Australian Open fashion hits
When it comes to tennis fashion, less can often be more. While the vast majority of players have been outfitted in colors that force you to put on your Ray-Bans on an overcast day, the best looks have still been the classic ones. Here are my picks for the 10 best kits at the Australian Open. Not surprisingly, the usual suspects top the list. You can also check out my top 10 fashion misses here.
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Top 10 Australian Open 2012 fashion hits
(Icon/SMI)
10. Gael Monfils -- I've decided to give in to K-Swiss' insistence on putting the game's most electric, kinetic, unpredictable player in seizure-inducing color schemes and patterns. If anything, credit to them for matching Monfils' personality. Even if you knew nothing about him when he walked on the court, one look at that kit and you already have a preview of the wild show you're about to see.
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(Nicolas Asfouri/AFP/Getty Images)
9. Andy Roddick -- Roddick keeps it classic in his signature line for Lacoste, which once again is cut in a way doesn't look like he's wearing a kite. Gone are the days when Roddick wore oversized shirts that never fit. He looks clean and classic, with the shoes and the socks keeping it fun.
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(Daniel Munoz/Reuters)
8. Victoria Azarenka -- Where there is Azarenka there is, undoubtedly, sound waves of controversy. Not everyone loves her decision to wear shorts, but I think she looks young and athletic. The shorts also match her personality: She's a jock, not a girl in a baby doll dress.
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(US Presswire)
7. Andy Murray -- Another Adidas outfit that looked far worse in the promotional pictures than it does on court, Murray's bold orange and blue kit actually served a practical purpose this week. Shadows fell over parts of Hisense Arena during his second-round match, and when Murray retreated into the shade during play, the camera could still pick him up.
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(Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
6. Serena Williams -- The kit itself is another straightforward Nike dress for Serena, but sometimes it's all about the accessories. Her shoes and headband are a tribute to Black History Month.
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(Paul Crock/AFP/Getty Images)
5. John Isner -- Isner's move from Nike to Lacoste has been jarring all week, but the teal and black combination looks great. Classic, traditional and sharp.
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(Zumapress)
4. Caroline Wozniacki -- Good job, Stella McCartney for Adidas! For the first time since Wozniacki moved to your line in 2009, you have finally put her in something that is fresh, young, well-fitted and, well, pretty. You get a gold star if for no other reason than my expectations were so low.
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(Lucas Dawson/Getty)
3. Ana Ivanovic -- The dress looked less than dazzling in Adidas' promotional pictures, but it has actually worked. Ivanovic, Sorana Cirstea and Daniela Hantuchova have looked great in it, and the dress seems to have some good mojo: All three made the third round.
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(Tim Wimborne/Reuters)
2. Roger Federer -- At this point, Nike has Federer's measurements and fittings down pat so it's really just about the color combinations and whether or not he's wearing a collar (always make him wear a collar!). The red and white combination is a bit literal -- he's Swiss, get it? -- but it looks particularly sharp against the Aussie blue courts.
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(Findlay Kember/AFP/Getty Images)
1. Maria Sharapova -- The last Sharapova kit that I can remember feeling less than enthused about was her 2009 U.S. Open night dress, which looked odd when paired with her silver headband. Since that minor fault, Nike has served up aces, and this year is no exception. With so many bright, neon, highlighter colors dominating the courts this year, Sharapova's all white dress with neon highlights is perfect: not too bold, but fresh and energetic.
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What do you think? Sound off in the comments and give us your favorite fashion statements from the first week of the 2012 Australian Open.
