Tennis has long been associated with fashion. From Victorian lace dresses to Lacoste’s white polos, this timeless game has inspired everything from leather athletic shoes to lightweight breathable apparel.
Clothing was historically restrictive for tennis players. At the first Wimbledon Championship after World War I, Suzanne Lenglen surprised audiences by wearing a skirt below the knee without sleeves at Wimbledon – an act which shocked audiences. Since then, clothing in tennis has gradually evolved towards better movement and comfort for players.
1884-1968
As tennis has transformed from an obscure Victorian pastime into a global phenomenon, player styles have also evolved accordingly. Thanks to technological innovations that permitted greater movement and fluidity, traditional uniforms gave way to personalized styles that combine functionality and flair – while today the sport’s fashion trends continue to reflect changing societal values while remaining true to its roots.
Women’s tennis clothing in the early 1900s was often restricting, impeding a player’s range of motion. Corsets and long, floor-length dresses with waist-cinching corsets restricted mobility while making grabbing balls difficult. Not until 1920 when French player Suzanne Lenglen donned a Jean Patou dress featuring a short dress featuring sleeveless blouse and calf-length skirt made the leap forward for tennis apparel design.
Lenglen and Alvarez epitomized female tennis player liberation during this decade. Both demonstrated styles that moved away from “noblewoman” ideals that had governed previous decades of play, such as Henry “Bunny” Austin of England wearing tailored shorts in competition and Helen Hull Jacobs wearing above-the-knee skirts that looked similar to long cardigans with an eye shade or visor attached at one corner of her skirts – two developments which marked this decade’s advancement of female tennis player liberation during its development during these decades.
Over the course of this century, tennis attire continued to evolve thanks to designers such as Rene Lacoste. His innovation of pique cotton polo shirt was one of the major changes made to uniform and marked an era when tennis players could wear stylish as well as functional clothing.
Billie Jean King and Chris Evert are credited with pioneering modern tennis fashion by wearing shorter skirts that still maintained femininity while furthering gender equality in the sport. Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep, on the other hand, have taken bold sartorial steps while still remaining functional. Athleisure brands such as Tory Burch, Awake NY and Outdoor Voices add streetwear flair by pairing performance pieces with stylish, trendy designs for an edgy and fashionable tennis look.
1970-1980
In the 1970s and 80s, strict tennis dress codes loosen as social norms changed, opening up fashion innovation. More vibrant colors, designs and athletic fabrics were welcomed; shorter hemlines with bold patterns began reflecting individual personal styles more directly – from France’s Suzanne Lenglen’s pleated dresses to Spain’s Lili Alvarez’s calf-length pants these styles represented women’s empowerment and freedom from rules-bound dress codes.
Tennis players were increasingly becoming an attraction for sponsors and fans, spurring further interest in the game and fuelling its rise to popularity. Their on-court appearance became an essential marketing strategy. Early competitors would wear uniforms similar to what was expected from them in society at large; Maud Watson won her first Ladies Wimbledon Championship at 19 wearing layers of fabric held together with a corset that held her balls together.
Early tournaments required players to wear all-white clothing, which conveyed a sense of respectability and decorum. Although such strict regulations limited athletic expression, early champions such as Suzanne Lenglen’s pleated white dresses or Jean Borotra’s sweater vest and bow tie underscored elegance and class.
As early as the late 1960s, top players began showing more skin in order to attract a wider following for tennis. Billie Jean King demonstrated this concept through her elegant two-piece ensembles while Chris Evert’s elegant two-piece outfits set trends. Anne White made headlines at Wimbledon 1985 by wearing an all-body catsuit. Meanwhile male players began sporting trendy designs polo shirts that fit with popular culture at that time.
Today’s tennis fashion is closely associated with its playing experience. Players prioritize both functionality and flair when choosing apparel to play the game, from top brands’ apparel that mirrors wider fashion trends while using performance fabrics to improve movement and agility. Athletes even contribute their input by co-designing dresses or starting tennis-inspired fashion brands themselves such as Off-White(tm), Sacai tennis pieces or Nike Premier Slam dresses; tennis style continues to adapt alongside shifting societal values and cultural trends.
