Wimbledon is back, and tennis whites are ruling fashion on and off the courts.

Today marks the return of the Wimbledon <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/travel-living/facts-to-know-coco-gauff-tennis-star-french-open-rihanna" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Championships</a>, after getting cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. But even without the matches, the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/ganni-spring-2020-runway-show-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fashion</a> world still got their Grand Slam fill through 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 2021 thanks to the popularity of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/trend-shopping-sports-outfit-fitness-activewear-luxury-model-off-duty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">athleisure</a> over the past year.
The color <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/white-trend-summer-hailey-bieber-rosie-huntington-whiteley-instagram-style" target="_blank" rel="noopener">white</a> was chosen for tennis uniforms for a variety of reasons. White reflects light better, 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 they either had “white collar” jobs and could afford to keep their whites clean, as opposed to those with manual labor jobs, or they didn’t work at all.
Today, the sport of tennis encompasses those of all socioeconomic backgrounds, but the whites continue to represent prestige. Tennis uniforms may be light and comfortable now, but the focus of the sport wasn’t always on performance. On the first day of Wimbledon, delve into the sartorial history of the sport.

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,” translating to “palm game,” AKA the indoor precursor of tennis in which players used paddle-bats as rackets. This version of the game was played by French and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/royal-couple-age-differences-princess-diana-charles-harry-meghan-markle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">English royals</a>, such as King Henry VIII, who wore tights and breeches on the court.

It only took a few centuries for tennis to make its way over to the U.S., 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 <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/naomi-osaka-tag-heuer-interview-tennis-activism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">women</a>, and blazers and formal trousers for men.

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.
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.

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.

Similarly, in 1919, 20-year-old French player Suzanne Lenglen was also criticized for getting creative with her whites. She wore a short-sleeve shirt, a calf-length skirt, and brimmed hat in her Wimbledon matches. Another power move for <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/tennis-star-naomi-osaka-officially-withdraws-french-open-mental-health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">women</a> 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 colorful 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.

Attempting to avoid wearing tennis whites at Wimbledon wasn’t smooth sailing for men, either. Andre Agassi, famous for his colorful neon tennis wear, boycotted Wimbledon from 1988 to 1990 in an attempt to combat to their restrictive rules.
Similarly, Roger Federer faced criticism for wearing orange-accented sneakers on the Wimbledon court in 2013.

Although the tennis whites mandate is still in place, tennis players have gotten creative with their outfits. For instance, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/off-white-collaboration-serena-williams-nike" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Serena Williams</a> wore a white knit dress that featured 34 Swarovski crystals at Wimbledon in 2019.
Tennis is perhaps the most influential sport on the fashion world, seen all over <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/12-popular-instagram-fashion-brands-online-shopping" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/tiktok-stylists-addison-rae-charli-damelio-fashion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a> today. Trending are white <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/spring-2021-fashion-trends-pleats-instagram" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pleated</a> skirts, collared tanks and dress, and tennis polos. Adjacent to the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/preppy-trends-summer-loafers-cardigans-blazer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">preppy trends</a> prevalent this summer, tennis-inspired clothes continue to bring its sense of prestige and athleticism to fashion.

A Brief History of Tennis Whites

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