In 1528, King Henry VIII built his first tennis court.
Of course, there is no way to know what he wore to play tennis back then, but I would guess it looked something like the wardrobe room from “Shakespeare in Love.”
About 300 years passed and someone finally came up with the “croquet sandal,” featuring a laced canvas top with a rubber sole. The original sneaker offered players a solution to those unsightly grass stains. In the late 1800’s women playing tennis begin dressing in 
aristocratic style: ground-grazing skirts with voluminous bustles, corsets, high necklines, and floppy hats.
All of which sounds REALLY uncomfortable to me.
In 1919, Suzanne Lenglen won Wimbledon in a knee-length dress with three-quarter sleeves and a widely imitated bandeau. Women reportedly walked out, calling the display “shocking.” V-neck sweaters were a slam for the men and before we knew it, tennis was changed by the croc!
René Lacoste earns the nickname “the Crocodile” after he makes a pre-match bet over a crocodile-skin suitcase. He later has a croc emblem embroidered onto his shirts and blazers. Thus we have that amazing brand we know as Lacoste! Who knew it started as a tennis brand??
1949 is what changed it all for the women. “Gorgeous” Gussy Moran scandalizes Wimbledon by revealing lace-
trimmed panties beneath her skirt. Photographers were lying flat on the ground in order to shoot her bloomers. So, THANK YOU, Gussy! Who doesn’t love tennis skirts?
Now keep in mind, color had yet to make an appearance on the court. White-on-white was the fashion must and still is at certain clubs (including those great Wimby Whites). 1970 ended the no-color era and pastels were permitted at the US Open.
Since then, we have been introduced to headbands, hot pinks, liatards, bodysuits, leopard print, and even Swarovski crystals, inspired by the Manhattan skyline. As you can see, fashion is a very important part of tennis and it seems to be bigger than ever.
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer both have collections with Nike. Nadal with the ever popular Courtballistic shoes and the Rafa Bull on the front of every shirt we see. And as far as Federer goes, if you don’t know what the RF on every hat, shirt and visor stands for, then you might have been asleep for the past few years. 
Don’t worry ladies, the women are making statements left and right too, and their statements are a little more bold. We have seen full-body cat suits (and NO Halle Berry is not taking up tennis), lace, leather and everything else that does not belong on the court.
However, Venus Williams is on the fashion move with her own line – EleVen. The collection covers a wide spectrum, from performance apparel to lounge wear, accessories and footwear.
An amazing forehand and killer overhead will get you a few notches in the Win Column, but how you look while doing it is just as important!
So, who are you wearing?
