An Ode to Tennis, On Court and Off

The U.S. Open has been getting plenty of airtime at our house this year. My daughter plays for school, so we already follow the game, and this week gave me another excuse to look at the clothes around it.

There’s something especially good about late-70s tennis dressing. The clothes were athletic, though they still carried shape, femininity and a strong sense of design. White dominated, which made the smaller details matter even more: a belt, a stripe of color, a visor cutting cleanly across the look. In this image, that red visor does exactly that. It pulls the whole thing into focus and turns an otherwise simple white tennis look into a masterclass in sporty chic.

If I were heading to a tournament, I’d keep it simple: a white Ralph Lauren tee dress, wedge sandals, a straw fedora, a structured bag, and a dangle earring that still hangs onto a little bit of summer. SPF comes with me because several hours outside settles that question quickly.

The 1928 McCall illustration has its own kind of panache. The white dress and scarf set are simple, graphic, and surprisingly current. I could easily visualize this today.

Many of the spectator looks are served by those who clearly know what they’re doing. There’s a styling sensibility that’s hard to pin down, which is part of the appeal. Nothing lands too squarely in one camp. It just looks right, with a kind of effortless self-assurance. The best examples acknowledge the setting and leave it there. Nobody needs to look as though they’re waiting to be called into the doubles draw.

This larger moodboard gets into the details I like most: white broken up with cream, navy and black, a sweater over the shoulders, hair pulled back, and clothes that can handle the heat and still look sharp. There’s something about tennis dressing that lends itself to this mix of ease and structure. September is a good month for all of it, when it’s still warm enough for summer clothes but you can start adding a little more weight and texture. A fine knit, a darker bag or a scarf is usually enough to shift the whole look forward.

Actual tennis clothes have a lot going for them off the court too. They’re lightweight, moisture-wicking and built for movement, which makes them an easy answer when you want to look sharp and still feel comfortable. Just add a bag, glasses, a scarf, and a great pair of earrings, and suddenly the whole thing feels pulled together with minimal effort.

My second styleboard takes another look from the spectator’s side, this time with a little more color and stark black accessories for contrast. I’d start with a striped shirt dress, then add dark, angular sunglasses, a structured black bag, simple gold hoop earring and serious SPF for a long afternoon in the stands. It’s pulled together without feeling overworked, and it still makes sense while the late-summer heat refuses to subside.

Tennis has always moved easily between uniform and fashion, which is why so many of its clothes make sense off court too. The line is already there: clean shapes, breathable fabrics, and pieces made to move in. Add the right bag, sunglasses, a scarf or a really good pair of earrings, and suddenly it’s not tennis dressing at all. I can think of very few sporting wardrobes with that kind of range.