There was a time when selecting tennis clothes was quite a simple endeavour; the tradition of wearing tennis whites made the selection process quite streamlined. However, as anyone who follows tennis knows, the days of watching Martina Navratilova or Jimmy Connors take the court wearing all white are long gone, and today's game is one that embraces fashion forward styles and functional fabrics.
Today's best
players, like Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova, are often seen in apparel that
spans the spectrum of colour and fashion; not surprisingly, the rest of the
tennis world has followed suit.
Today's tennis
clothes look great on and off the court, and they are made with performance
fabrics that surpass the cottons of the past in nearly every way. Modern
polyester fabrics like Coolmax™ and Wickaway™ are available in a wide range of
knits and colours, but it is not their style but their utilitarian qualities
that make them so ideal for tennis.
Performance fabrics
– like polyester, nylon, and spandex - breathe unlike traditional textiles
allowing you to stay cool and dry even during the height of summer. Further,
these high-tech fabrics hold their shape and colour much better than their
cotton counterparts, allowing you to look good before, during, and after your
match, and their high durability will allow you to continue to look good in the
future.
Modern textiles are
just one aspect of contemporary tennis clothes; these clothes are fashionable
and functional as well. While there is nothing wrong with wearing traditional
whites to the court, proper tennis attire now includes bright colours and
prints which continue to gain popularity at all levels of the game. Style and
form are important considerations when selecting tennis apparel, but one should
be careful not to ignore function as well as the traditions of the game.
All tennis players
should own a proper warm-up outfit, which is typically a two-piece suit
consisting of long pants and a long-sleeved top. A warm-up outfit helps the
athlete stay warm and get loose before a match, and it is also the
traditionally preferred attire for arrival at the court. Tradition also holds
that warm-up suits should be removed during the actual match unless it happens
to be a very cold day.
During a match, men
should wear tucked shirts and tennis shorts, although more and more the untucked
look is becoming a presence in professional and amateur tennis. Women should
wear short sleeved or sleeveless shirts paired with skirts or skorts – shorts
that have styling that resembles a traditional skirt.
It is important to
note that the traditional tennis attire is still alive and well in some places,
particularly at some tennis and country clubs. If you are invited to play as a
guest at a club, check with the club or your host in order to be certain that
your tennis clothes are appropriate and fitting with their dress code.
No tennis outfit is
complete without the ever-important accessories. Tennis shoes should be sneaker
style, and it is probably best to purchase sneakers that are specifically
designed for tennis. Not only will true tennis shoes perform better, they will
not have black or dark coloured soles which are banned at many courts due to
their tendency to leave dark scuffs on the playing surface. Make sure you
complement your tennis outfit with fashionable socks as well as things like
headbands, hats, or wristbands; all of which will help keep your face and hands
dry and ready for action.
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