Patriarchy at work.

[SilverTrain]

I agree with Ms King.

Generally speaking, athletes wear their team uniforms, lacking that, they wear gear with sponsorship logos. Their outfits have to make sense for the sport they play. The catsuit doesn’t impede play, has a precedent for usage and in fact has medical benefits for Ms Williams. So what is the possible objection? Could a male wear spandex to play tennis? I don’t see why not. They do for cycling and gymnastics - tennis requires a great deal of physical exertion and need for aerodynamics.

It does seem archaic to impose the tennis whites, shorts/skirts rules on these games. There seems to be no legitimate justification other than “we said so”.

And, because history/tradition*


* #keepthebitchesdownwheretheybelong*


* #undermythumb

 

[LaFemme]

I agree with all of this. It will be interesting to see if shining a light on it makes a difference.
My school (which you could attend up to the age of 19) insisted on skirts as part of the uniform and netball skirts for girls. No matter what sport you were playing. Because girls wear skirts.

That has since changed and the uniforms/pe kits are pretty much unisex. It's difficult to see how anything else can be justified - especially at that level

Nothing changes unless people talk about it. So it’s good that this issue came up. People just take things like this for granted, but just because it’s always been so doesn’t mean it’s always been right.

It may not seem like a big thing - clothing in tennis, but clothing throughout history has been used to separate and control people. Rich from the poor, restrict women - it’s really quite interesting. I took a course in uni years ago on the history of clothing and its impact on women and it was fascinating.

 

[LaFemme]

And, because history/tradition*


* #keepthebitchesdownwheretheybelong*


* #undermythumb

True, in the history of clothing course I took, we discussed everything from footbinding and corsets to high heels. The more complex and restrictive a woman’s dress is, the more easily she can be controlled. Of course women were property until fairly recently, so it made complete sense that one wouldn’t want their property wandering off and being impregnated by who knows who!

 

[deleted924715]

Nothing changes unless people talk about it. So it’s good that this issue came up. People just take things like this for granted, but just because it’s always been so doesn’t mean it’s always been right.

It may not seem like a big thing - clothing in tennis, but clothing throughout history has been used to separate and control people. Rich from the poor, restrict women - it’s really quite interesting. I took a course in uni years ago on the history of clothing and its impact on women and it was fascinating.

It is interesting.

When I think about turning up to school (again, up to the age of 19 for the vultures waiting for my mis-step) with red raw knees from the cold in January or when they would let us wear tracksuit bottoms for a cross country run because it was sub zero WITH A NETBALL SKIRT OVER THE TOP it seems insane and torturous now.

Actually my line of work is very male dominated and sometimes I need to wear PPE. The jackets and pants are not designed for human beings with hips or breasts. So the jacket to fit my hips and bust will have arms that hang down to my knees and the pants that fit my ass are huge on the waist and need rolling up at the ankles. It's not particularly safe to be honest.

 

[LaFemme]

It is interesting.

When I think about turning up to school (again, up to the age of 19 for the vultures waiting for my mis-step) with red raw knees from the cold in January or when they would let us wear tracksuit bottoms for a cross country run because it was sub zero WITH A NETBALL SKIRT OVER THE TOP it seems insane and torturous now.

Actually my line of work is very male dominated and sometimes I need to wear PPE. The jackets and pants are not designed for human beings with hips or breasts. So the jacket to fit my hips and bust will have arms that hang down to my knees and the pants that fit my ass are huge on the waist and need rolling up at the ankles. It's not particularly safe to be honest.

I know police officers with the same issue with utility belts and Kevlar vests - not designed for the female body. It’s been a few years since I worked with the police, but the women used to struggle with those issues a lot trying to get items designed for men to fit female bodies. Maybe now they’ve come up with female designs. Who knows.

 

[deleted924715]

I know police officers with the same issue with utility belts and Kevlar vests - not designed for the female body. It’s been a few years since I worked with the police, but the women used to struggle with those issues a lot trying to get items designed for men to fit female bodies. Maybe now they’ve come up with female designs. Who knows.

It's just wrong, but there is a kind of pressure to not kick up a fuss - you don't want to be seen as expecting 'special treatment' which is ridiculous - of course you aren't!

The difference between my build and the build of a man who would wear a ''large" is vast. So my manager will order me a small or medium and then when it won't fit we sit around as a team debating how there is no way I can need a "large". It's mortifying.

 

[Enid]

Threads like this are making me consider a leave of absence.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

[AlteredEgo]

And, because history/tradition*


* #keepthebitchesdownwheretheybelong*


* #undermythumb

There seems to be no legitimate justification other than “we said so”

I think it's just racism. I think it is SPECIFICALLY about Serena. I think she's not allowed to feel like a warrior princess. I think they're sick of her winning so often, and want her to choose between protection from medical complications, and playing in the Open.

