The former tennis pro player Annabel Croft has been – in the best possible way – an omnipresent presence on British television screens over the past fortnight, thanks to her BBC role at Wimbledon. She has also been one of the most chic. The winner of the 1984 girls’ title at the All England Club in 1984 may no longer be officially obliged to wear tennis whites and clutch a racquet, but her outfit yesterday for the men’s final won by Jannik Sinner – the ceremony of which she presented alongside the Princess of Wales – saw her pick the most cooling of shades. It was her own fashion finale to a fortnight of superb looks that brought together sport, style and substance. An athlete with an eye for a great aesthetic, she works with the stylist Arabella Boyce, who is also to thank for Celia Imrie’s increasingly sharp looks over recent months, and consults her two daughters regularly to assist in her sartorial choices.
During a brief break between live broadcasting, en route to the glam squad to get court-ready this weekend, Croft took a minute to talk us through her style and its evolution, and shares with us here a glimpse into how she got ready at home yesterday for the biggest day in British tennis.
Jonathan Glynn Smith
Talk us through your looks over Wimbledon: how did you land on them and what were you hoping to achieve?
I really like bringing a bit of theatre to broadcasting. I love fashion – it’s an ultimate passion; the older I’ve got, the more interested in and appreciative of it I’ve become. What goes into making clothes, how they work on you: how a dress can have no “hanger appeal” but then can look absolutely fantastic on a body, or on the screen, even. I could spend hours looking at shapes and silhouettes. I work with Arabella [Boyce] who helps me pick them out, and I do these ‘Get Ready With Mum’ Instagram videos with my daughter, Lily. Both she and her sister inform at lot of what I wear.
Jonathan Glynn Smith
Jonathan Glynn Smith
Because it’s been so hot recently, we’ve gone for a lot of linen. Lots of summery, pretty, feminine dresses – like Self-Portrait, Claire Mischevani and Serena Bute. One I loved was by Alice + Olivia that I’m so glad I bought – I saw it and did think “Gosh, that will be perfect for Wimbledon” as it’s covered in ivy, like the front of the building at Wimbledon.
Jonathan Glynn Smith
Croft with her stylist, Arabella Boyce, wearing a Knatchbull suit
For the men’s final, what did you choose to wear and why?
A white dress by Brunello Cucinelli with a Boodles necklace and bracelet. I wore an outfit from him last year in the Royal Box – a linen white skirt, slight slit down the side and jacket that had a little bit of chiffon or organza at the front. My goodness, it was so beautiful. I got so many compliments on it. And for this year, it’s an amazing white, high-necked cutaway dress, very floaty, and with simple lines. Silhouettes are so important on air: what can look good in full doesn’t work when sitting behind a desk doing post-match commentary; that’s when I go for shoulder or neckline details.
Jonathan Glynn Smith
Jonathan Glynn Smith
As for Wimbledon fashion in general, people really dress up. Straw hats, suits – there is a huge sense of occasion, even if they’re coming for picnics on Henman Hill; people raise their game to level the standard at the Club, where every flower and bit of planting is exquisite. You won’t see a paint chip anywhere.
Jonathan Glynn Smith
How has your style evolved over time?
Back in the Eighties, it was very much shoulder pads and tiny, tight skirts. Very Joan Collins in Dynasty. I wouldn’t go for that at all now. After I had children – as mothers, you start dressing prepared to have sick or chocolate fingers on you, so I’d go into what I call ‘my uniform’. But when my daughters got older – Amber’s 32 and Lily’s 28 now, and they’re very fashion-oriented – they started to influence my choices, saying, “Mum, you need to up your game. That is not the fashion any more. Move it on a bit.” All of us get set in our ways when it comes to shopping, and they’d make me try on things in a different direction. We’re all a similar size so share quite a lot of clothes. I like detail on buttons, a ruffle on the sleeve, something more flowy, longer, drapier.
Karwai Tang//Getty Images
Croft on court during the championships
Which clothes make you feel confident?
I treat clothes like a piece of art: whether because of the pattern, the shape. I have learned over the years that the shoes and the bag have to be part of it. I like to look feminine, but also, a beautiful trouser suit can look really stunning, can’t it? But I don’t like clothes that are too stiff and you look at in your wardrobe and think, “I can’t face putting that on, because it’s like wearing a piece of cardboard”.
Jonathan Glynn Smith
Do you see your beauty look as an extension of your outfit?
Yes, in a way. I never want my hair – and I’m blessed to have a thick mop of hair – to look like I’m wearing a helmet, and you have to be aware of humidity in the summer as it’s naturally very curly. I’ve got green eyes, and have learned all my tips from the make-up artists I work with – they laugh at me all the time when I get out my phone to take pictures of the products they’re using. I do think I feel most beautiful after a good night’s sleep, when you’re rested and not rushing to the next thing. If I watch my grandchildren playing and laughing, it brings so much joy and nothing else matters – your face will lift of any lines or stress and that’s when you feel at your best.
Jonathan Glynn Smith
Jonathan Glynn Smith
Stylist: Arabella Boyce
Hair and make-up: Mira Parmar using Neal’s Yard Remedies, YSL Beauty and GHD Hair