We've got summer sports on the brain — namely, tennis and golf. Wimbledon wrapped earlier this month. The PGA Tour is underway. And, both sports will be in competition at the upcoming Olympics in Tokyo. But even if you're not spectating, we bet the golf and tennis looks have still been on your mind this summer.
That's because we're seeing the ultra-sporty style trend in a big way this summer. Both golf and tennis have traditionally been synonymous with prep culture. While that vibe is still prevalent, the styles are far more effortless, casual, and wearable than before. It's the latest iteration of the athleisurewear trend, and it has just the right mix of elevated polish and laid-back ease. Plus, with looks this fun and flirty, you can wear them anywhere — no court or links required.
Ahead, check out the elements of what makes for a stylish golf or tennis player — that is, minus the racquets and clubs.
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Workout Dresses
Not long ago, tennis dresses didn't come with built-in shorts or bras — a true abomination. We're awfully lucky to live in the era of the quick-dry, pull-on workout dress, many of which now comes fully equipped with inner bike shorts, pockets for tennis balls, and extra bust support.
Reformation Bella Ecomove Active Dress, $, available at Reformation
Athleta Match Point Dress, $, available at Athleta
Halara In My Feels Plus Size Dress, $, available at Halara
Workout Skirts & Skorts
Skorts used to mean "skirt in the front, shorts in the back." But someone had the genius idea to simply build in compression bike shorts under the skirt and make the whole thing look far more seamless while offering coverage. Be sure to grab a workout skirt (or skort, however you call 'em) for your next match. They're stretchy, high-waisted, and ultra attractive — even when you're working up a sweat storm.
Outdoor Voices Court Skort 4.5", $, available at Outdoor Voices
Crew Socks
Make no mistake — there's a certain style of sock needed to complete the tennis or golf look, and that is the high crew. The reason for this is so that sweat that's dripping down your legs can be absorbed by a higher-cut sock. (Ankle socks could never.) You've got a few extra inches of upper sock area to show off, so go ahead and select a snazzy pair.
Kule The Women's Tennis Sock, $, available at Kule
MCool Mary Ruffle Turn-Cuff Ankle Socks, 6 Pack, $, available at Amazon
Ah, the polo shirt. It's classic, it's summery, it's athletic — and it deserves a spot in your wardrobe, even if you're not playing. The look of tennis and golf used to be dressier and far more refined, but we're especially loving the cropped, boxy collared polo shirt these days. (Though, we certainly don't mind the more fitted, buttoned-up look, either.)
Adidas Originals Monte Court logo cropped polo shirt, $, available at ASOS
Maeve Springtime Polo Top, $, available at Anthropologie
Everlane The Retro Jersey Polo, $, available at Everlane
Tennis Sneakers
Wearing proper tennis footwear is key. Whereas running shoes are built to get you moving (primarily) straight forward, tennis shoes are made to help you hustle from front to back, side to side, up and down, and skidding across. Off the court, then can be worn with your new tennis ensemble or paired with jeans for a comfy weekend look.
Wilson Wilson Rush Pro 2.5, $, available at Zappos
Adidas ADIZERO UBERSONIC 4 TOKYO TENNIS SHOES, $, available at Adidas
Visors
Another place that golf and tennis looks often overlap? The visor. Players appreciate the visor because it not only keeps the sun out of their eyes but unlike the regular baseball cap or dad hat, the crownless style of the visor allows for better top-of-head ventilation. This preppy staple also is a sun-safe summer accessory: win/win.
Twelve years after she emerged from a swimming pool in latex for the ”Poker Face” music video, Lady Gaga is back to her old ways. On Wednesday, the “Rain On Me” singer posted a video of herself on Instagram mimicking the music video move. This time, she wore a star-shaped string bikini and a gold belly chain — two of this summer’s top trends. And while the current version was more Hot Girl Summer than American Horror Story, that didn’t hinder it from making a splash in the hearts of her many Little Monsters.
