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While walking through our megastore the other day I saw a dress that I thought would be absolutely perfect for my Friday night date – and then remembered that I was looking at tennis apparelcategory.cfm/tennis/womens-tennis-apparel. My date had asked to take me to dinner at a restaurant - not to take a trouncing from me on the tennis court. But a cute dress is a cute dress whether it comes with sweat-wicking, supportive stretch fabric and a built-in bra or not. As a matter of fact, those properties made it sound all the better! The more I looked around the store the more I realized just how many of these double-duty dresses were out there…and how my closet full of ol’ standby shorts, skorts, and tanks could use a little upgrade. |
| This is the one that first caught my eye: The LIJA Women`s Tranquil Wrap Tennis Dress. I’ve worn wrap dresses before and have always appreciated how proportionate they make my body look when it is anything but. The fabric is a substantial compression fabric that I feared at first was going to be like stretching a full body brace over my frame; but the four-way stretch property made it surprisingly comfortable and unrestrictive. It also has a cool, smooth hand that feels great against the skin – particularly in the hot Houston weather. The length was also pleasing to me: above the knee but below the fingertips. The only caveat was that it was difficult to choose which color I liked best. Definitely a dress I could wear on or off the court! |
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A couple of clothing racks away was the BOLLE Women`s Lemon Zest Tennis Dress in Forest. What drew me to this dress was the uber flattering V-shaped color blocking at the waist and V-neck. The color blocking continues to the backside where it’s also strategically placed to flatter a woman’s figure. I’m a huge fan of a fit-and-flare cut that slim the waist then create a flowing skirt, so I really liked the fit of this piece. I also knew from experience that racerback straps are not only summer-friendly, but allow for complete range of motion on the court. Then the Eliza Audley Women`s Polaris Tennis Dress in Black grabbed me. When I slipped into it and looked in the mirror I felt confident. The bold sunburst design on the front makes a statement and the cut is very sleek. The fabric is light and breathable and moves like a second skin – not like the dress has simply been painted on. Dare I say this dress was empowering? Yes, it was. I felt almost as if it would be a secret weapon on the court. And maybe on the date, too. |
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There were 2 other dresses worth mentioning that almost made the list. The Nike Women`s Wrap Knit Tennis Dress in Squadron Blue and the Nike Women’s Flouncy Knit Tennis Dress. The Wrap Knit Dress is what Serena Williams will be wearing while playing singles in the 2013 French Open. It’s well-designed and again has that wrap styling that I find so flattering, not to mention Dri-FIT Fabric. The only things keeping it from officially being on my list are the bright Nike swoosh and the wide elastic straps which are fantastic while in play, but look very sporty so are not quite as transferable to a café rendezvous. The Flouncy Knit Dress is the reason why I love Nike: the arm holes are cut just right to flatter the arms, the overall cut is body-skimming without making meself conscious, and the cut in the back is just as flattering as the cut in the front, with the back being a tad longer for extra coverage. Again, the swoosh on the chest blew its cover though. I would be remiss if I didn’t slip a little bit in here about another discovery I made: Tennis Express just stocked up on Yellowbox shoes! And they go great with all of these looks. Who am I kidding – Yellowbox shoes go great with everything. Take a look and choose your favorite…if you can! P.S. Don't forget to check out our Gear Review Page, Special Promos, and online Clearance Center too! |
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Court to Cafe...Dresses That Do Double Duty
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