Picket-Fence Vid (by PJ): Oh, you little fashionista, you.
Roger talks about fashion – colours, style, suits, MATERIALS…I don’t know about the rest of you, but I find him to endearingly adorkable to the MAX in this video.
Red..border red…wow, there’s a difference between “red” and “border red”? Clearly I’m a fail fashionista compared to Federpants! (Edit: Thanks Lulu and Caliope – apparently he said “bordeaux red” which made more sense…but I still can’t tell the difference betweeen “red” and “bordeaux red”) And I find this part to be quite giggle-worthy:
RF: At the French Open, I feel like a polo is nice than a T-shirt…
Q: Does it help you to play better, to be well-dressed?
RF: Oh I think so, I think it makes you feel better…[insert Nike plug]
Love that little marketing-like plug for Nike about the oh-so-excellent material that soaks up all the sweat. Hey, Roger, I’ll soak up your sweat for you anyday, just so you know.
And you own twenty-five to thirty-five suits ONLY? I THINK YOU LIE. YOUR NOSTRILS WERE FLARING AND YOU WERE SNIGGERING.
Also, if you want to offer something to the fans, here’s a suggestion: Go shirtless. And pantless.
Enjoy the Federer fashion!
– PJ
Fashion: Nike has photoshop skillz y’all!
Roland Garros outfits for Nike players, with varying degrees of photoshop competency.
Serena, blueberry bubblegum.
Feddykins – “bluegrass” coloured outfit with “French-inspired” details on the sleeve and elements of “tailoring” on the shorts. Sounds a lot nicer than it actually is, but it ain’t bad.
What del Potro would’ve worn. For some reason, I laughed when I saw the banana shoes.
Rafa – nice stuff, shying away from the bubblegum horror of last year. Gotta say – it looks more like something John Isner would wear.
Nike, I want Fed in green yo!
Li Na and Vika – same design as what they’re wearing now, but in shinier colours.
Masha – I like the wrap design and the silver layer underneath, but the burgundy overlay is horribly dull for someone like Sharapova.
7 days away folks. 7 DAYS!
Maria descends upon us mere mortals.
Va va VOOM!
Is it possible for Maria Sharapova to look any more gorgeous? Prove me wrong as she channels the 1940s actress look with that amazing hair. And that little clutch purse she’s dangling is just too cute.
Fine, be a Goddess! Scorn me with your accessories!
Maria was attending a Sony Ericsson function at Liberty store, unveiling winning designs from the London College of Fashion. The three mortals in the picture were of course the winning designers. Kudos.
Snow White meets 3 of her dwarves.
How I wish I were a screaming, giant, blonde Russian ball machine…
Of course all that amazement over Maria’s good looks happened before I got a closer look at what she was wearing. By then, my initial admiration had turned into sheer and utter horror: “ohmygodshe’swearingajumpsuit whyisshewearingajumpsuit jumpsuitsshouldbebannedfromthisplanet ohmygodmarianeverwearajumpsuiteveragain.”
But it’s okay. You can never look that bad if you’ve got legs that go on for all eternity. If I walked down the street in that ridiculous opshop jumpsuit, I’d be covered in eggs and tomato juice. When Maria wears it however, you just find yourself staring at her legs across the Milky Way Galaxy.
Image Credit: Getty Images for Sony Ericsson
Now that’s a fangirl.
The up-and-coming, hip-right-now designer Jason Wu, who dressed Michelle Obama for her inaugural balls last year, was outdone at his own resort show at Greenwich Hotel NY 2 days ago.
According to various fashion blogs, Wintour arrived to watch Jason Wu’s 2010 Cruise show, but took a phone call and left 4 minutes before it actually started, leaving Wu’s publicist flummoxed. Why on earth did the Vogue editor-in-chief leave before the show?
