Trendy River Oaks Tennis Tourney Brings New Looks, a Model Approach and Pumped Up Security

While professional tennis players may have ditched the sartorial tradition of all-white togs for the court, the ladies who lunch at the River Oaks Country Club tennis tournament luncheon are embracing white as never before. A perusal of the 400 women lunching poolside during each of the two days of the midday repast and Tootsies fashion show revealed that white could possibly be the new black.

Though luncheon chair Cathy Cleary chose a white and green frock for welcoming guests on day one and red and white on day two, Tootsies’ Fady Armanious, who thanked guests for three decades of support, was head-to-toe in white. Add Dancie Ware, Patricia Griffith, Annsley Popov, Courtney Zener, Holly Alvis, Courtney Fertitta, Cynthia Allshouse, and Greggory Burk to the lineup of ladies in white.

A first for the luncheon, models in matching wigs (though different colors) and designer fashions from Tootsies strolled the catwalk that circled the swimming pool. As Armanious explained, “If the models have simple wigs, you notice the clothes more than you notice the girls.”

Capturing the attention of the crowd, though, were the fabulous, fringed and furry earrings worn by many of the models. They were the creation of Ranjana Khan, who was in the luncheon throng as the guest of Tootsies. In town only two weeks ago for a Krug champagne party with her husband, Naeem Khan, the accessories designer was back for two days of personal appearances at the West Ave retailer.

Annoyingly new this year was the security clearance. Anyone arriving on foot, having parked nearby or been dropped off by Uber, had to pass through a metal detector and handbags were restricted to a certain size. Phoebe Tudor, who parked nearby in a friend’s driveway, was one who had to learn the hard way. Her Hermes bag would not fit in the test box so she had to retrieve her car and drive through to valet parking.

Go figure. For the record, she was also wearing white.

Working it in white: Melissa Mithoff, Christine Falgout, Susan Hansen, Marci Trevino, Beth Zedblick, Sonya Simmons, Carley Boehm, Tracey Hull, Ellie Francisco, Liz Stepanian, Skylar Steele, Sarah Fullenweider and so many more.