By Community Correspondent Elaine Swift

I usually write about words in this column but at the moment words fail me. Well, actually that’s not strictly true as I’m about to prove.

I’ve been watching Wimbledon and really enjoying the tennis but I’ve been somewhat distracted by those vile outfits the poor officials are forced to wear.

They are ill-fitting, nothing matches, and they are utterly unflattering. In short they are a mess. The women look particularly dreadful. The company I used to work for did a number of exhibitions throughout the year and the stand uniform was always a bone of contention for us females. We were always made to wear men’s clothing which paid no concession to the female figure and we looked very scruffy indeed.

That’s exactly what’s happened with Wimbledon’s women officials. Even the skirts manage to be unflattering - they look as though they are two sizes too small.

Add those hideous blazers to an already mismatched ensemble and the result is a jumble sale. Blue and white shirts with white collars, navy jackets with white piping, and CREAM trousers? It’s hard to believe the look was designed by Ralph Lauren. The redesign, launched in 2006, is supposed to be a 1930s look but those shirts with their white collars look distinctly early 80s. All we’re missing are the red braces!

According to the Daily Mail of 22 June 2006, the makeover, came about because the All England Club thought the old outfits weren’t ‘sexy enough’. The paper also claims the makeover was part of a £6 million deal which makes Ralph Lauren Wimbledon's exclusive official outfitter until 2010. I do hope that means Ralph Lauren pays the All England Club for the privilege of having his designs centre stage. Or should that be Centre Court?

Ian Ritchie, then the new chief executive of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, was quoted at the time of make-over as saying: 'We want to make it sexy and interesting. I think it's fantastic if we can get into the fashion pages as well as the sports.” But for the right reasons Ian. For the right reasons.

And on the subject of Ralph Lauren, what on earth was the club thinking about when it commissioned an American to design the outfits for a tournament which is the pinnacle of our sporting calendar?

I know it’s an international tournament but it’s staged here, in the UK. We have so many talented designers in this country why one of them couldn’t have been chosen for this prestigious project beats me. I’m absolutely sure they would have made a better job of it.

Bad day at the office Mr Lauren I think. And equally bad day at the office for the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club too.a