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By Arden Fanning Andrews and Gaby Keiderling
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The best tennis brands are very aware of 2023’s fashion-first take on courtside dressing. After seasons dominated by high-design athleisure and balletcore, tenniscore has emerged as this year’s answer to a string of anything-can-be-core revivals inspired by classic sports aesthetics. According to industry insiders and experts creating the latest collections, there’s a logic behind this slice of inspiration.
“Tennis has always been associated with elegance, including from a sartorial point of view,” says Catherine Spindler, chief brand officer of Lacoste. Spindler acknowledges that style codes are influencing traditional fashion houses and making their way far beyond the country club. Spindler points out that former tennis champion René Lacoste founded the brand in 1933 with deep roots in the sport—he developed a ball-throwing machine for training solo and later invented the polo shirt, “which has become a fashion icon adopted by all.” Now, these “sporty influenced pieces are worn in a professional environment as well as for an evening out,” she says.
Plus, people are actually playing tennis, pickleball, and racquetball again. “We started to see a resurgence of people playing tennis and racquet sports during the pandemic as a way to be active and maintain social distance,” says Shannon Quarantino, vice president of e-commerce at Splits59. Now, the company is seeing “major growth” in demand for its tennis category designed to “wear on the court and after for cocktails or brunch.” So is Alo Yoga’s now-infamous Varsity tennis skirt, an influencer staple in social feeds from TikTok to Instagram. “Our skirt is feminine and fun yet still ideal for being active, incorporating integrated short pockets that can hold tennis balls for functional fashion,” says Danny Harris, one of Alo’s CEO, the brand that “offers fashion from studio to street.” Harris agrees with Spindler and Quarantino on the categories for everyone—and everywhere—appeal “from the tennis court to a café.”
Below, Vogue’s ultimate guide to the best tennis brands, from court essentials to designer drops.
There's no shortage of stylish activewear at Tory Sport, but it's tennis totes are a particular favorite—and often sold-out. This convertible version features a removable racket pocket for easy wear.
For serious players, Nike fabrics are designed to perform. Its pleated tennis skirt and simple tank wick away moisture for a more comfortable win.
A tennis loyalist, L’Etoile sport founder Yesim Philip nails craftsmanship with feminine edge. Airy anglaise trimming and tennis ball-inspired neon trim offer stylized details on pieces that function during play.
Corroon printed tennis racket cover
“People are ready to be back outdoors doing their favorite activities, and we’ve seen this reflected in the success of our tennis collections,” says Joelle Michaeloff, head of design at Wilson Sportswear. Its most recent tennis-inspired pieces (including a collab with Supreme) are “made for athletes at every level.”
Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, and Venus Williams (who has her own Eleven by Venus Williams line, below) are some of the best tennis players in the world that act as Lacoste ambassadors. “This wardrobe, imbued with the brand’s strong fashion DNA, is part of a desire to respond to new lifestyles,” Spindler says of Lacoste’s aim to “create versatile clothes to accompany women’s lives.”
Venus Williams imbued her lifetime of expertise and unapologetic approach to on-court fashion into a streamlined collection of tenniswear. Color blocking and smart seaming deliver the kind of style she brought to her winning matches, whether at Wimbledon, the US Open, or those seven Grand Slams.
Whether strolling across a Parisian courtyard or an actual tennis court, these signature three stripes can be seen in a plethora of places. From track jackets to breezy tennis dresses, there's something for every type of player.
For tenniscore enthusiasts, Recreational Habits offers a Steffi sweater vest that’s of-the-moment and a Williams cropped crew. The latter is surely named after the sisters that have dazzled a generation, whether watching their strategy live on the television screen or their life story on the silver screen.
The popularity of FP Movement’s Way Home Shorts has made them practically go viral. Here, the high-waisted and smocked design arrives as a skort—and for those that love a onesie, consider its iteration as a skortsie.
Off the Bleachers drawcord jacket
The fan-favorite Aces is gong to make a splash on the court, but also consider the brand's Courtside dress for streamlined style. Opt for a feather-light cardigan for post-practice coverage.
Varley’s London-to-Los Angeles design aesthetic influences its sleek and straightforward pieces. Slip into the Dalton dress, or ralley in style with the Carina pleated dress.
Let's go Elsie sports bra
For eco-forward activewear, Girlfriend Collective turns single-use water bottles into comfy basics. Each of these waterproof shells diverts 34 bottles from landfills directly into wardrobes.
Best Cheap Tennis Ball Machine Lululemon reminds us that although tennis whites have become ubiquitous in the sport, sometimes winners dress in black. Or green. Quick-drying jersey makes its polos and dresses perform on the court—as well as the golf course, for double duty.