Toeing the line in all white, players find ways to stand out at Wimbledon
From Emma Raducanu’s $37,000 in Tiffany pearls to Maria Sakkari’s crop top and shorts combo and Jelena Ostapenko’s rare two-toned outfit, here are some of the most memorable looks of The Championships.
Who wore what? Style Points breaks down the latest collabs, kits and fashion statements from around the tennis world.
The All England Club’s strict dress code dates back to the Victorian Era, a time when showing signs of sweat was considered improper in high society and when women were not allowed to compete on its hallowed lawns.
Wimbledon loves its traditions, and while much has changed in the 145 years since its first edition, the all-white color palette has been the most enduring one of all. And maybe also its most maligned: over the decades players have criticized the rigid rules, which don’t even allow for “off white or cream” variations and contain limits to the use of color accents and size of logos.
WTA players have recently been particularly vocal with their criticism, as the all-white garments cause additional stress when competing during their periods. Since women’s tennis wasn’t a part of the equation when the dress code was enacted, it’s no surprise that this wasn’t even considered as a factor in the 1880s.
Despite the limitations, players are still finding ways to stand out and turn heads at Wimbledon—Style Points breaks down some of the most eye-catching looks of The Championships.
Serena Williams’ return to tennis was the biggest storyline of the grass-court swing, and Nike prepared a custom kit worthy of her Centre Court return.
During her brief but emotionally charged singles stint, the seven-time champion rocked a long-sleeve short dress with a V-neckline. The dress featured a tucked seam along the front and cut-out accents near the wrists, which evoked the look of an oversized dress shirt. Along the hemline, a subtle floral print complemented the pleated skirt.
It was fellow Nike athlete Emma Raducanu who sported the statement look of the tournament, when the 19-year-old made her winning Centre Court debut on Monday.
The US Open champ wore the Nike London Slam dress—also seen on Simona Halep, Petra Kvitova and Amanda Anisimova—which features mesh on the upper chest and shoulders and pleats along the skirt.
Raducanu paired her outfit with white gold and pearl jewelry, including earrings, a bracelet and necklace with a price tag reportedly totaling around $37,000—she is sponsored by Tiffany & Co., after all, and not afraid to flex.
Bold Adidas’ tennis outfits caused a stir at Wimbledon, but for all the right reasons this time. Kristina Mladenovic and Maria Sakkari turned heads in a cropped tank and high-waisted shorts combo from the Parley London collection.
To be fair, this looks like what most players at my own local courts would wear on a hot summer day of tennis, but it’s a sign of how strict the Wimbledon dress code is (or perhaps, how wide the sartorial divide between generations) that it prompted a quick scan of the rule book just in case.
Stefanos Tsitsipas wore the full-coverage version of this outfit, which features a pop of yellow accents near the neckline and arm holes. As always, the Adidas Parley line continues its mission to reduce plastic waste in the ocean by using mostly recycled materials.
Another player with sustainability on the mind is Gabriela Dabrowski, who hit the All England Club wearing New York City-based label Jgame.
The eco-conscious brand is ethically manufactured in The Bronx, and uses recycled fabrics in each piece. According to founder Jackie Meretsky, Dabrowski is wearing Jgame’s Wainscott White set: “The fabric is 92% recycled polyester, 8% Spandex, has UPF 50 protection and is made out of recycled plastic bottles!” she tells Baseline.
Karolina Pliskova and other Fila athletes are wearing the newest edition of the crisp White Line collection, which made its debut here last year.
The collection features classic silhouettes, updated with ribbed fabric and ribbed inserts and elevated with pinstripe line details.
As much as the all-white color scheme is a long tradition at Wimbledon, players who dare to toe the line or outright attempt to ignore the dress code altogether are another cherished tradition at the grass-court Grand Slam.
Jelena Ostapenko has been turning heads in Latvian sportswear label DK ONE for many reasons, and this time she’s managed to pull off a rare two-toned look—breaking the “off white and cream” ban in the process. The ruffled separates feature a shirt that’s white on the front and cream on the back and a matching cream-colored skirt.
Serial rule breaker Nick Kyrgios was in rare form during his first-round match—it was memorable for many reasons, but the Aussie’s outfit was also called into question.
Kyrgios wore his trademark basketball-style white tank paired with a compression shirt underneath and white shorts, but he completed the look with a backwards pale green hat. Considering how his first-round match unfolded and the subsequent fallout, that was probably his most minor offense of the day.