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Wimbledon whites — they're chic, they're timeless, they're instantly evocative of the best of the British summertime. And, for women, they're not always practical.
American model Brooks Nader paid a visit to the All England Lawn Tennis Club on July 4 — and naturally, she stuck to the unofficial Wimbledon dress code, wearing a semi-sheer black and white polka dot top paired with a long white skirt and white mules.
Most women probably know the perils of wearing white. Nader experienced an all-too-familiar wardrobe mishap — which she documented on TikTok.
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“Tries to be chic. Starts [to bleed] at Wimbledon,” she wrote in white text across the video, including a shot of a small period stain on the back of her skirt.
Fans were quick to praise Nader's openness about the stain. “So real for putting this online because it happens all the dam time to us! Let's normalise it — still look 10/10 tho," one person commented. Another added, “I'm just a girlllll. Thanks for normalising this cause it happens to us all.”
Nader's accident is a reminder that we should never be ashamed of a period stain. It happens. And it's not gross. It's not embarrassing. It's not shameful.
Her accident is also a reminder that while the professional sporting world maybe be making strides towards gender equality, it remains a world built primarily for men.
Tennis is widely acknowledged as one of the most inclusive professional sports when it comes equality between male and female players. But it's come after a long fight. In 1973, Billie Jean King famously defeated 55-year-old Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes”. The same year, the US Open became the first sporting event in the world to offer equal pay for male and female competitors. Wimbledon would not follow suit until 2007.
However, women still often receive second billing to men in mixed tournaments. They are frequently saddled with less desirable courts. And, like most sports, tennis is still a world that sees women trying to fit into a system that wasn't designed with their bodies in mind.
The former British number one and 2016 doubles winner at Wimbledon reflects on being a woman in sport.
Wimbledon whites may look great against a fresh green court, but, practically, they can be a nightmare for women. Until 2023, women were expected to wear all-white while playing — right down to their underwear. I don't need to explain why that was a bit of a problem. The rules were finally relaxed and now, women are permitted to wear dark underwear and shorts under their white skirts.
And players in all sports are starting to be open about the other challenges that come with having a period as a woman in sports.
“I would have to say that the toughest part of being a woman in the public eye in sport is just having to deal with my cycle,” tennis player Heather Watson told us just last week. “I'm probably saying that because it's my time right now. But dealing with not feeling good physically or mentally — and having to go out there and pretend I'm okay when I'm really not. And nobody knows how you feel.”
Brooks Nader and Watson are both reminders that something as simple as the human body is still not normalised for many women. And the first step towards breaking down those taboos is simply being open. In this case, talking about the realities of menstruation — whether you're in the stands or on the court.
A true sporting icon.
