Taking place on September 20, 1973, the Battle of the Sexes was a tennis match between 29-year-old Billie Jean King, then in her prime, against 55-year-old Bobby Riggs, a former pro tennis player. This match also represented the fight and inequality between both genders at the time and was largely broadcasted to the American public. A $100,000 reward was given to the winner; the winner was Billie Jean King, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.
Her victory was also seen as a victory for women’s rights and legitimatized women’s sports even further. King went on to win 39 Grand Slams in her career, be ranked the No. 1 singles player in the world six times, and become the first female athlete to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She also fought for equal prize money between males and females and contributed greatly to the progression of women’s sports during her career.
Legendary British tennis couturier Ted Tinling, King’s stylist, curated her outfit that would go down in history. This match was such a spectacle that upon touching down at New York City’s Kennedy Airport, “he refused to submit his bags for inspection, announcing to customs officials and press alike that his client would discard any outfit exposed to the light of day.” For her match, King wore a nylon dress with green and sky blue touches, a subtle homage to Virginia Slims’ women’s tennis tour, launched two years earlier.
But this dress was not Tinling’s first option for King. Initially, he had prepared a silk-lined, opalescent dress, but upon King’s fitting, she stated: “No Ted, I can’t wear it.” She explained in a later interview: “I can’t stand anything like that; it’s gotta be very soft next to my skin.” The dress was then discarded; to this day, its whereabouts are unknown.
About King’s outfit, she wore for the match, however, she stated: “It felt absolutely perfect when I put it on.” As her pick was Tinling’s backup option, it was not fully ready for the match. The morning of, Tinling drove around Houston, Texas to find rhinestones and sequins to sew onto her dress. He felt the dress would get swallowed up by the stadium’s glaring lights otherwise. After that, he wrote in his memoir: “I felt Cinderella Standby could really go to the ball.”
King’s outfit choice is timeless, classy, and beautiful. I would have loved to see Tinling’s first option for her; I imagine it as a light blue, shimmering number. Regardless, I adore the green and blue dress. I think the addition of rhinestones and sequins is a tasteful touch—one I think was necessary, as it bolstered King’s fight to progress women’s sports in a feminine way. It currently sits in the Smithsonian collections, not showcased.
Lily’s Analysis:
Style: (colors, fabric, composition) 10/10
Function: (comfort, breathability) 10/10 (I’m actually unsure but I’m sure it was great.)
The dramatics of the Battle of the Sexes did not end with its prize money or extensive media coverage. King made her entrance into the stadium in a Cleopatra-style way, on a golden litter carried by muscular men from the Rice University track team. She then proceeded to gift Riggs a squirming baby pig, a possible taunt of his demeanor (Riggs was known to be a cocky, male chauvinist.) This is a testament to King’s bold and striking demeanor; I am greatly inspired.
There is no competition between her outfit and Riggs’s. Riggs made his entrance in a yellow, flashy ensemble with a jacket emblazoned with the words “Sugar Daddy” on the back. Of course, I am disgusted partly because it is ugly, and partly because he mocked women further while attempting to establish a sense of prestige around his already withering personality. King’s outfit takes the cake. I adore her just as much as her outfit in this famous match.
