When Naomi Osaka stepped on the court at the US Open’s second day, all eyes were on her outfit—and for good reason! The athlete was basically covered in lime green bows (more on that later), but there was a sweet hidden detail in her hair that you may have missed while admiring the Goth Lolita-inspired dress and shoes, not to mention her serve.
A portion of Osaka’s hair was braided, with the rest gathered into a ponytail at the crown of her head. She wore a neon green Nike visor to match her tennis dress, which partially hid the pearl hair pin that was placed atop her braids. The hair pin was a large “C” shape made up of small pearls—a motif that Osaka repeated throughout her game day outfit, as the zipper on her jacket ended in a large pearl, and her Beats by Dre headphones were also bedecked with the precious gemstone.
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Osaka told The New York Times that the custom-made outfit by Nike and Yoon Ahn honored her Japanese heritage. “I remember one of the first times I went to Japan, I saw so many frills and so many bows,” the athlete explained. “I wouldn’t automatically associate myself with being girlish when I’m on the court, but I tend to gravitate toward really beautiful and cute things. I think there’s something quite cool in making that an emphasis.” The green color was also significant, as Osaka shared that it gives her feelings of “serenity.” Osaka went on to defeat Jelena Ostapenko and said the “super suit” dress helped her regain her confidence on the court.
Bows have had quite a moment this summer, not only on clothing a la Osaka’s dress but also as a hair accessory on some of our fave celebs. Speaking of tennis, Zendaya wore a high braided ponytail with a ribbon at the base for a Challengers premiere, blending sporty style with the coquette aesthetic. Cardi B wore dozens of teeny bows in her hair, flowing all the way down to her hips, and Megan Thee Stallion added a pink lace bow to her pinup ponytail. Bows, ruffles, pearls… hairstyling has never been so, shall we say, demure.