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Venus Williams Wears Nude Shorts, Shocks Tennis Spectators

by Katie Hintz-Zambrano (Subscribe to Katie Hintz-Zambrano's posts)
Posted Jan 25th 2010 at 11:15PM  
245 Comments
Share

Venus shows some skin (or skin-colored undies) while at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Oh, Venus Williams: a woman perfectly capable of making headlines based solely on her outstanding tennis record -- she's won eight grand slam singles titles, plus Olympic gold -- yet, unfortunately, she's decided to take after her catsuit-wearing sister Serena and try to create news in a far less appealing way.

For Williams' fourth round match of the Australian Open, the elder of the two champion siblings decided to thumb her nose at the tournament's new policy banning revealing clothing (enforced after a star Australian player wore a sort of see-through top last year) and don a dress of her own design that featured flesh-colored tennis panties which made it appear as if she was going au naturel, well, down under.

Clearly an intentional move, Williams, who holds a fashion degree, took to her Twitter page to defend the outfit, which also included a flesh-colored panel underneath a yellow dress with a plunging neckline.

"My dress for the Australian Open has been one of my best designs ever! [Ed Note: Hanging out with Andre Leon Talley does not a tasteful "designer" make. Sigh.] Its (sic) all about the slits and the V-Neck," she tweeted. "I am wearing undershorts the same color as my skin, so it gives the slits in my dress the full effect."

Riiiight... because it's ever so important to have your tennis dress mimic a red carpet gown with slits up to there or to trick viewers into believing you're having a Britney Spears crotch-shot moment. Totally the effect you want to go for.

According to the Daily Mail, Williams also went on to explain her outfit -- and thus promote her questionable design skills -- at a press conference.

"This is completely my design. I just sketched it out. The whole idea is just about the illusion that I'm wearing a deep V-neck," she said. "Then the idea was to wear shorts that were like the same color as my skin. It works very well, apparently."

Or not.

What it does, rather, is distract from the dialog of Williams' game (she won in three sets, by the way, and she and Serena are now only a match apiece away from meeting each other in the semifinals) and keep viewers and critics of women's tennis focusing on more petty -- and sort of sexist -- details like the players choices in clothes, jewelry, hairstyles and their grunting habits.

Williams' peek-a-boo design, in addition to the fashion antics of other players, also doesn't help the annoying branding of every young, somewhat good looking player (ahem, Maria Sharapova) as a sex symbol.

As for Venus the "designer" wanting to showcase her fashion line, we'd rather she choose a more appropriate venue -- a fashion show in Miami, perhaps? -- than a grand slam tournament. But maybe that's just us.

Let us know what you think of Williams' ploy in a comment below.
Read All Comments
Filed under: Fashion, Celebrity, News, Celebrity Style
Tags: australian open, AustralianOpen, maria sharapova, serena williams, tennis fashion, Underwear, venus williams, venus williams nude shorts
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READER COMMENTS

(245)Add A Comment

barbara, 1-26-2010, 10:53PM

3 stars vote downvote upReport
barbara

inappropiate and in very bad taste. no matter what color,race,creed,ethnicity,culture gender. this is just unacceptable. anyone who is even remotely aqauainted with venus..her family/coaches/trainers/ should have encouraged her not to wear nude panties..come on people.!! she has too much talent and athleticism. she does not need to put her body on display like this to get the attention she deserves. i'm sorry but this is just classless/uncouth

Reply »

Missy, 1-26-2010, 10:44PM

3 stars vote downvote upReport
Missy

sorry I date women so I am far from jealous but those panties are just nasty

and she has to only be wearing them to freak out her opponents

sad and pathetic!

Reply »

Dee, 4-14-2011, 8:43PM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
Dee

There is nothing nasty about it!!

»

Sharon, 1-26-2010, 10:52PM

3 stars vote downvote upReport
Sharon

Just plain tacky......