I'm not watching this year.

 

[halcyondays]

Billie Jean King Tells French Open Officials To Stop 'Policing Women's Bodies'

Billie Jean King slammed French Open officials over the weekend for “policing women’s bodies” after they banned Serena Williams’ “catsuit” in tournament play.

French Tennis Federation President Bernard Giudicelli announced last week that the French Open was instituting a new dress code for players, and pointedly noted that Williams’ skintight black bodysuit would no longer be allowed even though it was fine to wear during this year’s tournament in May.
Williams shrugged off the controversial new edict, which will prohibit her from wearing the “Wakanda-inspired catsuit.” Williams, who wore the bodysuit as compression protection against blood clots, told The Guardian that it made her feel like a “warrior princess” from the film “Black Panther.” She almost died last year due to the clots as she gave birth to her daughter, Alexis Olympia.

Regardless of how Williams was handling the dress code change, King — and others — saw the ban as a much larger issue of men determining what women can wear. King, the grande dame of tennis in America, said it was disrespectful to criticize clothing choices made by a phenomenal tennis player like Williams:
Billie Jean King Tells French Open Officials To Stop 'Policing Women's Bodies'

If Williams is using a compression body suit to protect against blood clots she needs to seriously consider ending her career. With decent medications to prevent the same I doubt blood clots have anything to do with it.

 

[MickeyLee]

Serena is wearing a compression suit to help prevent blood clots, a medical condition she experienced after giving birth to her child?

Sometimes a thing happens to a woman's body when she makes another human. Sometimes medical garments are required for her health. If a man, or a white player, need compression sleeves or other compression gear you know damn well they would be allowed to wear it.

Denying her the right to wear her catsuit is ultra-racist and definitely sexist.

 

[TexanStar]

If Williams is using a compression body suit to protect against blood clots she needs to seriously consider ending her career. With decent medications to prevent the same I doubt blood clots have anything to do with it.

Do you know how to use Google, or do you have severe brain damage?

Her medical issues and the reason she wears compression leggings are well documented online and are medically valid.

Such snide remarks from someone who's spent all of 0 minutes educating himself on the topic about which he's arguing.

I swear to God I don't know if it's the misogyny that's more irritating or just the fucking intellectual deficiency. Idiot.

 

[TexanStar]

I think they're sick of her winning so often, and want her to choose between protection from medical complications, and playing in the Open.

Although the dress code hasn't been published yet, I'm not aware of that being a choice she's forced to make. She needs to wear compression leggings. She wore a catsuit in the 2017 French Open that met that need, but a catsuit isn't required in order to provide that. For 2018 Wimbledon she just wore the compression leggings w/o wearing a whole catsuit.

You can't see 'em in this photo because she's wearing skin tone leggings, but she is wearing them (this is her from 2018 Wimbledon).

I don't know the reasons behind the dress code changes, and they could very well be rooted in sexism, racism, or just some animus towards her personally, but what's been mentioned so far doesn't prevent her from addressing her blood clotting issues (which is why she came out and said not to worry about her because she has things she can wear).

Edit: Found a closeup pic where you can see them

 

[AlteredEgo]

Thanks @TexanStar.

 

[TexanStar]

Thanks @TexanStar.

You're welcome, yummy cookie lady

 

[328982]

This goes back to “gorgeous” Gussy Moran and her scandalous lace knickers in the early 50s
http://streaming.britishpathe.com/hls-vod/flash/00000000/00048000/00048027.mp4.m3u8

Anne White wore an all white bodysuit at Wimbledon 1985 that looked quite cool then was banned, not that she had any hope of winning.

 

[Mule]

*looks out window and sees a magpie*
…
Oh, look.
A magpie.
I like magpies.

Magpies are one of my favorites too. Excellent birds.

 

[Mule]

I can acknowledge the good things man has done while calling out the bullshit sexism.

Multipass.

Mool-Tee-Pass.

 

[Tight_N_Juicy]

Mool-Tee-Pass.

 

[Mule]

These guys go on ignore because they are tedious and their bitterness makes me feel like showering. They cannot educate me, they simply aren't smart enough or aware enough, no matter how many MRA sites they frequent. They make.it so easy not to click "show ignored content". Some of them must have an audience of around 3 people at this point.

This is the way to deal with them. While it's tempting to occasionally have a battle of wits with these woefully unarmed fuckheads, they are only here for a response: Engaging with them furthers their cause of disrupting legitimate threads with their tedious, pseudo-intellectual drivel.

Put them on ignore and let them whine bitterly at no-one at all but themselves.

 

[286798]

Back on topic...
Did y'all see her response?

Serena Williams Makes a Case for the Tutu at the US Open