It’s time to respect female athletes. For as long as can be remembered, female athletes have had to remain restrained in their clothing choices on the field due to deep-rooted stereotypes surrounding gender and athleticism. The effects of systemic sexism still affect female competitors today. Many athletes are now pushing back by communicating their personal styles during the games they devote their lives to. As most athletes spend the majority of their lives training and practising, they deserve to be able to express themselves in their sportswear.
Remember when Serena Williams wore that fabulous black catsuit at the French Open in 2018, and it was subsequently banned because it didn’t ‘respect’ the game of tennis? What many don’t know is the reason why Williams decided to wear the catsuit in the first place. Williams, in fact, had a history of blood clots and developed one after the birth of her daughter, Alexis (less than a year before the French Open).
So, Williams opted to don the catsuit to keep her blood circulation flowing. I believe the ban had roots in sexism and racial microaggressions, particularly as it misunderstood that it was dangerous for Williams not to wear the suit. When women start having to sacrifice their health and safety to ‘respect’ the game, isn’t it safe to say the tirade against women in sport has gone too far?
Two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka recently returned to tennis in style; serving incredible looks draped in femininity. Fans watched her ahead of the game in a black bomber jacket accompanied by a ginormous white bow. She then donned a similarly themed outfit in play, matching the court in gorgeous white and green ensembles by Nike x Yoon, covered in bows and frilly layers.
Likewise, she had two bows embellishing the heels of her trainers. This may seem like an insignificant accessory choice for some, however, it is an incredibly brave decision by Osaka when the rules of tennis are so strict and finite in terms of what players can and cannot wear.
Osaka stated that the motivation for this was to feel like a “magical girl”, drawing inspiration from the Japanese Lolita goth scene. This is a style of power dressing both on and off the court we haven’t seen for a while. By adopting very feminine fashions (tulles and bows) which are synonymous with young girls, the designer, Yoon Ahn, wanted to create a collection encouraging women to “bring out their character and enhance their own personal styles”. Claiming that “we live in a girl’s world and I wanted to embody that in Naomi’s on-court look”.
This trend for female empowerment in sports has been widely adopted by other athletes, especially in the Paris Olympics this summer. In order to represent their nation’s colours, athletes across the board started tying bows into their hair. As an example, Ellie Boatman, an Olympian for Team GB, sported matching red bows at the end of her plaits during the women’s rugby 7s.
Moreover, women are tired of feeling sexualised in their uniforms or athleisure-wear. A recent Sky Sports News documentary “Fit For Purpose?” had athletes like Jessica Ennis-Hill opening up about how the clothing they have been obliged to wear in order to comply with outdated regulations has negatively affected them.
When men can wear a multitude of athletic wear for their games, women often question why their outfits have to leave so little to the imagination. In an effort to protest the sexualisation of female athletes, the German gymnastics team started wearing full-length unitards in April 2021 for the Tokyo Olympics in place of the traditional leotards.
The most evident example of women literally being punished for not wanting to be sexualised, was when the beach handball team from Norway was fined £1300 for competing in a European Championship match in July 2021 wearing shorts instead of the traditional bikini bottoms, a move that sparked conversation worldwide.
The Paris 2024 Olympics was a stand-out event especially for the Women’s Rugby 7s tournament. One of the fastest growing sports, the Women’s Rugby 7s provided many entertaining displays of strength, power and determination. The stand out star of this campaign was the USA rugby player Ilona Maher.
There is no doubt that Maher is now a household name not only in rugby but also in popular culture. Following the launch of her skincare brand, Medalist, her appearance on the American reality TV show, Dancing With The Stars, and her viral social media posts, it is no suprirse that Maher is the most followed rugby player on the planet. Maher boasts more social media followers than Katie Ledecky and Noah Lyles combined across all social media platforms and this is predominantly down to her relatable character and her appeal to many women and young girls.
Maher advocates for the abandonment of cliches in womens sport; that female athletes should look and act a certain way in order to be legitimised as ‘genuine’ athletes. Rugby has long often been dominated by men and is arguably one of the most aggressive and physically demanding sports hence women’s rugby has faced a lot of backlash. Maher has faced negativity from social media comments call her a man and mocking her for prioritising her hair and makeup on the pitch. Her relatable character is demonstrated by showing vulnerability online, at times posting tearful videos showing the negative comments being made about her.
However, Maher still believes in looking good and playing good. “It does not take away from your athletic ability if you wear makeup” she said in an interview with Glamour Magazine.
The struggle to abandon sexualised and ill-fitting clothing is still being waged. It is envisioned that the next generation of sportswomen will be free to concentrate on their performance, rather than having to expend energy fighting outdated rules and regulations.