Reply »

rann948, 1-26-2010, 10:50PM

3 stars vote downvote upReport
rann948

To the men who like it, especially the one who suggested that had it been a white player no one would notice (?), maybe you should go in the bathroom with a playboy mag for awhile. This is nothing but trash. Does this girl have a mother and father ?
How can she face them with such a blatantly w(h)orish behavior?

Reply »

woody, 3-24-2010, 10:14AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
woody

Are we there to watch tennis or are there to watch each and every player out fit? If viewer would play more attention to game,then they wouldn't have too worry about what color under shorts she is wear.it shouldn't matter what color under short she wearing. she has explain her reason for the nude color so please let's move on. she a great tennis player.

Reply »

jessica, 1-26-2010, 10:55PM

2.5 stars vote downvote upReport
jessica

@ THB.. I agree with what you are saying but when you respond the way you did, and use racial comments like crakers and white bit--, its make you just as ignorant as the racist white people that I was talking about in my above response. There are more clever ways to talk trash with out useing racist comments

Reply »

klawtubu, 1-26-2010, 11:02PM

1 star vote downvote upReport
klawtubu

Educate these people sweet Jessica, in the immortal words of Rodney Perkins or jerkins, whatever-LOL "Can't we all just get along" LOL. Read your comments and I wish more people were like you, my hat is off to you innocent one!

»

mcm, 1-26-2010, 11:01PM

3 stars vote downvote upReport
mcm

INAPPROPRIATE! TACKY! It is unfortunate that she chose to wear such undergarnment.

Reply »

Brenda, 1-26-2010, 10:58PM

3 stars vote downvote upReport
Brenda

It wouldn't be so offensive if her underpants weren't 6 inches in her crack, and her butt checks weren't hanging out .... otherwise to each his own.

Reply »

mooseprice, 1-26-2010, 10:58PM

2.5 stars vote downvote upReport
mooseprice

What a shame. This is an example of trash at its best. She is an embarrassment to the sport. If she wants to attact attention so much, why not just wear a Bozo The Clown outfit. She should get one warning about wearing proper atire, then a serious fine the next time it happens. If she doesn't like it, shart her own business and make her own rules. What a jerk.

Reply »

alex, 1-26-2010, 11:02PM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
alex

doing good or bad people will have something to say do your thing black qween

Reply »

Rose, 1-26-2010, 11:05PM

3 stars vote downvote upReport
Rose

Hate the racist comments I see, but if we're voting, I vote: unfortunate and inappropriate (I'd also add, I guess, distracting)

»

jessica, 1-26-2010, 11:03PM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
jessica

@asss its people like you who make me sick. Where are you people from or what kind of home were you raised in to think like that. So sad.

Reply »

klawtubu, 1-26-2010, 11:04PM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
klawtubu

You just described most women that wear undies, depending on body types I don't mind, really, I don't mind. LOL

Reply »

Shelly M., 1-26-2010, 11:05PM

2.5 stars vote downvote upReport
Shelly M.

Maybe she is looking for some money on the side doing tricks. Not tennis tricks, just tricks.

Reply »

jigga32, 1-27-2010, 1:20AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
jigga32

TACKY.

Reply »

Danne, 1-26-2010, 11:11PM

1 star vote downvote upReport
Danne

OMG!!! You should all GET A LIFE!!! Instead of complaining about someone wearing something that LOOKS like she isn't wearing something, why don't you spend your time doing something constructive like trying to save the planet from morons...do something to support planned parenthood, save an orphan, plant food for the hungry, pick up trash along side the roads???? Or...have you all already done that? Is your house clean? Don't go talking about things when you have your own filth hiding in the closet.

Reply »

laricee, 1-26-2010, 11:15PM

3 stars vote downvote upReport
laricee

i've just watched her lose in the quarter-finals to li na of china.

»

chris, 1-27-2010, 11:41PM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
chris

Although some may say her attire is inappropriate i say she is a grown lady who should be aloud to wear whatever she wants/like, besides if we stop talking bout the negative and focus on the fact that she is a great tennis player, we will all forget about this and this like any and everything else deemed bad will eventually go away.

Reply »

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