THE STUDIOLO: Tennis Anyone?

The first round of the US Open officially kicks off today, with a bunch of big names playing. In honor of the tournament, I'd been planning this tennis-inspired post for a while, then Apartment Therapy beat me to the punch last week! They even used the clever title I planned to use. Damn! :) No matter. I am not deterred; today we're looking at tennis imagery through the years.

First, a little tennis and fashion history. The New York Times blog had a nice montage showing the evolution of women's and men's tennis fashion through the years:

But, I'd like to go into some detail. Tennis became popular among English aristocrats in the 1860s. Outfits were all white, with women in long dresses and corsets. Wimbledon was the first tournament. Tennis caught on in America in the 1880s, with the first tournament at the Newport Casino in Newport, RI in 1881.

From left: 1881 Tennis Dress in Harper's Bazaar, via Fuzzy Lizzie Vintage Clothing; Right: 1895 images from Tennis Forum

In the early and mid-1900s, tennis fashion became a little less restrictive for women – knee-length skirts, cardigans and silk stockings! – when Suzanne Lenglen started playing without petticoats or corsets. She wore outfits by French couturier Jean Patou, which were likened to ballet costumes. Lenglen loved her bandeaus and fur coats:

Early 1900s

1920s

How great is this stylized poster from 1921?

In the 1930s, women began to play with bare legs and ankle socks (scandalous!) and skirts became a little shorter, although miniskirts were still thirty years away.

Left: Jean Harlow; Right: Jack Crawford

Keds' reproduction of the 1934 "Court Ace" are currently en vogue and available for purchase here:

The women in these photos look a little less carefree than those in the 1940s Simplicity patterns, but the basic shape of the styles are there:

Tennis wear in the 1950s was much like styles seen off the court, especially with men and their preppy sweaters!

Apparently, professional player Joy Gannon broke the all-white clothing rule in the 1950s, but I wasn't able to find an image of the number she wore, designed by Ted Tinling, which only had a purple HEMLINE. Hardly a breach, in my opinion.

Much like street fashion, 1960s tennis fashion saw much shorter hemlines on the ladies. The men weren't exactly wearing oversized outfits, either!

Left: Outfits designed by Tinling; Right: Roy Emerson

In the 1970s players wore what their sponsors provided for them, thus becoming walking advertisements for various sportswear and footwear companies. Outfits for both men and women became shorter and tighter. I LOVED the socks with the little balls on the backs, see the top right photo:

Clockwise from left: Converse ad, 1978; Image Unknown, Chris Evert, Arthur Ashe

In the 1980s and 1990s, during a fitness craze, breathable fabrics and second-skin clothing was all the rage (remember Jane Fonda?) for women. For men, shorts started getting longer and shirts looser:

Pete Sampras

During this time, fashion magazines began treating players to celebrity-style covershoots and encouraging more raciness. With her tiny outfits and hot bod, Anna Kournikova attracted a huge following, despite the fact that she never actually won a grand slam tournament.

Left: Bjorn Borg on the July 14, 1980 cover of Sports Illustrated; Right: Anna Kournikova

So here we are, about 150 years since the beginning of tennis. More than ever, players are bringing in their personal style into their tennis outfits, from warm-up gear...

Outerwear via Daily Mail

...to tournament wear:

Serena Williams' Harajuku-style via Tennis Runway. Serena has really pioneered a new sense of fashion for women's tennis wear. She's always sporting a unique outfit!