1980-1990
At its inception, tennis players were constrained by thick linen fabrics and restrictive corsets that restricted movement and inhibited holding onto a racquet. At Wimbledon’s Ladies Singles Championship in 1887, champion Maud Watson donned multiple layers of white lawn fabric under her whalebone corset which limited her movements while making it harder for her to control her racquet.
As soon as professional players were allowed to compete at Grand Slam tournaments in 1968, they wore clothes that were both practical and less cumbersome. Although an all-white uniform remained, Charlotte “Lottie” Dod sported garb resembling school uniform calf length dresses that allowed her to move more freely during matches while her tight waist dresses often got caught up with her racquet during games – something her opponents considered an unfair advantage for Dod.
After disco music became the dominant trend, tennis apparel underwent significant modernization. Billie Jean King made headlines for wearing an elegant nylon dress designed by Ted Tinling that combined practicality and fashion during her match against Bobby Riggs – something no doubt inspired by disco’s influence on fashion trends at that time.
As tennis players became more mobile, manufacturers responded with short-skirted tennis dresses and sports shirts with less restricting skirts. Rene Lacoste revolutionized tennis apparel through his creation of the polo shirt in 1923 – cutting off sleeves from regular shirts while creating a flat collar featuring his iconic crocodile logo on its pocket for better mobility and more comfortable play. His invention revolutionized tennis apparel while providing better mobility.
By the ’80s, women’s tennis fashion had progressed past long lace dresses and calf-length skirts into sleeveless blouses and skirts with small sponsor logos. Chris Evert introduced two-piece tennis ensembles featuring bold prints into her signature two-piece tennis outfits for two-player tennis games; Martina Navratilova’s short-skirt tennis dresses also helped push boundaries while further advancing gender equality within sport.
High-fashion brands are continually expanding the variety of tennis styles available. Lacoste polo shirts can now be worn off-court with jeans and skirts from jeans retailers like Zara or H&M for off-court wear; designer collections from Celine or Miu Miu incorporate classic tennis style. In fact, a new subculture known as “tenniscore” has arisen on TikTok that blends elements of classic tennis style with streetwear trends and digital-age influences into one subculture that many enjoy participating in.
1990-2000
As tennis has grown into a global sport, and television coverage increased, players’ fashion choices became ever more significant. Athletes began dressing more creatively to express themselves while maintaining traditional uniforms – with Billie Jean King often sporting shorter skirts with customized looks in an effort to push gender equality further; other female tennis stars like Anna Kournikova and Maria Sharapova often wearing sparkling and elegant dresses adorned with lace or ruffles while using lightweight fabrics that do not absorb moisture during matches such as nylon or polyester fabrics that allow them to keep cool and dry during matches.
Men began wearing shorts and collared polo shirts instead of long cardigans and sweater vests that had been their uniform since the late 1800s, thereby changing tennis fashion more casually while creating unique designs with everything from visors and knee-high socks to animal prints being introduced by players.
As the game became a worldwide sensation, clothing manufacturers quickly saw opportunities in outfitting the top players in branded gear ranging from shoes and t-shirts to pants and dresses. Early brands included Fred Perry, Ellesse and Nike as well as Fila and Lacoste – leading to an explosion of sportswear popularity that helped birth modern activewear and ath-leisure fashion fashion trends.
Fashion in the 1990s had taken on an increasingly feminine edge, and top players became known for both their skill on the court and their sense of style. Female tennis stars such as the Williams sisters revolutionized this aspect of tennis with their striking clothing choices like red-and-black lace dresses and revealing catsuits – not to mention pushing limits of sportswear by creating new fabrics which provided breathability while offering protection from injury.
Today’s tennis fashion is constantly evolving with modern culture as young players look for ways to express their individual personalities while remaining true to its traditions. Although classic whites still make an appearance at Wimbledon, athletes no longer feel restricted by restrictive dress codes and are free to create stylish tennis outfits of their own choosing; from sleeveless tops and colorful skirts with bold patterns or jackets with daring cuts or embellishments.