Editor’s Note: Look of the Week is a regular series dedicated to the most talked-about outfit of the past seven days, showcasing the good, the bad and the ugly.

CNN
—

Naomi Osaka is hoping to conjure up a touch of magic in her highly anticipated return to the US Open today. The 26-year-old tennis player has revealed one of the competition looks she’ll be wearing on court – and it might surprise you.

While modern tennis attire is typically streamlined, Osaka’s walk-on skirt billows out thanks to a tulle underskirt. Her high-shine black bomber jacket is also adorned with an oversized white bow.

“The inspiration for this look – and this could be a Japanese term – is that I feel like a ‘magical girl’ on the court,” she said in a Nike press release. “When I step on the court, it’s a moment of transformation for me and I have a lot of fun playing. So it’s a big motivation for me that everyone who sees the outfit experiences that feeling.”

The flirtatious ruffled look, designed by designer Yoon Ahn especially for Nike, is perhaps a kind of subversive armor for the Japanese star.

Since withdrawing from both the French Open and Wimbledon in 2021 and being eliminated in the third round at the US Open, the four-time Grand Slam singles champion has taken extended breaks from competitive tennis to prioritize her mental health and later become a mother.

After losing in the qualifiers for the Cincinnati Open earlier this month, the player posted a vulnerable statement on Instagram, revealing her internal struggles on the court since giving birth to her daughter Shai in July 2023. “My biggest problem right now isn’t losing though, my biggest problem is not feeling like I’m in my body,” she wrote to her 2.8 million followers. “It’s a weird feeling missing balls I shouldn’t miss, hitting balls that are softer than I used to… The only feeling I can compare to how I feel now is after giving birth.” Despite those frustrations, Osaka said she sees the adjustment as a process and that she will continue to work to get where she wants to be. She is playing in the US Open for the first time since 2022.

According to Ahn, Osaka’s mood board for the outfits was largely rooted in the “Lolita-Goth” community – a lace-trimmed, anime-inspired style of clothing that became popular in 1990s Japan but continues to inspire young people around the world today, with over 31,000 posts on TikTok. “They go out and wear pink, ruffles, bows, lace,” Ahn told the New York Times. “It’s really about owning the cuteness and the girliness.”

In the current fashion landscape, girliness is on the rise. From the ribbon-laced hiking boots of the sold-out Sandy Liang x Salomon collaboration to the high-fashion bows of Simone Rocha, Prada and Chanel, obvious symbols of youthful femininity are no longer viewed as reductionist or demeaning, but worn with pride and a wink.

“I wouldn’t automatically describe myself as girly when I’m on the court,” Osaka told the New York Times. “But I tend to go for really pretty and cute things. I think it’s pretty cool to highlight that, especially here in New York. In New York, the tennis court is more of a stage.”

And where there are ribbons, there is usually tulle. Just a few days ago, Ella Emhoff, the stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris, made headlines for the baby blue and white tulle dress she wore on the final day of the Democratic National Convention. Alongside Harris’ goddaughter and niece, Emhoff’s breezy look represents a new form of power dressing: bold in its rejection of expectations and traditional dress codes. Osaka, who also embraces tulle, appears to be doing the same.

“We live in a girl’s world and I wanted to embody that in Naomi’s look on the court,” Ahn said in the press release. The designer has also designed a ready-to-wear line for Nike Women, which launches Tuesday. “The collection is an extension of that idea and allows women to highlight their character and underline their own personal style.”