What Not to Wear (in pickleball): Alo Yoga Open Air Leggings
DALLAS, TX – One of my favorite reality TV shows growing up was TLC’s “What Not to Wear” starring fashion experts Stacy London and Clinton Kelly.
The pair worked their incredible magic to rejuvenate people's wardrobes and overall style - and build their confidence and self-esteem in the process.
Truth be told, the show laid the groundwork for my fashion choices as an adolescent.
I have no idea how London and Kelly would feel about athleisure, though I’m sure they’ve played pickleball by now since everyone is hitting the courts, but pickleball fashion is certainly something we need to discuss.
From designer dresses to Anna Leigh Water’s Whataburger fit, the fashion scene associated with America's fastest-growing sport is alive and well.
A new fashion crisis recently sparked conversation when the Real Housewives of Potomac played pickleball and housewife, Robyn Dixon, showed up wearing fishnet-style workout leggings and a matching top.
The leggings quickly got viewers and fellow housewives commenting.
“You look like a sheered Batman,” one of the women on the program said.
The leggings are from top-rated activewear brand, Alo Yoga, and are made from lightweight four-way stretch material.
If Dixon wore any other leggings from Alo, people wouldn’t think twice, but this particular product is a little lacking in the fabric department, if you know what I mean...
The leggings make a statement, but not a good one.
I asked women around PPA Tour HQ for their thoughts on these polarizing pants, and the opinions weren't exactly positive.
“I love the brand,” said Daniela Almendarez, Junior PPA Tour coordinator, “but I don’t think those are appropriate.”
Reporter Hannah Johns wholeheartedly agreed with Almendarez: “Those are probably not the fit I’ll be whipping out for family pickle this Christmas.”
The pants show far too much butt cheek, especially for pickleball, and those who choose to sport them are basically one lunge away from flashing their doubles partner.
Even the title, open air leggings, fails to meet the decency test.
I don’t want anything “open air” about my leggings. Period.
Pro player liaison, Liv Borski, pointed out that bending over is one of the most common motions in pickleball, and these leggings appear to be high-risk in that regard.
Borski went on to say: “They look like she's wearing granny panties with tights over it.”
“If you paired them with a skirt over top, they’d be cute,” said office manager, Carrie Hussey. “Although it also makes me think of a meme that would say, ‘When you have a pickleball match at five and a rave at six.’”
Of course, that meme had to be made.
Logistics associate Haley Brezack pondered her potential reaction to an opponent showing up with that gear on.
“If you’re bold enough to wear those, you’re probably pretty confident on the court,” said Brezack. “Someone in those pants has flair and personality, so it’d probably be a fun match.”
The Real Housewives of Potomac pickleball match was the opposite of competitive. I don’t think Dixon hit the ball once during the episode, so it seems like her choice of leggings was based solely on fashion rather than logistics and comfort.
Poor reviews aside, the leggings are nearly sold out online. At the time of writing this story, only size XXS remains, and the opinions on the website are extremely favorable.
Dixon is no stranger to cutouts, lace, or sheer pieces for her different looks.
Here’s a photo taken from Instagram during a Watch What Happens Live interview with Andy Cohen.
Elevated fashion choices like these are a staple in the Housewives franchise, but perhaps the open air look is more suited for high fashion looks instead of dinking on a court.
What do you think? Share your thoughts about Dixon’s pickleball outfit with us on Twitter and Instagram.
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