How Tennis Clothing Has Changed

Tennis is a sport that continues to gain in popularity. And there are fashions and research to support the right clothing when you're out on the court. But this was not always the case. Tennis clothing has evolved considerably from when the sport first emerged. Today's clothing focuses more on the sport rather than echoing the fashion of the day.

History

Tennis is a sport that has been played for centuries. Initially created as a hand ball game for monks to play, the monks wore the full habit of their order. When tennis moved more into the mainstream, men and women joined the game. Men wore fashionable attire of the time, including full-length pants, ties and soft soled shoes. Men were required to wear full length pants at Wimbledon up until 1946.
In the 1860s, women's fashions included fur, bustles and full-length skirts. Clothes were made of heavy fabrics, such as serge and wool. It wasn't until the 1930s that women's clothing adjusted by moving hemlines to above the knee and doing away with fur and bustles.
As fashion evolved, so did color choice. White has always been associated with the game of tennis. And the reason is simple--sweat. White does not show sweat as easily as other colors, making it ideal for the relatively upscale sport. Nowadays, technologically advanced fabrics wick sweat away, making color choice more varied for tennis players. And the clothing itself is significantly more revealing than the initial full-length trousers and dresses.

Significance

As the game evolved, so did the clothing. Players today wear clothing built for sport. The clothing is closely fitted to the body and enables movement. The focus of the clothing has moved away from echoing the daily fashion worn on the street to becoming a fashion unto itself. It is driven by tennis stars such as Pete Sampras and the Williams sisters as well as the technology derived in sports labs and on the court.

Types

One of the things that remains true in the evolution of tennis clothing is that men and women dress differently. Men's tennis clothing is more revealing than it once was, allowing men to show their legs. Men typically wear shorts and a short-sleeved top, with the occasional sweater for colder days. But women's fashions have evolved the most. Skirts are still worn, but they're built for action, with panties for coverage and kick pleats for ease of movement. Tops run the gamut from short-sleeved to halters. And sweaters are typically only needed during the warm up. Women still wear dresses, but the focus is again on enabling the player's game, not bowing to any requirements of daily fashion. And fabrics for tennis clothes have changed significantly. Serge and wool were used initially, but the activity of the player requires technologically advanced fabrics that wick sweat away and move easily as the player makes the shot.

Identification

Initial tennis fashion made it difficult to identify that a player was heading for a game. It so closely echoed the fashion of the day that a racket was often the only clue. But today's clothes are easily identified as being worn for sport. A woman running errands at the grocery store is clearly in a tennis dress or skirt, with its shorter length, technical fabric and ability to enable her movement. Similarly, a man in tennis whites is clearly identifiable. From the mid-calf socks to the tennis shorts, you know that the player is on his way to or from the court.
Performance fabrics, including polyester, nylon and spandex, let you stay cool on and off the court. They also keep their shape and retain their color far better than earlier fabrics used for tennis clothing. They're also extremely durable. Look for DriFit, CoolMax or Wickaway when buying your tennis clothes.

Considerations

The advancements in technology make tennis clothes available in an amazing array of colors and choices. But the regular tennis player needs only basic equipment. For men, a few pairs of basic shorts and tops is all that is required. And for women, two tennis skirts in basic colors, such as white and navy or black, with a few simple tops will carry you through many matches. Make sure that you get good shoes with non-marking soles as this is a requirement at all clubs.