Was it historically or were there any other reasons? Why was the uniform of tennis players white?

The first Wimbledon tournament was held in 1877. Its organization was taken over by the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. It was he who came up with the idea of ​​a white uniform for athletes.

For the first tennis games, men chose jackets and flannel pants, while women chose tight corsets, long layered skirts, gloves and sun hats. However, with the development of this sport, players began to wear white cotton and linen, but the clothes were still austere and looked luxurious. Lace inserts and decorative patterns were often found.

White color was chosen for several reasons. It was said to successfully emphasize the social status and wealth of wealthy players, absorb less heat and hide perspiration.

One of the first times players began to think about functionality was during the 1887 Wimbledon tournament. Champion Charlotte Dodd wore a calf-length skirt because she was only fifteen years old. Other, older contestants felt that her clothing gave her an unfair advantage and raised the issue of creating a uniform that would allow for mobility.

Interestingly, men played exclusively in pants, but after tennis player Henry Austin took to the court in shorts in 1932, everyone followed his example. Athletes played in large-knit jumpers and polo shirts, with short sleeves, which were designed by tennis player and founder of the Lacoste brand René Lacoste.

In 1949, the British fashion designer and master organizer of Wimbledon, Ted Tinling, dressed the American Gertrude Moran in provocative shorts with ruffles that appeared from under a short dress.

The rules regarding the appearance of tennis players were revised only in the second half of the 20th century. And it was caused mostly by commercial goals. After all, with the advent of color television, the colorful form attracted more attention.

Between the 1980s and 1990s, tennis uniforms expanded to coveralls and bright cycling shorts. Spandex and other synthetic materials have allowed sports brands to experiment with fabrics and produce more technological tennis apparel.

Almost all Grand Slam tournaments, except Wimbledon, have moved away from the white uniform. However, athletes tried in every way to boycott the rules. For example, Andre Agassi boycotted the tournament from 1988 to 1990. In 2013, Roger Federer played in sneakers with orange soles. Although later he was asked to change his shoes.

Source: gentlemensgazette.com

               mirror.co.uk