Luca Guadagnino’s Challenger saw a soar of interest and surge in flirty visors, cute ponytail caps, dainty ruffled crew socks and flattering skort sales.
But tennis is not all Lacoste, Loewe tennis ball heels, vintage-inspired V-neck sweaters, sweater vests, popped-up collars, up-to-moment trainers, cool design wristbands, Brunello Cucinelli’s latest “sportivo chic” capsule, and broderie and Yesim Philip’s broderie and Brazilian lace outfits. However, it’s always about elegantly flattering, moisture-wicking, antimicrobial fabrics.
On clay or grassTop of Form, as well as paddle and pickleball courts. Bottom of Form
Founded in 2021 by Laura Ward, who was awarded an MBE for her services to Trade and Sustainability, Tisbury, Wiltshire-based EXEAT is the UK’s most exported haute courtwear tennis apparel label. Its latest “Diamonds Are Forever” SS25 drop continues to remain tennis clothing for the “style elite.”
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With lots of Argyle diamonds, golf clubs, oak leaves, a Peter Pan collar, outsized buttons, “Leggy hem” tailoring, voluminous pleats flattering all areas, the Checkmate Games Dress costs £520, while a drawn-in waist snatched silhouette Checkmate Game dress is £529, and High Tea Culottes £350
Prior to EXEAT, Laura worked on advertising campaigns for brands such as Audi, Unilever, and British Airways. She also launched one of Europe’s first influencer marketing agencies, TLA. A keen tennis player, she didn’t want to let herself down while working in France. She decided she needed to smarten up her game.
“I was gobsmacked that the top end of the court wear market didn’t seem to exist, not least because tennis is so famous for its rich sartorial heritage. That was my lightbulb moment to create the high-quality, deeply luxurious tennis apparel that female players deserve, because tennis historically is a fundamental sport for women’s empowerment. It was the first sport women were ‘legally’ allowed to play in the 1800s, and the first sport women were permitted to compete in at the 1900 Paris Olympics.
“We create cult high-fashion tennis apparel for the world’s most stylish players who are looking for far more than just ‘four-way-stretch’ and ‘breathability’ from their sportswear. EXEAT’s unique design ethos is a celebration of tennis’s rich sartorial heritage and is rooted in the principle that great court wear shouldn’t simply perform well, it should also have an exceptionally flattering fit, be breathtakingly chic, and be exquisitely crafted in cutting-edge sustainable fabric. By fusing those elements, we create forward-thinking, forever court wear that’s designed to last a lifetime.
“The business was bootstrapped by me at launch, which meant we had to work smart with a tiny budget. We shot all our photography in-house with no photography experience. We bought an ancient Canon 5D on eBay for £300 and taught ourselves how to use it from YouTube tutorials. This approach saved us £50k, and it always makes us smile when we see our ‘DIY’ pictures next to Chanel adverts in Vogue!”
Founded by former pro-basketball player Yesim Philip, Park Avenue, New York-based L’Etoile Sport was the first tenniscore brand to introduce a Pickleball couture range.
Back in 2012, tennis clothing was chiefly for professional players. And not women of all ages and sporting ability. Athleisure wear didn’t exist. The sports bra was just a twinkle in Nike’s corporate eye. Sneakers were called plimsolls, and Adidas Avacourts were science fiction.
And nobody had started imagining built-in gusseted under shorts.
Styles were functional rather than functional and feminine. Far from fashionable, they were either too boxy, too short, too flimsy, too clingy, dull, unimaginative, or usually cheap. And visibly so.
Then, fail-safe chic hit tennis. Women of all shapes and ages were at last served wth luxury tennis apparel. Philip introduced flattering cuts made with high-quality and technically innovative materials. And subverted traditional tennis whites. Her luxurious pieces can be worn on and off the court. Nicole Kidman and Kate Upton are fans.
Available in the range are lace Polos, pleated lace skorts, and Pickleball Performance long sleeves, as well as snazzy sweaters.
Other upmarket tennis clothiers include Australian model Jodhi Meares’s The Upside and in the UK, Varley and Exeat, which have styles like The Contessa, Duchess, Monte Carlo, Versailles, and The Tryst.
Alo Yoga, Alala (tomato red tank top and skort!), Sporty & Rich, Vuori, Tala (pickleball to picnic wear), Reformation Adelina Ecomove, Lululemon, Tory Burch, Sweaty Betty, and Casablanca now all have their “Tenniscore” ranges and regular “Tennis Drops”. Mejuri also offers $2000+ tennis bracelets.
The All-England Lawn Tennis Club, which runs the Wimbledon Championships (June 30 -July 13), has launched its clothing retail collection. One of its most popular items is a 100% cotton Strawberry sweater
Stay on the baseline, stay on the catwalk. Ace the activewear. Conquer Tennis Club Chic. You want to gain the advantage any way you can. Over the net or over cocktails. By any means you can.