The official explanation offered by Vogue was that Wintour had a plane to catch, or perhaps – a match to watch? Kudos to the NY Magazine’s “The Cut” for correctly guessing Wintour’s itinerary. They know Wintour well – no shit, she showed up in Paris the next day to watch Federer’s match.
Now that’s a fangirl. I wish I could just leave work, fly half way across the world, and watch Roger play. Jealous.
Image Credit: Fashionologie
Jason Wu wasn’t the only person who got beaten in the popularity contest by Roger yesterday. Federer totally “trended” on Twitter last night, while his Facebook fans count hit 1.6 million. Move over Maria Sharapova, here’s to Cyberspace Domination!
Fashion: Pt 2, McFederer
Cont’d: The Polo Era Misses
US Open 08, night: FedEx goes missing, UPS delivery person turns up
“Noooo Rajaaah, you is making Anna Wintour cryingggg…vot is zis elephant skin?”
I fully credit Federer for dumping the damn thing after just one match in it. He either received some timely advice from those fashionistas he hangs out with, or perhaps he hated it to begin with, but felt obliged to wear it at least once for Nike’s sake. Either way, the red polo was much better, though I didn’t like the smoke coloured shorts.
the UPS delivery shirt
Indian Wells 07: the Great Leap Backward
The stability of the Polo Era was briefly undermined when Federer turned up to Indian Wells wearing *gasp* a TSHIRT! And not a terribly exciting one at that. Coupled with dismal tennis and the end of his 40-something-match winning streak, was the Polo Era under threat?
Monte Carlo/Rome/Hamburg/Roland Garros 2007: the clay season goes wrong time, and time again….
So many things can go missing during the clay season, Federer’s marbles aside. During the period from Indian Wells right through to the end of Roland Garros, I was quite ready to send Feduruh to fashion prison. After the tshirt fiasco, he opted for The Red Bowling Shirt (blue for Roland Garros). The only thing fuglier than losing to Volandri was losing to Volandri and looking fashionastically confused. Urgh…
Estoril/Monte Carlo/Rome/Hamburg 08: the Clay Season finally gets it right
I can’t say much for the tennis, but the baby blue polo was the first time Federer’s worn something during the clay season that I actually liked. Pity baby blue, humidity and red dirt don’t mix well. This polo was more suited for the green green grass of home in Halle, or the hard courts in the US of A than the red poo of Europe.
The Fugly… and the downright Forgettable
In fashion, the biggest crime is not so much being fugly, but being forgettable (just ask Bjork), and I’m thinking Federer in navy, à la Madrid/Bercy/Basel 2007, Dubai 2007, Roland Garros/Halle 2008, Masters Cup 2008 … the list goes on. Sure he doesn’t look bad, but neither does he look great. It’s safe, it’s unexciting, and it’s not worthy remembering, picturing or hyperlinking. Please, no more navy blues.
Wimbledon
Wimbledon is really just something else altogether. Federer Ftennis at Wimbledon is another one of those love it or hate it things. And a lot of people I know who don’t like the Sire Jacket or the Mrs Cardigan image basically find it too much of a gimmick. But Wimbledon is all about gimmicks – the white clothing, the umpires in their high school looking uniforms, the strawberries and cream, the Rolex-as-time-keeper… Federer says the jackets and the cardigan stem from his respect for the tradition at Wimbledon, but I reckon he’s probably having a good ol’ giggle with Mirka every time he tries on his various props. I’m still waiting for the top hat to turn up one year.
For what it’s worth, it’s a “yay” from me for the Jacket 07 – smooth, but a “nay” for Jacket 06 – the colour was closer to cream than white and just ended up clashing with his tshirt.
Jacket 07: Mr Smooth 007 meets Mr Smoothier
As for this year’s Rogi of the Cardi – love it or hate it, everyone talked about it. Even the trashiest of my local tabloids had it as “hot” on their hot-or-not thermometer. I must say I agree, I personally couldn’t say no to this –> I went to an all-girls high school, and this just reminded me of an alternative universe where it was possible to walk into the principal’s office and witness something wonderful…
As for the rest of the props – thumbs up for the gold rim on the collar of the polo, I thought it was a nice touch. Also the belt was a new addition this year. And of course, the gold trophy shoes have been a tradition since Wimbledon 2005.
