE 'Night Look'

Serena Williams - NIKE

Serena knows how to dress on a big occasion. The American is usually wearing home-wear attire at regular tournaments, however when she steps out on the court at a Slam, she is always looking stunning. At this year's Flushing Meadows, Serena wore an asymmetric dress with a nice cleavage and an interesting back. Pink and grey is one of my favourite combinations, and Serena made a stellar job picking something that looks sharp and expensive. I specifically liked the pink version, the day look, mostly because of the nice shades of pink what were combined.
I do not get the blazer though. It is totally disconnected from the rest of the outfit.

Victoria Azarenka - NIKE

Vika's outfit was very similar to Serena's, although the Belorussian went a bit hipper, more athletic, opting for separates. The garment is not extremely special, it is quite boring actually, but the colours are nice and Azarenka has the attitude to get away with it. 

The Masters of Style

Roger Federer - NIKE 'RF' Group - Day Look

Roger Federer - NIKE 'RF' Group - Night Look

Federer's game is suffering, but his fashion credentials are not. Although I prefer the lighter version of this attire, I stand by my claim that the Swiss is probably the best dressed man on the ATP tour. The night look is elegant, stylish, yet hip.

Rafael Nadal - NIKE 'Rafa Nadal' Line - Day Look

Rafael Nadal - NIKE 'Rafa Nadal' Line - Night Look

Rafael Nadal is the hottest man on the tour right now, and the Spaniard dressed the part at Flushing Meadows. His two looks are extremely now, extremely cool, they are fresh, young and hip. Rafa is the ultimate athlete and he surely looked like one in these clothes.

Red Hot Adidas

Ana Ivanovic - AdiZero

Angelique Kerber - AdiZero

Flavia Pennetta - AdiZero

No surprises from AdiZero, as this is the third version of this dress after the white one showed at Wimbledon, and the blue one we've seen during the North American hard-court season. However, there is something so American in it, something that makes it extremely suitable for New York. It's probably the colour combination, the red and the blue screaming out loud the American flag.

Andy Murray - Adidas

Defending champion, Andy Murray, does not usually produces big fashion statements, and more often than not his fashion taste can be severely questioned. However, this look represents a slight improvement. The colours are nice, and although I am not a huge fan of the black&red combo, it seems to be working here.

Mix and match

Sabine Lisicki - NIKE

Na Li - NIKE

Eugenie Bouchard - NIKE 'Maria Sharapova' Group

With Maria Sharapova out with a shoulder injury, Canadian teen, Eugenie Bouchard, was her brand's sole ambassador in New York. I do like the print, and the orange detailing, plus Genie looks so much better than Sharapova that this is actually looking great on her.

Camila Giorgi - Denise Cronwall

Bethanie Mattek-Sands

Sloane Stephens - UnderArmour

Although she is displaying the same relatively plain dress since Wimbledon, Sloane Stephens is living up to her status as the tour's youngest fashionista by always selecting the right accessories to make her outfits come to life. Love the mix of fuchsia and orange, especially in the pleaded head-band.

Stella McCrazy

Laura Robson - Adidas by Stella McCartney

Maria Kirilenko - Adidas by Stella McCartney

Caroline Wozniacki - Adidas by Stella McCartney

Although she is considered the main ambassador of the Stella McCartney line, Wozniacki often ends up wearing the most hideous piece of the collection. Just take this dress. It's a hot mess. The colour blocking is off, the layering is badly done, plus the cut is crazy. It looks like the Dane is wearing her underpants on top of an apron. And she has two dresses underneath. I am really surprised a designer like Stella could actually send this out there. 

Laura Robson and Maria Kirilenko looked better, the Russian showing once again great taste and fashion smartness to pick the best garments from a disappointing collection.

photos: GETTY IMAGES