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Wimbledon Fashion is More Than Just a Polo Shirt

Wednesday 09th of July 2008 06:18:13 AM

At some point last week, centre court at Wimbledon began to look more like a fashion show than a tennis tournament. It was there that we found Serena Williams warming up in a chic, belted, white trench coat under cloudless skies. We found Roger Federer, as Jay Gatsby in a white cardigan with an "F" insignia. And we also found Maria Sharapova getting trounced in a sheer, pleated-front bib top and shorts, known as a tennis tuxedo. Afterward, we heard her opponent, fellow Russian Alla Kudryavtseva say, "I don't like her outfit. Can I put it this way? It was one of my motivations to beat her."

Fans may scoff that fashion is taking over the tournament, but they shouldn't. One of the joys of watching Wimbledon is that it is one of the last bastions of a formal dress code. At Wimbledon, dress whites are still de rigueur and any woman wearing a low-cut top can still be ejected from the court.

Whilst Sharapova's tennis tux isn't likely to make it to any occasion requiring formal wear, it's fascinating to see how players express themselves within the confines of a dress code. This is where and how the most subtle,or not so subtle,gesture can speak volumes. That's what true style is.

One should note that tennis has influenced the way the world dresses unlike any other sport. Our summer uniform of tennis shoes, shorts and Polo Shirts filtered down from the court. And long before Nike, Adidas, Elesse and other sports brands signed multimillion-pound deals to dress players, fashion designers got into the game. The popularity of tennis nudged them to develop sportswear, edging formality out of daily life and the runway. Today, sportswear is a foundation of nearly every major fashion brand.

As the popularity of tennis soared, so did its stars. In fact, French player René Lacoste, nicknamed "the Crocodile" for his fierceness, introduced the Lacoste tennis shirt in 1929 with its embroidered alligator logo. That piqué, collared shirt, now known as the polo shirt became a wardrobe staple for men and women, and the foundation of the Ralph Lauren Empire.

Tennis is once again in fashion. And why not? In tennis, players can compete and look good doing it. Which means the tennis runway isn't likely to go away any time soon.

(c) albert lee,www.sxc.hu