Wimbledon: A look at fashion on court despite the ‘only white’ rule

Wimbledon: A look at fashion on court despite the ‘only white’ rule

Wimbledon 2022 commences on June 27

Riddhi MapxencarUpdated: Saturday, June 25, 2022, 11:10 PM IST
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Serena Williams wore a sheer dress during 2015 Wimbledon and Rafael Nadal in sleeveless casual t-shirt and bermuda during 2008 Wimbledon |

Wimbledon 2022 commences on June 27. The tennis tournament is known for its strict uniform rules. Players have to wear an all-white outfit including accessories such as caps and wrist bands. Their innerwear, socks, and shoes and their soles also have to be white. The rules permit very little colour for brand logos. Any colour blocks are prohibited.

Despite this, some players have rebelled against the rules. This includes most people’s favourite player Roger Federer who got banned for wearing shoes with bright orange soles. However, there have been instances when stripes and stars on the white have been allowed.

Why white?

Different sources cite different reasons for the rule. White reflects heat and enables the players to remain cool. Unlike loud and attractive colours, white is calming and the sweat stains are not as visible. Some sources also state that in the 19th century, only American and English elites wore white clothing and the working class couldn’t afford to wear white as it dirties easily considering the nature of their work. Tradition-loving Wimbledon stuck by it and put it in their rule book.

The 1930s saw the likes of Fred Perry wearing long pants and polo t-shirts

Fashion through the years

The championship has been played for over a 100 years and through the centuries, there have been some drastic changes. While men wore long pants and full sleeves shirts, women wore full sleeves tops, corsets, and long skirts. In the 1950s, pleated skirts were introduced and the men opted for knee-length shorts and women opted for shorter skirts for practicality. While these players were ridiculed at the time, it is thanks to them that today’s players enjoy liberty in the usage of different silhouettes and lengths of skirts and sleeves in their uniforms. In the 1970s and 80s, men preferred traditional polo shirts and tight-fitting shorts. Perfect example being the tantrum-champ John McEnroe.

Steffi Graf donned a loose t-shirt with a pair of skorts with block prints on its hem during a match in 1989

In the 90s, the women players transitioned to wearing outfits like men like Pete Sampras switched to wearing loose and large bermuda style shorts and casual t-shirts; a style that’s still followed by the likes of Nadal. In 1989 Wimbledon, Steffi Graf donned a loose t-shirt with a pair of skorts that had block prints on its hem. Martina Navratoliva at that time was the only woman to have sported shorts for a couple of seasons. It was in the early 2000s that players such as Anna Kournikova and Maria Sharapova started experimenting with the outfits stylistically.

Martina Navratilova was the only woman to sport shorts for a couple of seasons during the 90s

This led to the introduction of dresses or skirts with short lengths, finer pleats, and racerback necklines. Generally, the brands sponsoring the outfits for the players reveal the kit a few days before the onset of Wimbledon. These brand endorsements are one of the biggest influencers of tennis fashion today. Even with the limitations of an all-white outfit, the brand designers ensure they introduce some style element every year.

Fabric technology

For years, cotton was the preferred fabric for the uniforms. However, now companies experiment with the latest fabric technology to compliment style and function. Sometimes, the uniforms have a second layering of net to add to the style element. Serena Williams is known for her experiments with her clothing. Often, her bloomers are longer than her skirt. In 2015, she wore a sheer paneled dress and a knitted dress with waist cutouts in 2019. Tennis brought us shorter skirts and less restrictive innerwear. Today, it brings trends like bright colour dyed hair, and clothing made from recycled ocean plastic.

(Riddhi Mapxencar is the co-founder of the high end designer label mapxencaRS by Riddhi & Siddhi)

As told to Aakanksha Khandelwal

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