When the court meets the street: the fusion of sportswear and tenniswear in street style
It’s not the first time we’ve seen sportswear taken to street style. In today’s fashion, sportswear is no longer exclusive to the courts, but has found its way onto the streets of cosmopolitan cities. What was once considered only functional sportswear has now become a popular trend. This fusion of comfort and urban street style aesthetics has revolutionised the way we dress.
The sportswear has already reached the catwalks and now it is the turn of tennis clothing where fashion brands have presented collections with clear influence to this trend and these are the main ones:
Pleated skirts and dresses are originals from the tennis courts that have found their place in the ‘Street Style’, they are versatile, feminine and have been incorporated in casual styles.
For a casual look, polo shirts and T-shirts with classic collars are halfway between fashion and sport. Creative directors from Louis Vuitton, Lacoste, Gucci, Fred Perry and JW Anderson have reimagined them with different patterns and textures.
The tennis shorts, have become a staple of street style. We usually see them in neutral tones but little by little bolder colours are gaining ground.
Cardigans is a garment that is associated with tennis although it is not explicitly linked to this sport, it is associated with the tennis player Fred Perry as he wore a jumper or wool cardigan on the coldest days and it has remained in the tennis fashion that has been extracted to the street style.
Hats and visors are tennis-inspired accessories, as well as bandanas and wristbands add a sporty touch to any outfit.
Lacoste celebrates its 90th anniversary
Traveling the world and defining French fashion sport, for its 90th anniversary, Lacoste pays tribute to those who promote the spirit of the brand. And one of the most emblematic subcultures of the crocodile brand are the tennis enthusiasts. Therefore, these images in Paris and Seoul perfectly represent the passion and style of the brand, and how sportswear adapts to street style.
The Sportswear brand is a brand of sportswear.
Lacoste’s 90th anniversary campaign inspired by Roland Garros fans in Paris and female tennis players in Seoul.
In Paris on the left, Roland Garros fans, with their hats and polo shirts embodying the timeless elegance, values and spirit of clay-court sport. On the other side of the world, Seoul, tennis is not just a sport, it’s a lifestyle and it’s fashion. We see three players with a more modern air; light pleated skirts, visors and fun socks.
Tennis-inspired looks from Lacoste
Colourful tracksuit looks, pleated long skirts, sleeveless polo shirts and high socks can be combined in a variety of ways to create tennis-inspired street looks.
Louis Vuitton and Carlos Alcaraz
A few days ago we announced Carlos Alcaraz as Louis Vuitton’s new ambassador.The youngest tennis player ever has amassed millions of fans thanks to his charisma, passion and great talent. Champion of his first Grand Slam in 2022, the US Open, he has won several ATP 1000s in 2023: Indian Wells and Madrid. To achieve so much at such a young age is an unprecedented feat: “the truth is that I feel very proud. You could even say it’s a dream for me to be part of the Louis Vuitton family,” Alcaraz says.
Sharing the same philosophy of effort and excellence that distinguishes Louis Vuitton, the Murcia native continues to raise the bar in the world of tennis.
Tennis-inspired looks from Louis Vuitton
Naturally, Louis Vuitton has more than one piece in its tennis-inspired new arrivals. For example, there is a polo dress with the brand’s monogram, a cardigan look and a pleated midi skirt combined with a polo shirt.
Gucci tennis and romance
Echoing the joyful sentiment that comes from a romantic connection, Gucci presents a new campaign called “An ode to love”. Despite not being a sports-centric collection – it is in fact a composition of love – we can see a clear tennis influence in some of the capsule’s garments.
Gucci looks from the tennis-inspired “An Ode to Love” collection
We can see cardigans and tracksuit sets, with romantic motifs, but with inspiration in garments that we see on the tennis courts, as well as a crochet polo-style dress with the collar in Gucci’s emblematic colours or tracksuit shorts.
Fred Perry reinvents the polo shirt with a limited edition with the American brand Pleasures.
Fred Perry joins forces with Pleasures for tennis clothing with one of the most characteristic garments of this trend: the polo. A joint venture between two brands whose identity is associated with the world of subcultures and music, in which Pleasures uses the Fred Perry flagship polo shirt as a blank canvas on which to express its universe. “I think of the idea of open-mindedness, of individuality. There are many subcultures that identify with these values. These ideals represent Fred Perry and Pleasures, and I think they intertwine with each other,” explains Alex James, co-founder of Pleasures.
Fred Perry collection with Pleasures, with the polo shirt as a key piece.
The collection features three limited edition polo shirt styles: star print, skulls and the Pleasures logo. Pleasures, with its fusion of British and American counterculture, has put its stamp on the Fred Perry polo shirt with new graphic versions designed through the fun vision of the Los Angeles brand.
JW Anderson and Roger Federer for Uniqlo
JW Anderson and Roger Federer join forces in a collaboration for Japanese brand Uniqlo. Both partners of the brand, this capsule combines the tennis player’s sporting spirit with Anderson’s best designs. This collection includes a total of nine unisex pieces, with a variety of polo shirts, jumpers, shorts and sports bags. The garments are designed with Uniqlo’s Dry Ex material, which keeps them dry and fresh.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CLOvcekJI8&t=1s
Editorial looks from the JW Anderson and Roger Federer collection by Uniqlo
“I’ve always wanted to have the perfect collection for playing tennis while still being versatile for everyday wear, says Federer. These are garments that can be worn for a relaxed game of tennis as well as around town.
The fusion of sportswear and tennis in street style has taken fashion to a new level of comfort and versatility. Athleisure has revolutionised the way we dress and proved that fashion and function can go hand in hand. From the courts to the catwalks, this trend continues to evolve and set trends in the fashion industry, changing the way we dress and redefining the boundaries between sportswear and street style.
