There are some TikTok sounds that run through my mind all throughout the day. They’ve become more like sayings to live by. Attitudes to adopt. The best sounds on TikTok capture an energy and a tone so perfectly. Lately for me it has been: “The girls that get it, get it, and the girls that don’t, don’t. Obviously, you don’t get it because you’re not that girl; got it?”
Photo Credit: X
This TikTok sound perfectly and succinctly encapsulates my thoughts and feelings on Carlitos’ shirt at this year’s US Open. It is a controversial piece. First of all, it’s sleeveless, which everybody immediately associates with Rafael Nadal. Nadal obviously wasn’t the first athlete to go sleeveless, but he was certainly the first one to pull it off in a compelling way.
The other is that the shirt is multi-colored. The base color is a nude flesh tone and the accompanying pattern is a bunch of different asymmetrical shapes in multiple different colors. When the shapes do overlay one another, the colors change on the shirt adding depth to the garment.
There’s no real consistency of pattern to any of the shapes either, they are literally all over the place! Much like the way Carlitos plays the game of tennis on the Arthur Ashe court. Carlitos is famous for his footwork and being speedy around the court.
His most viral videos show the champion running here, running there, and running everywhere! Usually sealing the point with some ridiculous passing shot or drop-shot endeavor. To me personally, it reminds me of the Spanish painter Picasso.
I’ve been blessed to see Picasso’s paintings at the Met Gala during an exhibit in 2015 (thank you ESTÉE LAUDER). Again, I see parallels between Picasso and Carlitos’ one of a kind playing style that can’t be replicated. Not many people can pull off this painting style, and not many people can pull off this type of shirt, nor can many people play this type of game: it is a reflection of genius itself!
Photo Credit: AmazonMusic
In some ways it reminds me of Keith Haring in an abstract way, although Haring’s colors were a lot more limited. Because I’m a Barb, I obviously see similarities between the shirt and Nicki Minaj’s “Pink Friday … Roman Reloaded” album cover. The one where her body is the canvas and paint is splattered all over the place.
Photo Credit: X
One thing I like about Carlitos is that he’s never dressing older than his age. Everything is age appropriate. The player is 20 years old and has a playfulness with fashion that we haven’t seen for a while. It reminds me of the younger Williams sisters when they were pushing all kinds of fashion boundaries on the court. It keeps the sport exciting!
The people who don’t like this shirt probably wouldn’t look good wearing it. Accessibility is very important obviously when it comes to creating garments but that’s not the point of this shirt.
If people could step outside of their vanity and see that the shirt is only meant to be worn by a certain few. That’s the point! I view it as more of a collector’s item. If he makes a run for it and goes the whole way, this shirt will be a piece of art. Fingers crossed he pulls it off! Best of luck to Carlitos and his team!
To the haters of this shirt, I leave you with the following TikTok saying once more for emphasis: “The girls that get it, get it, and the girls that don’t, don’t. Obviously, you don’t get it because you’re not that girl; got it?”