Disclaimer: I am in no ways responsible for that stream of light piercing through the clouds. I swear.
The Million dollar question: who gets the gold trophy shoes next year at Wimbledon? Feduruh? or Nadull? And what is Federer going to wear next year, after the Cardi completely failed him in 2008? I’m thinking that “Federer might be… betterer … in a sweaterer?” Just sayin’…
Misc and Off Court
FedMirka gone wrong
Noooo, noo…. shield yer eyes! The shiny suit jacket, the pantyhose-and-peeptoes, Mirka dressed for a funeral, and Fed has shiny stripes down the side of his pants (in case you didn’t know). Nooo…. *in pain*
FedMirka gets it right: Yup, they got it! Mirka looks gorgeous. McFed looks dashing. Great choice of outfits, and great photo. See also US Open 07 Men’s Vogue party.
Jura Coffee gets it wrong
The leather jacket, the patterned shirt – Jura decided to go all Brokeback Mountain on us. The result – dismal failure.
Jura Coffee gets it right
Jacket? Check. Shirt? Check. Tie? err working on it. Jura gets it right at last.
Tuxedo Fed gets it so…very…wrong
It’s hard to tell, but Federer’s wearing a black shirt, with black bow tie. The pants are a little tight, the shoes far to shiny. Mirka looks like a French maid. The metrosexual and the powderpuffy, ouch….
Tuxedo Fed gets it quite right
They say a picture’s worth a thousand words.
The Best Non-Wimbledon Jacket Award
….goes to US Open 2006.
Practice Makes Perfect: the Best Fashion Moment of McFederer 08
Pain is only temporary, but victory is forever, indeed.
Fashion: Pt 1, McFederer
It’s that time of the year again when Tennis Nation goes into hibernation, and the players go to the Maldives. So I think time is right for me to dedicate some of my blogging energy towards combining the two passions of my life – tennis and fashion – into what I call “Ftennis” (Silent “F”), for a bit of light hearted entertainment. And what better way to start than with a McFederer post.
It must be said that McFederer’s contribution to Ftennis cannot be understated. The trend in his choice of outfits over the last few years has divided Ftennis into seasons – early hard courts (the Australian Open to Miami), the clay season (culminating in Roland Garros, and whatever grass tournament/s that follows straight after), Wimbledon, the US Hard Courts (Toronto – I know it’s in Canada, and Cincy, quite often just a colour variation of the Wimbledon outfit), the US Open day/night outfits, and the indoor season (Madrid and Bercy, with a colour variation of the same style for the year-end Masters Cup).
From a more macro perspective, the McFederer Ftennis times can be roughly divided into three eras – the fashionistically unconscious era (up until Masters Cup 2004), the Tee era (2005 through to US Open 2006) and the Polo Era (Madrid 2006 onwards). And like all fashionistas and fashionistos, McFederer has had his fair share of fashion hits and misses. So here are some of the notable mentions from days gone by.
The Tee Era
The Hits
US Open 05: The Coolest Shoes and Bandana Combo
I loved the way McFed and Nike tried to spice up a fairly routine outfit with a retro yellow bandana. The colour combination of yellow, blue and white worked well together. Extra brownie points for the blue shoes with a matching yellow swoosh. This is one of the first outfits from McFed that I’ve actually liked.
But I lied, the first outfit of Federer’s that I’ve ever liked was Wimbledon 2005. Incidentally, that tournament also marked the beginning of the trophy shoes with the gold shoe laces. But more on Wimbledon fashion later.
