It’s a spectacle to behold, the stands are packed, the supporters have come out in their thousands and the court will host players set to do battle with the green ball. As the ball flies from one end of the court to the other at 150 miles per hour plus, the only trail left in its wake is the player chasing the perfect return shot.
Tennis has come a long way where spandex runners, lace up skirts and even the occasional fur outfit graced the court with its presence. Retro tennis fashion saw bright colours and even simple plain white coupled with pinstripes. Tennis has always been a fashionable affair with players sporting the newest looks from their sponsors.
It’s uncertain as to whether or not tennis fashion has carved its own unique trends throughout the ages. With the French and Australian open calendar highlights where the fashion gets bolder and louder each year, we are also seeing a big return to the classic days of tennis. Brands are reinventing retro tennis fashion and the results are inspiring.
Tennis Fashion Is In Throwback
It’s active wear at its best, big brands are on the fashion bandwagon and at the moment the bandwagon is leaning towards a full on 70’s throwback vibe. We are living in the age of hipsters, online betting and fully-fledged thrift shopping and this is being filtered down into tennis fashion with surprising results.
A clear example of this is a collar shirt carefully crafted by sports giant Adidas. It’s plain white with thin vertical pin striping and thoughtful consideration to the neon stripes on the collar leave you asking where the disco ball is.
Headbands accompany this fashionable trend and it’s no longer made to fit snugly around your head, instead it’s big, bold and subtly colourful. The headbands of the past are staging a great comeback on some star players and they look incredible when coupled with the correct shirt like the one explained above.
Geometric Steadiness
The 70’s are redesigned in modern tennis fashion with a new golden age of clothing that looks sharp yet throws back with a modern twist. There’s a golden thread running through all modern tennis fashion clothing and that golden thread is found in nearly all outfits worn at all the major tennis tournaments.
The golden thread I am on about is that even though tennis fashion today has undergone a throwback session to the 70’s, the clothing on offer never fails to stamp itself as a proud modern original. We haven’t gone back in time and used the same cuts of clothing rather brands have set themselves apart as modern day retro rebels by incorporating distinct geometric patterns into modern types of clothing. The geometric patterns are minimalist yet stylish, stamped with the brands signature on the garment. It’s all very simple and straightforward, which makes the piece of clothing eye catching and unique.
Colours Still Fly High
One undeniable trend that is still apparent is the bright colours that are found on the court, particularly in the women’s division. With the 70’s being very much about neons and oversized hair styles, women’s tennis fashion has incorporated a serious of outrageous colours into the active wear. Just have a look at the Australian or French open and the colourful outfits on the court that tell a story of fully fledged colour from the 70’s.
Look At The Bright Soles
Both men’s and women’s tennis fashion has taken a twist throughout the ages, only to land at a cross roads where we are looking back to look forward. One department where tennis fashion is bold, loud and proud is the shoes that accompany outfits.
Tennis shoes were traditionally all white and pristine. Finely manicured, set to match the outfit on hand. It’s a different ball game today and we can see that there is s big movement away from all whites. Many athletes make statements with bold pinks, neon’s, greens, blues and the rest of the rainbow on tennis shoes. I think it’s great, it adds a playful element to the outfit and it allows the player to let his or her personality come through.
All tennis players are individually spirited and no one person is the same. By providing players with colourful alternatives to the traditional tennis wear we allow them to express their individual personalities. Even though we are looking to the past for tennis fashion inspiration I think we are moving forward as a society where we are more tolerant of what people wear and how they reflect themselves to the public.