Let’s agree that for some time now, tennis is no longer the white sport. Elitist sport like few others in its beginnings, today, con more than 4.5 million players in the countryhas come a long way since those bourgeois beginnings. Currently, among its practitioners, we find individuals from all social strata. If we look at the clubs Buenos Airesthere is something for everyone: more “patrician” clubs, where their members have surnames that we find on most of the streets in the neighborhood of Recoleta; others even more select, where the simple admission process can cost as much as a studio apartment in the Little Horse neighborhood; and others like the ones I grew up in, more accessible to the lady’s wallet and the gentleman’s pocket, where playing tennis does not require crown watches to keep track of the duration of the match, accounts abroad to pay the fee, or multimillion-dollar savings in Bitcoin. However, whatever the social origin of each of us who love this beautiful sport, we should all respect, or at least know, certain styling rules when it comes to tennis fashion. Because if we can’t play well, at least let’s look good.
Yes, tennis is no longer the white sport. But wearing white doesn’t hurt you, or tennis.. White is simple, classic, elegant. You can never go wrong wearing white. Of course, you must stoically endure basic and crude comments such as “Hey, the ice cream man has arrived!” Let them talk, and then, leave them frozen on the court with their exquisite tennis. Let’s dig deeper: Bright or fluorescent colors are for those under 18, or mega-high-dollar young superstars with thick hair like Shelton, Tsitsipas, or Zverev.. You, with all due respect, dear reader, are neither. Let’s respect the ranges. Let’s opt for sobriety. Lean for classic shades, pastel colors, desaturated tones. Say goodbye to egg yellow, vermilion red, parrot green, electric blues. Make friends with navy blue, moss green, olive. Think of it like this: when your tennis level starts to go down, the level of color in your wardrobe should also go down. Understand that you are in a club, not a reggaeton venue. You are going to play tennis, not dance “La Ventanita”. Leave the multicolor where it belongs. In the 90s.
Think of Borg, of McEnroe. In our very Vilas. In Gaby. Think of brands like Tacchini, or Ellesse, or Fila. Italian design. That was truly tennis fashion. Delicate white or cream cotton sweaters with navy blue “pinstripe” style details, wristbands adorned with those classic logos, and non-elasticated tennis shorts, with closure and button, of exact dimensions and precise lengths (we will talk about the ideal length of the short). And to crown such a “fashiotenistic” outfit, those iconic sport jackets in blue, white and red, garments worthy of being worn both on the court and in those modern specialty cafes where people with swing hang out today. That’s the “refe”, boss.
If we talk about tennis styling, the north is in the North. Italian. So much so that, in the last US Openthat mythical brand of the F has relaunched those models from the 80s, with the help of Brandon Nakashima y Emma Navarro. Probably one of the best outfits seen in the tournament, along with the looks of Kostyuk con Wilson o Leylah Fernandez con Lululemon. Do you want more elegance? That of France (second, always). Look at the outfits with which Lacoste dressed its figures at this last Wimbledon. White, immaculate, spotless. Consider that even haute couture brands like Gucci o Brunello Cucinelli They lean towards the class of white in their tennis collections, which are worth what a rental for the season in Saint Therese. I’m not saying I’d invest such a fortune, but take note. Pay attention to Mr. Gucci. When in doubt, white. Look at the tennis bag that the tanos made for Colo Sinner. Beautiful.
To close, if we talk about class, we cannot forget the GOAT. Outfits like that “all black” one with which he raised the 2005 US Open (baptized as Darth Federer), or his look in English green and black with which he wore the Sunshine Double (Miami & Indian Wells) in 2017, are mandatory references for any amateur who wants to get closer to the definitive sophistication of the “Most Stylish Man of the Decade” according to the magazine GQ. Roger is perhaps the most perfect example of class: class in his hits, class in his looks (except for the horrendous brown Uniqlo uniform at RG 2019), class in his person.
That was all for today. We will resume this talk. But before we say goodbye, let’s review: Remember that after your twenties, less is more.. Do you want to attract the attention of your club mates? Do it with your tennis, not with the use and abuse of color. Let the white of your outfit be the canvas to decorate with your tennis brushstrokes. Don’t invest in loud equipment. Invest better in some classes with the teacher. They are never too much. Particularly because since I started writing this column in the club bar, I already saw him throw a dozen setbacks towards Figueroa Alcorta.
PD: The length of men’s tennis shorts must be two fingers above the knee. But never as short as Leopoldo Jacinto Luque’s in the ’78 final. Leave those type of shorts for youngsters like Rune, who have legs to show. I repeat, slightly above the knee. And never, but never ever, the shorts below the knee. An aberration (I’m talking to you, Sampras’ Nike pants circa 1995). Below the knee, never. That neither you nor I won 14 Roland Garroswe are neither on a beach in Floripa with a surfboard under our arm, nor are we in 1992 going to see the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Stand on the palm tree, will you?