US Open 06: Federer beats Roddick in tennis… and Ftennis
In truth, there was nothing that special about Federer’s US Open 2006 outfit. But the combination of the blue tee, the crisp white shorts and bandana made it as classy and effortless as his tennis was during those two weeks.
And does anyone remember what Roddick was wearing in the final? Never been a fan of Lacoste.
Australian Open 2006: As good as Fluro gets…
Strangely enough, this is actually one of my favourite outfits from any era. While I don’t like the overall fit, this ensemble sported what is – in my opinion – the best bandana Federer’s ever worn. Generally I’m not a huge fan of fluro, but something about this Happy Green at the Happy Slam on a Sobbing Fed just popped.
The Tee Era Flop
Australian Open 2005: It-was-okay-until-he-turned-around
As the title stated – it wasn’t too bad from the front, but then… Either Nike went bonkers or Mirka washed it with the Wimbledon shirts, but the tie dye at the back was just a crime against humanity.
Other Misses: Roland Garros 05 and 06 – they tried to make me go to rehab I said “No, no, no.” It got a lot better after Federer became the posterboy for Gillette and felt obliged to shave more regularly.
The Polo Era
A good call by Nike to market McFederer almost exclusively in polos these days. The style suits his figure, it suits his personality, and it suits his retro-ballet-dancing-tennis. I’m a fan, of the polos and the guy in them. But even so, McFed’s still had his share of hits and misses.
The Polo Era Hits
Madrid 2006: the Dawning of a New Era
Unless I’m missing something deadly obvious, Federer only started to wear polos exclusively at the Madrid Masters in 2006, and what a nice polo that was – simple, classic, but more significantly, it was the consolidation of the McFederer image. He wore a grey-and-yellow variation for Masters Cup 2006 that was a little “meh.” But I did and still do love this style.
2007 Australian Open: best colour combo
Baby blue just works well on McFederer, and this is perhaps one of his best polos. Not the most conspicuous bandana, wristband or shorts, but the polo itself was busy enough for the entire outfit to work. Very nice.
2007 US Open, Night: Darth Federer means business
Since the blue sack Federer wore against Hewitt in the finals of the 2004 US Open, fashionastically (and tenniswise too) he has done everything right at Flushing Meadows. But even by those standards, the US Open outfit last year simply excelled. My first reaction upon seeing it was somewhere along the lines of “are you fudging serious?” And like all good fashion, a lot of people either loved it or hated it.
I personally floved it and the sheer audacity of dressing top to toe in black. Federer’s ensemble spelt “b.u.s.i.n.e.s.s”. It wasn’t an outfit for the fun and games, nor was it for pretenders and impersonators. It was an outfit for the top dog, the epitome of Darth Federer, and it took class, confidence, and a certain degree of cockiness to pull it off. Did I mention this is my all time fave?
Loved the shiny black stripe down the side of the shorts, the silver swoosh on the shoes, the black socks - just great details.
Madrid/Bercy 2008: simplicity with a twist
A bit of a nautical feel with this outfit, I loved the contrasting black stripe down the front. Is it just me or are Federer’s shorts getting a lot shorter than they were before? One of these days, the guy’s going to walk onto court in a pair of hot pants.
Brownie points for switching to black socks in Bercy. I love black socks.
Other Hits:
Now that I think about it, the US Open 2007 Day outfit was also quite gorgeous. I have a thing for white shorts, and it also was a lovely shade of blue.
Shanghai 2007: just when I thought Federer had stopped experimenting with colours after the US Open, he came up with this classic. The blood red polo looked stunning – his best Masters Cup outfit to date.
Can’t live without…
1. Paperbacks
Coming from an old-school, ex-commie intelligentsia family, Mum taught me well. I read literary fiction, travel fiction, short stories, political philosophy, historical non-fiction, you name it. I don’t read romance, sci-fi, fantasy or crime. Never had a thing for genre fiction. I don’t read hardcovers, and try to stick to second hand bookstores, opshops and markets when buying paperbacks.
