A Brief History of Tennis Whites
Wimbledon is back, and tennis whites are ruling fashion on and off the courts.
The 2022 Wimbledon Championships arrived at the perfect time during the resurgence of trending tennis whites. Although the first Wimbledon tournament dates back to 1877, tennis whites have become one of the hottest clothing trends on and off the court in 2022 thanks to the popularity of athleisure over the past year.
The colour white was chosen for tennis uniforms for a variety of reasons. White reflects light better, thereby retaining less heat, so it had a practical use, but it was also a symbol of elitism. Associated with the wealthy, tennis whites concealed sweat but absorbed dirt, which wasn’t an issue for the upper class, because either they didn’t work at all, or they had “white collar” jobs and could afford to keep their whites clean, as opposed to those with manual labour jobs.
Today, the sport of tennis encompasses those of all socioeconomic backgrounds, but white continues to represent prestige. Tennis uniforms may be light and comfortable now, but the focus of the sport wasn’t always performance. Join L'OFFICIEL as we delve into the sartorial history of the sport.
12th Century to 16th Century
The sport of tennis dates back to the 12th century, when monks would hit balls back and forth using just their hands. Eventually, in the 15th century, the game developed into “jeu de paume,” which translates to “game of the palm,” AKA the indoor precursor of tennis in which players used paddle bats as rackets. This version of the game was played by French and English royals, such as King Henry VIII, who wore tights and breeches on the court.
18th Century to 19th Century
It only took a few centuries for tennis to make its way over to the US, but in the 18th century, the game started to look like the modern version we know today. Upper-class Americans began playing tennis in their fancy but uncomfortable day clothes: bustles with corsets, dress hats, and gloves for women, and blazers and formal trousers for men.
1870s
Finally, tennis whites were born. Players began to wear white cotton and linen, but the clothes were still restrictive and made to look high-end, so the dresses designed were court-length and embroidered. As the tennis court was one of the public spaces where it was appropriate for men and women to interact, fashion became intertwined with tennis as both parties wanted to present themselves well.
In 1877, the first Wimbledon tournament was hosted by the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club near London, in which the dress code was tennis whites, and the only matches were men’s singles.
1880s
By 1884, doubles matches and women’s matches were added to the Wimbledon lineup and things started to get interesting. Charlotte Dod, competing in the women’s singles championship in 1887 at just 15 years old, was permitted to wear calf-length clothing and a less restrictive shirt and no corset because of her age. She went on to win a title, and older players believed she was given an unfair advantage because these whites allowed her to move more freely.
1910s to 1940s
Similarly, in 1919, 20-year-old French player Suzanne Lenglen was also criticised for getting creative with her whites. She wore a short-sleeve shirt, calf-length skirt, and brimmed hat in her Wimbledon matches. Another power move for women in tennis, she won the tournament in this very outfit, and eventually eight total Grand Slam titles.
Again, in 1949, American tennis player Gertrude Moran’s request to wear a colourful dress in her Wimbledon match was denied. Instead, she sported a short dress that she knew would reveal her lace knickers when running on the court.
1980s to 2010s
Attempting to avoid wearing tennis whites at Wimbledon wasn’t smooth sailing for men, either. Andre Agassi, famous for his colourful neon tennis wear, boycotted Wimbledon from 1988 to 1990 in an attempt to combat the organiser's restrictive rules.
Similarly, Roger Federer faced criticism for wearing orange-accented sneakers on the Wimbledon court in 2013.
Today
Although the tennis whites mandate is still in place, tennis players have gotten creative with their outfits. For instance, Serena Williams wore a white knit dress that featured 34 Swarovski crystals at Wimbledon in 2019.
Tennis is perhaps the most influential sport in the fashion world, seen all over Instagram and TikTok today. Trending styles include white pleated skirts, collared tanks and dresses, and tennis polos. Adjacent to the preppy trends prevalent this summer, tennis-inspired clothes continue to bring a sense of prestige and athleticism to fashion.
