A few days ago, I expressed my dislike of what Serena wore during her Aussie Open matches in this post - Tennis Fashion Fix: Australian Open 2012 - Serena Keeps It "Real." Specifically, I said I didn't like her black headband or her black tennis shoes because I didn't think they matched her blue dress. And I said that I think she could have done much better wearing the outfit as she had shown it off in the days leading up to the Open when the whole thing was completely coordinated. (Since Serena is now out of the Australian Open, you probably won't see her in this outfit again except in replays and photos.)
So here's what I know now that I didn't know then - the headband and shoes were part of the Nike Black History Month Collection, coming out in February to celebrate the 36th anniversary of Black History Month. Serena's decision to wear these items was apparently a choice of substance over style. In fact, Nike chose Serena to debut this collection at the Australian Open (check out this post on the Nike blog for more info - Nike Black History Month Collection for Serena Williams). And you can expect to see other Nike-sponsored athletes in these pieces throughout the month of February. Here's a quick look at the entire collection:
I think that's a great explanation and certainly justifies her decision to not be so matchy-matchy. I just wish she had worn a black (or maybe red) dress to really tie it all together. Perhaps, however, Nike's decisions about who's wearing what and when are made so far in advance that making it all look good together wasn't a real possibility.
© Kim Selzman 2012 All Rights Reserved