In 2005 men’s tennis apparel saw changes that have perhaps been influenced by the daring women’s tennis apparel.  We have recently seen men running around the tennis courts in Capri pants and peek-a-boo cutouts on their tight lycra muscle shirts.  Colors of hot pink on black have made their debut in men’s tennis apparel.

Women’s tennis apparel has followed a similar path beginning with the very modest long, flannel, and bustled skirts, corsets covered by blouses with high collars and neckties, and skimmer hats.  In 1884, Maud Watson won the first Wimbledon Ladies’ Championship in tennis apparel of white, full-length, bustled two-piece dresses.  That began a long run in white tennis apparel and hem lengths which kept going up.

Lottie Dodd was a 15-year-old Wimbledon competitor in 1887.  Her skirts, which happened to be part of her school uniforms, were half-way up to her knees.  In 1905, May Sutton contributed to the shocking boldness of tennis apparel by exposing bare wrists and rolling up the sleeves on men’s shirts she wore.  Those shirts were said to have been her father’s.

By 1914 the hats, corsets, and bustles were gone, but Dorthea Lambert Chambers won seven Wimbledon Championships wearing several layers of starched underslips called petticoats.  Color followed in tennis apparel fashion when Suzanne Langlen wore colorful silk chiffon, short sleeves and white stockings under her calf-length skirts. 

Bustles, corsets, hemlines, sleeves, stockings, long pants, and modesty have disappeared in tennis apparel.  Current tennis apparel worn by stars like the Williams sisters and Dominik Hrbaty are tight, form fitting, cover very little, allow for ease of movement, and are bold like the players who wear them.

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