June is near an end and Tennis is in the air. This week marked the beginning of the 123rd Wimbledon Tennis tournament. Having run since 1877, with a pause here and there for a World War or two, The Championships (as it is formally named) is seen as the most prestigious of the four Grand Slam Titles. Yet tennis is not the only attraction to behold on these grassy courts. For decades, Wimbledon’s competitors have often used the world stage to silently announce new trends in fashion. Here is a (very) brief history:
Players in the traditional Tennis whites
19th – Early 20th Century: Male players don tennis whites, which consisted of long-sleeve button up shirts, flannel trousers and ties (all in white). Women wore full-length dresses. Problems often arose with regards to ease of play.
1919: Suzanne Lenglen makes several changes to the traditional women’s uniform, the most noticeable of which is a revealing frock barely reaching her knees described as “shocking and indecent.” The days of the corset are over.
Women playing in full dresses
1928: French player Rene Lacoste wins his second Wimbledon title, this time donning a self-designed ‘tennis shirt’ featuring short sleeves, loosely knit cotton, a flat protruding collar and only a few buttons at the neck. This style, today known as the polo shirt, is seen as a huge success as it alleviated many of the problems with the earlier more cumbersome uniform.
1949: Gertrude “Gorgeous Gussy” Moran plays in a regulation white dress but with a lace trimmed underwear peeping from underneath. Photographers stoop low to get a peak.
Sweedish star Björn Borg was known hor his headbands and flowing locks.
1975: Arthur Ashe lifts the Wimbledon trophy above a perfectly-style afro after winning the tournament for the first time. He is the only black male player to have won the Gentlemen’s singles component of the tournament.
1991: After being reprimanded for wearing a hot pink uniform at the previous year’s French open, Andre Agassi reveals a classic white uniform at Wimbledon to massive applause.
2000 – Present: Tennis icons Venus and Serena Williams are noted for their daring fashion statements during the tournament. Roger Federer and Rafel Nadal, on court rivals, are also noted for their vastly different fashion styles.
The Williams Sisters have been popular for their stylish (and sometimes daring) ensembles.
Of course it was Lacoste’s innovation that probably made the most lasting impact on the world of fashion, and today you can find a great many brands creating their own rendition of the tennis/polo shirt including (you guessed it) Polo Ralph Lauren. If ever you get a chance to stop by the Village you should definitely go scope some of them out (Fred Perry isn’t too bad of a bet either).
Hope everyone is enjoying the tournament!
Tags: Bjron Borg, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Tennis, Venus Williams, Wimbldeon
