Slice Of Life Community

Editor in Chief: Cynthia Medina

ITS ALL LOVE FOR FASHION IN TENNIS

Hey Alexa, play Tennis Court by Flume featuring Lorde. 

Challengers summer…don’t you miss it? As a sequel to the “Haute and Sweaty” article, I’d like to place a particular focus on the intersection of tennis in fashion: tennis stars flaunting major fashion moments and the burgeoning of the “tenniscore” trend. 

With the release of Challengers in the summer of 2024, we saw the popularity of tennis skyrocket to widespread fame in both sport and fashion. Thanks to the genius of Law Roach and Zendaya, the star’s perfectly themed press tour looks were imbued with the natural “refined casual” style of tennis with its iconography. Paired with the U.S. Open and its now iconic Honey Deuce drink, these pop-culture entry points drove an interesting optic: creating an “aesthetic” out of sport. (Quick, define the two main ways of scoring a set in tennis... yeah, exactly.)

Perpendicular to “casual” and “refined” is this “sporty chic” aesthetic, with the Sporty & Rich brand leading this athleisure movement. Sweatsuits embrace luxury branding with a monogrammed emblem and “old money” iconography and athletic wear brands like Lululemon and Alo launch tennis skirts– effectively leveraging the exclusivity of the sport to become a status symbol. 

Digital media has nearly created a new world for tennis, depicting the sport as an element of a fictionalized hobbies lifestyle rather than the grueling sport to which they were introduced. The true namesakes of the game, Serena and Venus Williams, Roger Federer, and now Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka don’t even necessarily fit into this “tennis core” lifestyle aesthetic. This aesthetic rather depicts a life of leisure, representative of a part of the sports’ history, especially when depicted with the “old money” aesthetic.

Despite luxury not having a defined quality or definition, it's commonly based in accessibility, or rather the lack of. Tennis was a sport historically played by those of the upper class (and even now an incredibly expensive sport), but now that lower classes have access to the sport, even by performative means, they have a means to access an elevated status. So as new brands quickly moved to embrace what has now been dubbed “tennis core”, classic tennis-based brands like Lacoste rushed to reclaim their rich “athletic heritage style”; launching their tennis-forward FW 2026 collection in March. 

I find it rather curious how sports have been redefined in recent years, curating an almost oxymoronic aesthetic to the sports themselves. The cosplay nearly reminds me of the 2016 gym/ workout fake photoshoot, so I suppose we’ve come full circle. Following this cycle, or pendulum rather, golf, polo, and sailing might make its way into high fashion. 

None of this would be possible without the women in sports, or tennis specifically who have paved the way: Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Coco Gauff, and Naomi Osaka. 

Opinion: The Rise of the Cyborg Designer

There has been a huge shift.

Lately, when we’re scrolling on our feeds, we have to ask ourselves a question that, ten years ago, would’ve felt like a fever dream: Is this real or is this AI?

As of August 2025, generative AI adoption for adults ages 18 to 64 has hit 54.6%. In October 2025, it was reported from Futurism that over 50 percent of the Internet content is now the result of generative AI. With these stats, in our good year of 2026, we can only imagine how much AI usage has spread, especially with the people and corporations that own our data. Every day, behind-the-scenes, AI is influencing our life in ways we don’t realize.

Fashion is definitely no exception. AI is used as a regular “assistant” in the industry, through every part of the pipeline. Designers use Generative AI to conceptualize their ideas, stores use AI models to determine stock, and nearly every clothing website uses an AI chatbot as their first line of customer support. If you were to ask the industry why, you’d get back two main answers: it saves time and money. The cost of this? A tremendous societal and environmental impact.

However, fashion is an art form, and many are pushing back against the lack of craft that AI has when it comes to creative tasks. After all, fashion is a subjective, emotional, and highly personal medium. Good fashion makes us feel things, it evokes discussion about the human condition, and it draws its narrative from experiences. These are all things that AI lacks. It collects information, it follows patterns, and regurgitates, eventually trying to come to new conclusions but always missing some key context. 

And the context does not exist, because it is an emotional context. AI does not think and feel and have a heartbeat. It cannot relate to the human experience beyond a set of conditional statements that were fed from a subset of biased data.

SMILE, POSE, VOGUE 📸

As spring creeps in through 30-degree mornings and hot-girl nights, we’re taking a look at what’s actually in for the rest of the season.

Think silky separates, lace-trim tops, and lightweight trench coats that make even a quick coffee run feel like a moment from a magazine. Vogue is loving color right now too–soft pinks, mauves, chartreuse, and unexpected combos that somehow just work.

Pair it with effortless glam: glowy skin, brushed brows, and a glossy lip are always in. I’ll recommend Rhode’s Peptide Lip Treatment and the ever-famous Anastasia Brow Freeze.

Finish it off with a comically large scrunchie (L. Erickson does it best) and a chic neck scarf (For Love & Lemons is to die for), and you’re ready for every spring look.

Scalp Care for Styled Hair🫧

SABI WISE is a scalp-first haircare brand designed for styled hair. We create products that care for the scalp without disrupting finished styles, addressing the moments traditional haircare often overlooks once the hair is done.

Our approach centers on hair-in-wear–hair that’s meant to be worn for hours or days, from protective styles to slick buns, curls, and blowouts. We’re launching with the Unflake Wand, a precision roll-on scalp treatment made to manage flakes and discomfort between washes, without disturbing your style.

Sabi Wise is anchored in the lived experiences of Black women and protective styles, where this need is most visible, while building a platform that serves anyone who styles their hair and wants scalp care that fits real life.

Our website is live, and we’re launching very soon–sign up to be first on the waitlist. We’re also on Instagram and TikTok: @sabi.wise. Thank you, everyone!

A Trip to the South (of France)

Last week, I traded Paris for the south of France and spent a few days in Marseille–and it honestly felt like more than just a trip. The city was effortlessly beautiful: the sea, the light, the boats, and especially the sunsets. What I loved most was the way the city is ornamented with art across its walls. Graffiti is everywhere, and the work by local artists was unreal.

Being there reminded me how much I need to live near the coast. I’ve always loved the water, but Marseille confirmed that I’m truly a coastal person. What surprised me most was how much it reminded me of my home city, Abidjan. Not visually, but in feeling. The warmth of the people, how easy it is to connect with strangers, and even the local slang carried a similar energy. It made everything feel familiar in the best way.

I spent my time walking around, taking it all in, and meeting genuinely kind people. There was something so easy and open about the atmosphere. By the end, I could really see myself living there–even if just for a while. Retiring somewhere in the south of France now feels like a real possibility, and Marseille is definitely at the top of my list.

Worn-In Is Chic

Every time I come home and see my mom, she reminds me that the black flats I wear every day are peeling, the heels are uneven, and the brooch is broken. I’ve learned to brush off these comments. I refuse to stop wearing them until they completely fall apart, because I’m convinced their wear is what makes them chic.

There’s something about visibly worn clothing that reads as cool–and I’m not talking about the dirty Golden Goose sneakers that had Gen Z in a chokehold in 2023.

I mean faded brown boots, lace with little holes from years of washing machines, and old jeans with frayed hems. They’re proof of love in my life–the places I’ve been, and the life I’ve been lucky to live. Just like a vintage armoire from the 1800s, my well-worn ballet flats only get more precious with time.

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See you next week!