Metallic corsetry

Serena’s first custom Nike look put a metallic corset over tennis whites.

Athlete: Serena Williams
Tournament: Miami Open
Date: 26 March 2004
Design: Serena Williams × Nike
Documented round: Second roundSingles
Match result: Wonvs Marta Marrero
Match context: Williams received a first-round bye.
Tournament finish: WSingles

The original look

Serena Williams waves after defeating Marta Marrero at the NASDAQ-100 Open in Miami on 26 March 2004, wearing her white Nike dress with a metallic silver corset-style waist.

Al Bello / Getty Images, via Marie Claire (photograph identified by People) · Copyrighted editorial photograph; rights remain with the credited owner.

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The story behind the look

Serena Williams began her Nike matchwear story at the 2004 NASDAQ-100 Open in Miami. A metallic corset-style waist interrupted the white dress, turning a familiar tennis silhouette into something closer to stagewear. It was her first custom competition outfit with the brand, following her signing in late 2003.

Williams actively encouraged the experiment. In an interview recalled by Glamour, she described asking Nike to explore unusual fabrics and striking looks, even when they departed from conventional ideas of comfort. The silver waist remains the defining feature: an athlete’s own fashion direction made visible in a garment designed for play. Contemporary reporting even described the dress as dry-clean-only.