For the backyard production, Gaga chose a neon orange two-piece, which featured criss-crossed, floss-like ties, from the Armenian-Mexican mother-daughter design duo Lali and Layla. While her orange version is currently unavailable, the same style, called the Stella, is still in stock for $69 in red, fuschia, pistachio green, cyan blue, black, and white. In addition to her thick belly chain, she accessorized with a gold chain necklace and a pair of her signature statement shades from RetroSuperFuture.
Recreate the trending duo, which is now officially Gaga-approved, below.
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LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 21: Margot Robbie is seen at ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ on July 21, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by GP/Star Max/GC Images)
The summer of skin is well underway, but actress Margot Robbie is doing her best to support the puffy shoulder-pad trend.
On Wednesday, the I,Tonya actress paid a visit to Jimmy Kimmel Live! wearing a white mini dress with black polka dots and stay-away-from-me shoulder pads. Lest anyone confuse the Magda Butrym dress for a relic from the Reagan era, it also included a chest cut-out, one of summer’s biggest trends, and a rose-like embellishment on top.
Although the ‘90s and early ‘00s are the season’s biggest style inspirations, the ‘80s-like oversized shoulders were one of the biggest trends on the spring 2021 runways. Thanks to designers like Givenchy, Balenciaga, and Isabel Marant, assertive shoulders became the focal point, with labels taking inspiration from the post-Depression era garments by Elsa Schiaparelli.
While the shoulder padded tank top was all over Instagram back in 2019, shoulder pads are shaping up to be less casual. This past spring, celebs like Hailey Bieber, Megan Fox, and Ciara donned shoulder pads embedded in blazers, coats, shirts, and jumpsuits, proving that the tailoring-heavy trend can also be versatile.
Shoulder pads are also an extension of one of the biggest trends coming up for fall: statement sleeves. Throughout award season this spring, celebrities had fun with balloon, oversized, and cape-like sleeves, while designers like Schiaparelli, Gucci, and Burberry explored the trend on the runways.
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Last year, Girlfriend Collective — an R29 editor favorite within the green fashion movement — dropped their FLOAT collection: a breathable, ultra-flexy assortment of sports bras, bike shorts, and leggings that were ideal for hot weather. Unsurprisingly, shoppers went nuts for this two-years-in-the-making fabric that’s smooth and soft with that appealing barely-there feel. Now they’ve expanded the range with new colors and pieces at the perfect time to bring you some much-needed relief from the summer heat.
The three new limited-edition colors joining the FLOAT collection are Alpine, Mahogany, Spice, and Fog. All four are available in their customer-favorite bras, shorts, and leggings and are made from recycled water bottles in sizes ranging from XXS to 6XL. And to top it all off, the brand is also debuting coordinating colors for their comfy (and biodegradable!) cupro tees, tanks, and tops to pair with the latest array of seasonal FLOAT offerings. Whether you wear these pieces to work out, hang, or something in between, down the line you can send them back through the retailer’s ReGirlfriend program to be recycled into future clothes. So check out the latest FLOAT hues and styles below and assemble an activewear look that’s cooler than cool for the months ahead.
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Whereas modesty was all the rage not too long ago (remember cottagecore?), our post-pandemic selves are craving something a bit more open-aired and revealing. Of late, we’ve spotted shrunken silhouettes on runways, at Saint Laurent and Versace, and the streets, on Rihanna and Olivia Rodrigo, culminating in an influx of micro miniskirts and dresses that show off our gams. And when it comes to ultra-cropped dresses and skirts, nobody styles them better than La’shaunae Steward, the 25-year-old model and 2019 Dazed 100 winner who rocks high-up hemlines to explosive effect.
