About Men's Tennis Apparel

Men's tennis apparel has evolved over the years, from the seminal Wimbledon matches to today's eagerly awaited, superstar events. While the framework of traditional men's tennis apparel hasn't changed since shorts and tennis shirts became the norm, certainly the styles, colors and functionality have. It wasn't until the 1930s that Bunny Austin broke tradition and unwittingly began the era of wearing shorts on the tennis court.

History

Though games featuring racquets have existed for centuries, the game today known as tennis wasn't invented until the second half of the 1800s. Wimbledon, widely considered the gold standard of tennis tournaments, had its inaugural match in 1877. Early players wore long trousers and sweaters, and all were approved by the rules and regulations established at Wimbledon.

Function

The typical tennis player wears tennis shoes, socks, tennis shorts and a polo-style shirt. However, many players favor headbands and wristbands to help stem the flow of sweat to the hands and face.

Good tennis apparel should provide the following:
Shoes: Grip, cushion, support for the foot
Shirt and shorts: Sweat wicking, non-chaffing, breathability
Socks: Non-irritating, ability to keep feet dry

Time Frame

Wimbledon was over a century old when players started bucking the trend of traditional tennis apparel. While the headbands of John McEnroe and Björn Borg's "short shorts" would be considered heresy by Wimbledon's founding fathers, it was Andre Agassi's use of colors (bucking the trend of traditional "tennis whites") that ushered the age of "rock star" tennis players into vogue.

Significance

As with many European customs, tennis was a traditional game, complete with regulated uniforms. Because sports marketing is now big business, tennis clothing is usually festooned with the logos of the apparel makers. Therefore, the large companies have to tread a fine line of functionality, comfort, regulation and the ability to plaster their logo on it.

Types

The leading manufacturers of tennis apparel are, not surprisingly, the leaders in the overall athletic clothing industry. These include Fila, Nike, Adidas and Reebok. Some of these brands (Fila and Reebok, for example) have helped set a trend with buyers who aren't tennis players, but consider that look fashionable.

Resources

• United States Tennis Association
• Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum
• Nike