Centre court at the Wimbledon Championship.
Wimbledon is one of the four grand slam tennis tournaments, because of its legendary location and history. Year in and year out, it showcases the top players in the world. With its long history, Wimbledon has carried many of its traditions throughout time. Tennis is a gentleman's sport, and to uphold this standard, Wimbledon requires all players in the club to wear white for respect. This rule is rumored to have began in the early 1800s. It is said that women had to wear white to avoid embarrassment if their colored clothing showed pit stains. This fashion rule has been carried through the years and still resonates in Wimbledon's prestigious tournament.
Tennis outfits worn at Wimbledon from the early 1900's. The picture to the left shows a women's outfit. The picture to the right shows men's outfits.
When visiting Wimbledon, you have the option to tour their Lawn Tennis Museum as well. This is the largest tennis museum in the world. This museum houses many Wimbledon treasures, such as championship trophies and antique tennis outfits.
In the early 1900's, women discarded their tight and uncomfortable corsets while playing tennis. These women decided to wear clothing that allowed them to move freely and also dress with a sense of style. What you wore on the court became just as important as how you played. Fashion designers began to promote their brands by dressing the top athletes in their clothing.
Men's clothing around the 1920s and the 1930s was known for being fashionable, yet laid-back. Men still wore long pants, because the debut of shorts on the tennis court experienced much backlash. The white jacket in the picture above was worn by French tennis player René Lacoste. He was nicknamed 'The Crocodile' by the press because of a bet about a crocodile handbag he made with an teammate. This nickname helped him start his own tennis shirt brand in 1929. His brand became known for its iconic crocodile logo, and it was named Lacoste.
Tennis outfits worn by top athletes at Wimbledon.
Sponsorships are a large part of the sport industry, and tennis is no exception. Athletes all around the world are sponsored by famous fashion brands to wear their clothing, and promote their brand. These athletes become known for the clothing labels they promote, and their names become synonymous with the brands.
Any Murray, a famous British tennis player, is known for his partnership with Adidas. The picture in the top left, shows Andy Murray's signed outfit worn during the 2013 Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship. Andy Murray became the first British player in 77 years to win this title. His classic all-white outfit is the symbol of Wimbledon fashion.
Serena Williams and Petra Kvitova are sponsored by one of Adidas' main competitors, Nike. Serena's outfit, is shown in the middle picture, and Petra's outfit is shown in the picture to the right. Serena Williams is not only known for being one of the best women athletes in the world, but also for her great sense of style on the court. Serena wears Nike clothing, but also designs fashion lines for the brand as well. Serena has created fashionable tennis outfits and shoes. You can see her line of clothing for Nike here.
Novak Djokovic is known for his Uniqlo partnership. His Uniqlo tennis outfit is shown in the picture to the right. Djokovic wears Uniqlo clothing both on and off the court. When shopping in a Uniqlo store, you can find Novak Djokovic's own department. It contains all of the clothing he has helped create for this brand. He also has his own Uniqlo website. His Uniqlo website sells all of his tennis clothing he has created for this brand.
Clothing sold in the Wimbledon Tennis Gift Shop.
When you finish touring the Wimbledon courts and Lawn and Tennis Museum, you can bring home your own piece of the iconic Wimbledon fashion. The Wimbledon Logo contains the words "The Championships Wimbledon", and two tennis rackets. The logo represents the two competitors on each side of the court, and the greatness of the Wimbledon tournament. This symbol reinforces the history and significance of this world-famous tennis tournament. When shopping, don't forget to buy your all-white outfits to continue this historic tradition.