“I’ve always loved skirts because I love showing off my thighs, [which are] one of my biggest and toughest features,” Steward tells Refinery29. For the South Carolina native, who has a modeling portfolio showcasing work with Jeffrey Campbell and cult underwear line Parade, showing off her thighs is a way of telling those around her that she’s tough and threatening — someone who won’t be bothered by “anything other than compliments,” as she puts it. This year, in particular, Steward says that her skirts and dresses are hitching way, way up. “I try to fully match the aesthetics I see for myself in my head instead of being afraid of people being like, ‘Why the fuck is she wearing that?’,” she says. She’s outgrown that phase of putting too much stock in what others thought. “Now, I’m just existing.” And existing in itty bitty mini skirts, no less.
You won’t find just any short skirts or dresses in Steward’s closet. Her style is fierce and often fluorescent (she recently dyed the tips of her bangs a radioactive green). “I enjoy looking intimidating, so when I find short skirts that fit and aren’t a floral print, like 96% of what fat stores try to sell us, I’m happy,” she says. Her go-to labels are Tunnel Vision and Hot Topic: “Tunnel Vision has great miniskirts with fun prints that aren’t tacky or outdated,” says Steward, “Hot Topic, too.” According to her, the list pretty much stops there. It doesn’t help that the plus-size goods at fast fashion stores are likely to fall apart after one wash. “When fashion stores do better and start thinking of the alternative people who are fat and want to look good, without having to get it custom-made, that would be great,” she says.
For a miniskirt or dress to pass muster with Steward, it has to adhere to her style, which she describes as: “2008 fat emo/scene princess meets modern day high fashion emo mixed with ‘90s rap influences I had growing up in the early ‘00s like La Chat and Gangsta Boo.” Yes, it’s specific. But when you scroll through the model’s feed — which features the style star, Telfar mini shopping bag in hand, wearing band tees as mini dresses, Cher Horowitz-style plaid skirts, lace slip dresses with platforms, and long-sleeves under patterned mesh tunics — you’ll find that her description is pretty much spot on.
What better way to celebrate the end of lockdown than a super-high hemline? And who better to inspire us than the unstoppable Steward?
Ahead, see how the model styles her micro mini collection.
Graphic tank + cotton mini skirt = the easiest and chicest look for hot summer days. For extra spunk, add some fingerless gloves.Why stop at one mesh item, when you can wear two?When you accept micro hemlines into your life, any item can turn into a dress, even if it's technically not supposed to be (aka this checkered sweater).Who knew camo, lace, and gemstone-encrusted velvet heels went together so well?More lingerie as outwear, please!Back to school season is coming. Have your pleated skirts ready.
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In the wake of the Framing Britney Spears documentary and with the #FreeBritney movement gathering momentum, the world is revisiting the various dehumanizing ways that we’ve pushed famous, young women to the brink. In Britney Spears’ case, it’s become apparent that the media harassment contributed to Spears’ mental health struggles, which made it easier to entrap Spears in a 13-year-long conservatorship, the harrowing details of which are only starting to come out.
Part of this reckoning means understanding that Spears’ persona of confidence and sexual self-possession — things that are now understood to be positive attributes — made her a target of misogyny and abuse when she rose to fame in the early 2000s as a sheltered teenager from Mississippi. Her fierce stage persona through sexy costumes and sensual dance moves was controversial from the get-go, in which the combination of sex and innocence — pigtail puffs and bare midriffs — was read as some newly manipulative sin, instead of an age-old dichotomy women have been forced into since the beginning of time. But to a generation of young women, Spears’ style was simply inspirational.
I was one of them. I first heard of Spears in 1999 when she released her first album …Baby One More Time. I was five years old, and quickly learned the lyrics top to bottom while playing with a Barbie version of Spears. But it wasn’t until 2000, when Spears released her sophomore album Oops!… I Did It Again that my obsession was cemented. As a Puerto Rican kid who only spoke Spanish, I didn’t fully understand Spears’ lyrics, even if I knew them by heart. But I intrinsically understood the allure of her style and stage presence. In Spears’ words, she wasn’t good; she was great.
