Tennis and Fashion?

This series is meant to inform readers of the undeniable presence of fashion in multiple fields.

Tennis is undeniably intertwined with fashion in many ways, recently indicated by Maria Sharapova's collaboration with Nike as well as Serena William's much anticipated "Queen" collection, created by Off-White's Virgil Abloh in partnership with Nike. But how exactly has fashion shaped tennis over the years?

Tennis is undeniably intertwined with fashion in many ways

In 1833, René Lacoste founded La Soicété Chemise Lacoste, producing the all famous tennis shirt with a small embroidered crocodile on the chest. Lacoste's truly unique style quickly caught on, as female tennis player - Suzanne Lenglen - started scandalising crowds with her on-court fashion sense, consisting mostly of her "revealing" sleeveless and knee-showing tennis dresses designed by Jean Patou.

Lacoste's truly unique style quickly caught on

Most of these outfits were purely white, a quintessentially tennis colour. It was only until the 1970s that sportswear brands began embracing other colourful options and these brands consisted mostly of Ellesse and Fila. Throughout the 70s, the skirts of female tennis players became shorter and more colours were being introduced, replacing the all-white traditional tennis attire.

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The shift in tennis attire is also greatly due to the rapid technological advancements of the late 20th century, allowing for more breathable, versatile, and comfortable clothes to be worn by athletes. This caused the introduction of massive sportswear brands such as Nike and Adidas, allowing for promotion and sponsorship for players.

The truth is that tennis players are now able to use media leverage to show both their charm and talent, thanks to their varied and occasionally bold outfits.

So, now in 2018 (as mentioned before) several exciting collaborations are taking place. This tight bond between professional players and sportswear brands is due to the daring nature of earlier players such as Lenglen and Lacoste who pushed the boundaries of accepted sportswear and defied expectations.

*Information: http://www.vogue.it/en/news/encyclo//fashion/t/fashion-in-tennis?refresh_ce=

https://theglowup.theroot.com/on-the-court-in-off-white-serena-williams-and-virgil-a-1828534040

thanks for reading ;)