With Wimbledon 2024 fast approaching and the release of Luca Guadagnino’s hotly anticipated new film Challengers on the horizon, tennis fashion is once again at the top of the cultural agenda. Tenniscore, all pleated white skirts, flirty visors and preppy sweater vests, is the off-court story of the summer. Which is ironic, because on court, it’s a fashion free for all, with bold prints, futuristic fluoros and technical fabrics up against all-white looks so nostalgic they’ll have you reaching for a wooden racquet. Whatever your look – and whatever your level – we’ve found the best tennis and après-tennis looks of the season.
The Tennis Fashion Brands To Know
L’Etoile Sport
Picture the timeless chic of a Ted Tinling tennis dress – it was his iconic designs that Chris Evert and Billie Jean King wore on Centre Court back in the day – but made up in today’s technical fabrics. That’s the feeling behind New York activewear label L’Etoile Sport, whose pristine lace and broderie-trimmed collection should be top of the list for anyone whose club rules stipulate ‘all white’. When Molly Rodgers, costume designer on Sex and the City reboot And Just Like That, needed tennis apparel for Charlotte, she turned to L’Etoile Sport. Enough said.
Sporty & Rich
There’s an element of make-believe to the tenniscore trend that Sporty & Rich understands better than anyone. The slim terry polos, 90s-style hoodies and retro tracksuits encourage us to give it some swagger whether we’re serving out the match or meeting friends for brunch. Sporty & Rich stay ahead of their many high street imitators by using sharper cuts, better fabrics and madder colours – this season’s tomato red and imperial blue are particularly delicious.
Casablanca
There are some pieces in Casablanca’s luxury leisurewear line that are too precious to work up a sweat in. The silk pleated tennis skirt, for instance. Many, however, work as well on court as in the clubhouse afterwards. The Tennis Club Icon T-shirt, and sweats might be merch from an exclusive club in the South of France, while the cropped white waffle knit cardigan is what you’ll be wearing when you raise aloft the Venus Rosewater Dish at Wimbledon. For a change from whites, go for some tropical rainbow brights from their latest SS24 collection, which was inspired by the magnetism of Nigeria.
Palmes
Worn by tennis bros on and off court from Hackney to Brooklyn to Silver Lake, Palmes is a young Copenhagen brand that reflects what urban tennis looks like today. The hoodies and T-shirts hint at the wearer’s skateboarding past – real or pure fiction – but in a palette that is very ‘tennis’: white, navy, dark green, soft grey. Even if you don’t do outsize menswear, you’ll love the accessories. The Vilas illustrated tennis towel is a piece of art, and the roomy totes are an insouciant alternative to an ugly racket bag.
Recreational Habits
Preppy fashion can be *deep breath* problematic. Black-owned fashion brand Recreational Habits advances a ‘new American prep’, a look that is both aspirational and relevant. The cropped ‘Billie’ windbreaker and ‘Williams’ cropped crew are classic shapes with a bit of attitude, and in the monogrammed cardigan and shorts – shades of Roger Federer – you will positively own the court. Browns Fashion has an edit.
Laurel Canyon Tennis Club
If LCTC were a real club, we’d be paid-up members. The female-founded Californian activewear brand takes its inspiration from 1970s psychedelia to bring counterculture to the courts. The signature prints are suitably mind-bending, with amorphous racquets mixed with mushrooms and flowers, and peace sign balls swirled into a trippy paisley. The collection includes flippy skirts, wrap dresses, bra tops and leggings and biker shorts with good sized pockets, all made of recycled polyester. In the UK, find them at Wolf and Badger.
The Wimbledon Collection
Dressing the part is central to the Wimbledon experience, whether you’re there to play tennis or just to watch it. With the latter in mind, the All England Lawn Tennis Club has its own semi-formal capsule collection featuring cable knit sweater vests, Oxford shirts and dresses. This year’s performance collection, meanwhile, includes pared-back sweatshirts eye-catching block colour designs.
Lululemon
In a mark of their commitment to the game, Lululemon recently signed their first ever tennis ambassador in the form of 21-year-old Canadian phenom Leylah Fernandez. Seeing her execute slick drop shots in the lip gloss pink mesh pleat skirt would inspire anyone to pick up a racquet. The four-way stretch fabrics are made for action and are super quick-drying (useful if you’re packing for a tennis holiday). To single out a couple of pieces: we love the well cut and beautifully drapey trackpants and note that the signature Court Rival skirt goes up to a UK24.
P.E Nation
Streetwear-inspired Aussie brand P.E Nation has all your kit covered, from snow gear to swimsuits to sports bras. The aesthetic is urban, dynamic, high-performance. Striking features include mesh, cut-outs, animal print, flashes of neon and branded jacquard elastic. The Volley skirt in black or pale pink recycled polyester is fashionable and functional thanks to a built-in bike short layer and handy side pockets. Singlets, tanks, and rib tops are your on-court co-ords.