In 1999, when I was five, my school’s summer camp put on a talent show, and I was set on performing a Britney Spears lip-synch. My mother and I worked on the outfit — a purple halter crop top with a matching skirt — taking inspiration from Spears’ Baby One More Time Tour costumes, which were completely different from the usual styles — think: floral dresses and matching headbands — I wore as a kid. I finished off the look with a pair of Power Puff Girls sandals from the local Payless Shoe Store and two pigtails on my hair. I thought my look was an innocent play on Spears’, but not everyone saw it that way.
I was one of a number of girls wearing an outfit deemed inappropriate by my Baptist school’s standards that night. It seemed all of us, consciously or not, wanted to channel Spears in crop tops and mini skirts. And just like her, we were mocked and celebrated in equal parts for imitating the pop star brand of girl power. Backstage at the talent show, my confidence dropped to the floor when a couple of girls pointed out that our outfits were inappropriate for the school. The camp’s leaders — many of them high schoolers — also raised concerns about the crop tops, warning us that we may not be able to perform that night. At that moment, I felt a fraction of the scrutiny that Spears had experienced since she was a teenager.
Even when I was singled out backstage before my routine, I hoped to prove my naysayers wrong through the power of my performance and outfit. And when I did finally perform, my rendition of “Oops!… I Did It Again” earned a standing ovation from the audience. But over the years, I’ve questioned whether I loved the experience and the outfit I wore onstage because it made me feel powerful or because I was taught that I had to look sexy to feel good, even as a five-year-old.
Since watching the Framing Britney Spears documentary, I’ve understood that young women enter a cycle of sexualization that works hard to build up our ideals of beauty, sensuality, and confidence. Learning that the female figure who helped me build my ideal of sexiness and empowerment never had the power is a gut punch to my belief system. If Spears, a successful, era-defining pop star, always portrayed a version of sexiness created for a man’s world, then so did I.
And if that was the case, was my triumphant moment on stage — and its accompanying crop top — ever really my own?
In a 1999 “Green Room Tales” interview, Spears pointed out the double standard in the music industry, noting that she was maligned for filming a music video in a crop top while her male peers’ actions were never questioned. “I love Backstreet Boys and N’Sync,” she said, “but when they’re doing all those thrusts on stage and when they are making out with the microphone, no one says anything about that.”
Britney Spears performing at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. 9/7/2000
By the 2000s MTV Video Music Awards, Spears was beginning to use style to give an intentional middle finger to critics. She wore a conservative black pinstripe suit with a matching hat to sing “Satisfaction,” a re-work of the famed hit by The Rolling Stones. But a few seconds after coming onstage, she stripped off the suit to reveal a nude crystal-encrusted top-and-bottom combo while singing: “And that girl comes on and tells me / how tight my skirts should be / she can’t tell me who to be.”
What looked like freedom and personal choice at the time was front and center in Spears’ performances during that era. But as we’ve been constantly reminded throughout her conservatorship battle, Spears had little freedom to make her own choices. In 1999, she was sexualized on the cover of Rolling Stone as a teenager, when David LaChapelle shot a photo of her in a pajama set. Spears later said LaChapelle “totally tricked [her].” Today, she’s unable to make decisions over her career, clothes, or even her reproductive future.
As an avid Spears fan, looking back at her ‘90s and early ‘00s style moments, I’m reminded that in a society ruled by the male gaze, we’re all constantly consuming messaging that chips away at our agency, whether we’re bound in a conservatorship or not.
Neither Spears nor any other pop star is at fault here. They too grew up in a society that turned them into sex symbols from the time they hit their teens. It pains me to think that, while we may love crop tops, leather pants, or schoolgirl outfits, they’ll never be a true form of empowerment unless we are able to exist and get dressed outside of the exhausting structure that is patriarchy. Only then will our agency be truly ours.
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