Irina Shayk’s job is court. It’s not tennis, which is a common misconception.
Sorry, that Barbie movie reference was just the first thing that popped into my head when I saw Shayk’s impractical tennis fit. On Wednesday, August 16, the 37-year-old model shared a series of photos from a recent trip to the tennis courts with the Instagram caption, “Summer …☀️.”
In all five photos, Shayk wore a look best described as a yellow and white sweater-vest onesie with a matching sheer sarong. If that doesn’t sound difficult enough to play in—the chafing alone would be a bitch, plus there’s absolutely nowhere to store a tennis ball—Shayk spurned sneakers or tennis shoes in favor of black thigh-high flip-flops. Yes, you read that right.
To go with her editorial take on country club fashion, Shayk wore a pair of heeled flip-flops with mesh that extends from just above her toes to just below the hemline of her yellow skirt. Surely, this look takes the wrong-shoe theory a step too far, right? Did she even attempt a volley in this look? There’s no footage or even a racket in sight, but she did tuck a tennis ball between her chin and her shoulder in the second photo. Whatever, the final photos are enough of a serve as it is. (Ha! A tennis pun!)
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To me, this look is more fascinating than any romance rumors surrounding her alleged relationship with fellow sports aficionado Tom Brady. In fact, I’d say it’s easily in the running for Shayk’s least practical look of the summer, way ahead of the mesh dress and lacy thong she wore with kitten heels to the race track this May.
Right now it’s probably neck and neck with the leather Burberry string bikini she wore to Coachella in April, which she paired with Vivienne Westwood platform booties and Rick Owens ski-goggle-style sunglasses. We’ll need to see at least one more whimsical athleisure look before we declare game, set, match.
