Wimbledon clings onto fashion traditions, with a twist

LONDON – Amid fast-changing fashion trends, Wimbledon has remained a bastion of “classy” style, with players and attendees donning their finest whites at the tournament which some say is reminiscent of traditional British high society.

“This is Wimbledon! You’ve got to dress up,” Jari Hedman, 65, said with a smile.

The Finnish tennis coach had bought an Italian-made white linen suit for the occasion, paired with a navy blue jacket and a flourish of colour with an orange tie.

He had picked the “classy” attire “in honour of the tournament”.

The Wimbledon tennis championships, which runs from June 29 to July 12 this year and is the oldest of the Grand Slam tournaments, will celebrate its 150th anniversary next year.

The royals are regular attendees, especially Princess Kate, who is often praised for her fashion choices.

Ahead of the tournament, the BBC published an article on “etiquette” or unwritten rules for attendees, while other newspapers chimed in with fashion tips.

“With its mix of royalty, A-listers and diehard fans, Wimbledon always has a sense of occasion, so why not make an effort?” advised The Times.

And what should one wear to the stands?

“White, white, white. And light colours,” said Lucie Ta, a 29-year-old engineer from Prague.

Wimbledon has the strictest dress code in the circuit for players, who are required to wear “suitable tennis attire that is almost entirely white” from “the point at which the player enters the court surround”.

“White does not include off-white or cream,” the dress code dictates.

The rules are rooted in the sport’s aristocratic history, with white the colour of choice for hiding sweat stains, which were considered improper.

Players have found ways, both subtle and unconventional, to bring their individual style to court within the dress code.

Naomi Osaka, known for her flamboyant outfits, arrived at Wimbledon on Monday in a kimono-inspired white dress with embroidered motifs of cranes and cherry blossoms, by Japanese designer Hana Yagi.

She paired the outfit with a traditional kanzashi hair ornament featuring white flowers before removing both to reveal a white Nike dress.

Osaka revealed she had the idea for the outfit after watching the Quentin Tarantino film “Kill Bill”.

“I think about my cultures, my heritage, which is Japanese and Haitian. Then if I dive deeper into like Japanese culture, I think about the most iconic silhouette, which for me is a kimono,” she said.

On Friday, after another variation of her “Kill Bill” kimono walk-on ensemble – which this time was a flower-patterned robe – she saw off Daria Kasatkina and continued her best run at the All England Club.

“The longer I’m in the tournament, the more stories I can tell with my outfits anyways, because I like to mix and match,” Osaka added.

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic wore a white Lacoste jacket with a green trimming, which, according to the brand, was inspired by those worn by “great champions” – including Rene Lacoste – in the 1920s.

Ultimately, going to Wimbledon is “fascinating” as it gives “an insight into what the past of British society looked like”, according to Daniel-Yaw Miller, a sports and fashion journalist.

Elizabeth Wilson, who has penned a book on the history of tennis, said that the grass-court tournament “always was seen as a social scene” like the Ascot horse races.

“Therefore people wanted to dress up, to look smart,” she added. AFP

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