And. I refuse to buy books from Borders.
Favourite bookstore: The Paperback Shop, 60 Bourke St Melbourne
2. Macbook
I was given my first Macbook from my parents when I was admitted to law school, and there’s nothing quite like these pearly white machines. I hate the fact that Apple’s changing more and more of their laptop computers to a silver case, it’s so wrong. Macs = white. Period.
3. Pink Sony Cybershot
I’m not a tech person, and this camera’s getting old, but I’ve come to love it, it matches my phone, and the colour of my bedroom wall, why not?
Carried at all times: my Sony Cybershot
4. Frankie
If you love beauty, fashion, but hate the way Vogue and Marie Claire has dumbed down, airbrushed and theorised vanity, Frankie is the mag for you. Beautifully obscure women grace their front covers, indie bands write their own snippets inside, the photography is brilliant in its simplicty, the layout is uniform and neater than most magazines out there. But most of all, this magazine has substance, it doesn’t just resort to giving films and promotional books 4 stars, instead it reviews biscuits based on dippability, or brands of toilet paper rolls based on butt texture. When Frankie talks about relationships, it doesn’t teach you how to suckle on a banana, it asks you what gave you your first glimpse of the grown up world, what you stole from your best friend’s lunch box… Okay, perhaps not the epitome of substance as far as Times or the Economist are concerned. But in between the tongue-in-cheek columns are some pretty serious stuff about social issues and admirable Gen Ys as well. Flove it. I’m taking out a subscription for Xmas.
5. Lucas Paw paw ointment
You can’t get this overseas, and I mock all those who don’t own at least 6, randomly thrown into different handbags, wallets, pencil cases, bathroom cabinets, under car seats, on top of the TV, behind your bookshelf, inside your pillow… I mock you all!
Pawww Pawwwww
6. Moleskines
Back when I was a teenybopper, Morning Glory stationary, with their barf-worthy English inscriptions (“the fresh breeze of Spring makes me think of you, forever in love…”), made me excited, motivated me to become superorganised. These days, I’m supposed to have better class and taste, and have hence moved on to Moleskines. Something about these black leather bound journals that inspires infinite possibilities. I own 4, increasing by 2 per year (one diary, one notebook for class).
7. Ipod Touch
What kind of self-respecting Gen-Y wouldn’t own an Ipod? After the demise of my first iPod (death by dropping into a public toilet, it’s a thrilling tale, I wish to do it justice some other time), I bought the (then) newly released iPod touch, and haven’t looked back since.
8. Tennis
Because if I didn’t mention it, you could have never guessed my obsession with tennis. I can be subtle like that, just like I can be subtle about who my favourite player is.
OT:
One of my friend’s messenger nick is reading: “In Tennis Nation, Djokovic approval ratings rival President Bush’s in France.” 😀 I was told this comes from Wertheim.
The debut fashion post/Peter Alexander Rave
One might find the blog title a little misleading, “for the love of tennis, fashion and all things vain”. Well so far it’s been all tennis, and little vanity. Since it’s the weekend, and I’m procrastinating from from my constitutional law readings, why not make my debut post?
Nothing terribly special, just a Peter Alexander rave and “Lust List” for my favourites from the website? I’ve always loved how Peter Alexander tries to make their PJs so much more just PJs. I’ve never been game enough to wear one of their creations out as daywear, but one of these days, I just might.
I’m supposed to be “saving” for my goal for making it to Wimbledon next year, but hey, it’s … almost Christmas? Gimme a break.
Oh-so-cute shorts
Apple print shorts
Again, a nightie that looks like it could be worn out. Gorgeous!
No kidding, this is actually a NIGHTIE! I wonder what I would look like if I wore it out. :S
Compact mirrors
Tennis inspired knit dress.
Who the hell is dootsiez?
Melbournian lawyer. Blogger. Unapologetic Federer tragic.
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All I need is a picket fence ... 
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