🎾 From Whites to Elegance: The Birth of Tennis Fashion

How tennis whites and early pioneers shaped the sport’s timeless aesthetic

The Origins of Tennis Elegance

When lawn tennis first emerged in the late 19th century, it was not only a sport—it was a social ritual. Matches were played at garden parties, and etiquette mattered as much as forehands. Women wore long skirts, puffed blouses, and wide-brimmed hats; men played in full trousers and long-sleeve shirts. The signature “tennis whites” tradition took hold because white fabrics disguised sweat and reflected a sense of propriety in Victorian society.

 

Suzanne Lenglen: The First Style Icon

By the 1920s, French champion Suzanne Lenglen transformed tennis attire—and the sport itself. Rejecting the heavy, floor-length skirts, she competed in calf-length pleated skirts, sleeveless tops, and a bold silk headband. On court, she paired grace with flair, inspiring fashion houses and shocking conservative critics. Lenglen proved that athleticism and glamour could coexist, paving the way for women athletes to express individuality.

FUN READING: https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/about_wimbledon/history_1920s.html

René Lacoste and the Polo Revolution

In the same era, René “the Crocodile” Lacoste reshaped men’s fashion. Tired of stiff dress shirts, he designed a short-sleeved, lightweight knit with a soft collar—the world’s first tennis polo shirt. What began as performance wear quickly became a global lifestyle staple, symbolized by the crocodile logo. Today, the polo remains one of the most enduring crossovers between tennis and everyday fashion.

Wimbledon and the Codification of White

What began as custom became law: Wimbledon, tennis’s most prestigious stage, required “predominantly white” attire from the 1880s onward. By 1963, the rule hardened into “almost entirely white”—a dress code that still defines Centre Court today. While players elsewhere experiment with neon and bold colors, Wimbledon remains a bastion of tradition.

The Lasting Legacy

From Victorian modesty to Lenglen’s daring elegance and Lacoste’s pragmatic chic, tennis fashion has always balanced performance with poise. The “whites” rule may have started as etiquette, but it became identity—elevating tennis into a sport forever linked with elegance. This foundation set the stage for every later rebellion: Björn Borg’s headbands, Agassi’s neon, Serena’s catsuits.

 

✨ At Aura Tide Collective, we draw inspiration from this timeless lineage—where athletic precision meets style that lasts beyond the court.

 

References / Further Reading