Style
How WNBA stylists turned a 30-second moment into 2024s most fashionable social media phenomenon.
On Oct. 15, a commotion rippled through the crowd at the2024 Victorias Secret Fashion Show.
Its [players] getting out of their cars or team bus.
[Its] not glamorous at all.
They thought it was stupid [and not] worth the while, she recalls.
Kelsey [Plum] stepped out in thissick, leather two-piece number.
Chest open, she says, recalling the moment.
It set the tone for the season.
Five months later, @WNBATunnel boasts more than 80,000 followers.
The leather outfit Bordonaro called in didnt arrive on time.
Im harassing [the brands] people at this point, Bordonaro tells Bustle.
I was like, Listen, Im coming to the store.
Im not buying these things.
Youre going to give them to us, and Im going to bring them back after she wears them.
(Bordonaro and the brand now have a great working relationship.)
The outfit made it to Plum on time, and the rest is viral history.
Its literally like a runway, Vaughn says.
In 2004, a fight broke out among some players from the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons.
The moment was so big that it became a subject of the multipart Netflix sports docuseriesUntoldin 2021.
Before the melee, athletes showed up in sweats.
Vaughn recalls specific NBA tunnel moments and credits Mays for her role in shaping the tunnel.
In fashion in general, people are more interested in what the girls have on, she says.
Everyones still figuring out their lane and what their style sensibility is, Mays adds.
In Bordonaros case, the changes are so abrupt, even for someone like Plum.
Its just night and day from two, three years ago, says the stylist.
Bordonaro didnt consider herself a pro stylist when she started working with Plum in December 2021.
Plum was in a similar situation.
Im over here charging girls $50 an outfit and buying things on PrettyLittleThing, she recalls.
I had no training in styling.
Wearing fast fashion went on for a while.
(ESPN alone saw a 170% increase in viewership from 2023.)
It just put more eyes on [the WNBA], the stylist says.
Vaughn agrees, calling it the Caitlin Clark effect.
Some are ultra-feminine, for sure.
Were doing a disservice to the league by not acknowledging the women that [arent].
Those girls are just as stylish and just as important.
Vaughn confirms that on social, the most viral looks are the more feminine ones.
Where did these girls come from?
Trend-wise, Vaughn confirms, The miniskirt was big right now.
The Future Of Fashion In The W
All threefashion prosare hopeful that this is just the beginning.
Vaughn hopes her account and working with stylists could help the women financially by connecting with brands.
A lot of them are in their off-season.
Some have to get a job right now, go overseas and play, she says.
Its not like the NBA where youve made enough money for the year.
Players are realizing one picture can help transform so many things.
Theyre starting to monetize the tunnel, Vaughn adds.
Bordonaro agrees, You cant ask for a better stage for a brand.
These players are brands.
Its only going to get bigger, Vaughn says, citing UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers as an example.
Shes been all over the place to US Open,[New York] Fashion Week.
Shes not even in the WNBA yet shes incollege.
Vaughn adds, With these young kids coming in, they have a huge affinity to fashion and style.
This next round of up-and-coming players are going to drive that narrative even more.
Sources cited:
Sydney Bordonaro, stylist
Courtney Mays, stylist
Velissa Vaughn, publicist and WNBA Tunnel owner
