It’s a significant factor in the endurance of Ralph Lauren, a longtime purveyor of tennis looks and now the official outfitter of both the US and Australian Open, as well as Wimbledon. It’s the reason Fila collaborated with designer Brandon Maxwell on a tennis range, and why Gucci and Adidas partnered on a sellout series, too.
Streetwear attitude meets a bygone era in the Arthur Ashe range, named after the legendary player.
In Australia, P.E. Nation and The Upside both debuted tennis-centric collections this year. It’s no surprise that after focusing on yoga, running and strength training, they turned their attention to the court – and style was very much to the fore. The Upside’s tennis garb, in particular, played with grass green colours and Pimm’s pink, dialling up the retro chic of the game’s aesthetic.
Tennis is the rare sport where jewellery is encouraged (tennis bracelets, too, are back), adding a frisson of glamour. Wintour plays regularly and makes frequent appearances at grand slams. Her late colleague, Andre Leon Talley, played too, in Damon Dash pants, shirts from Ralph Lauren and a vintage Piaget watch.
Talley’s court performance was more style than substance, and that’s OK. He is one of the memorable outliers who have successfully experimented with tennis fashion.
But in the main, tennis is chic because it has rules, not despite them. And its relatively narrow wardrobe is the very definition of minimalism. White trousers, a classic polo, a V-neck sweater: game, set, match.
The summer issue of Fin Magazine is out on Friday, October 14 inside The Australian Financial Review.
