When you are a company like Nike and have the best athletes in their respective sports locked into lucrative contracts and performing at some of the most premier events in the world, your focus should be on performance first, style second.
More specifically, per Karin Burgess of Tennis Identity, they should work in concert, “Fashion and performance have to work together in sports – not collide with each other or be frivolous in any way – especially at the highest levels. No serious athlete will tolerate a kit that is restrictive, uncomfortable or distracting because of its possible affect on performance.”
At the very least, allow your players the ability to practice in the apparel prior to qualifying rounds, lest you start Wimbledon with egg on your face. No one at Nike seemed to think this was a valuable exercise prior to rolling out the NikeCourt Premier Slam Dress at Wimbledon.
“It is surprising that the Nike Premier dress made it past the sample stage given its open sides and ample loose fabric. Perhaps no one trying it on ran to hit a forehand or recover from a big serve,” said Burgess.
From the New York Times’ Ben Rothenberg:
"Instead of the typical outfits Nike offers most players who are paid to wear its apparel, the company issued a loosely hanging, short dress. It was white, in accordance with Wimbledon’s dress code. But it was not exactly ideal for competitive tennis, according to several players. Wardrobe changes have ensued.“When I was serving, it was coming up, and I felt like the dress was just everywhere,” Rebecca Peterson of Sweden said. “In general, it’s quite simple, the dress, but it was flying everywhere.”Peterson played with a long-sleeved shirt over her dress to hold the dress somewhat in place.Katie Boulter improvised by tying a headband around her waist to serve as a belt, which held the fabric somewhat more in place. Lucie Hradecka wore leggings underneath the dress, effectively turning it into a shirt."
“Wimbledon is one of the most challenging tennis tournaments for fashion designers to create for because of the whites only rule and a tennis player’s desire to be unrestricted and comfortable,” said Burgess. “Additionally athletes should not have to worry about revealing more of their bodies than they care to while competing. Never mind decorum at Wimbledon (which was an issue in this case).”