Fashion inspiration Wimbledon

Roger is not only a role model on the tennis court

Wimbledon is the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world. This year's edition of the famous British grass court tournament, which is often played in front of a royal audience and has always been played in traditional white sportswear, starts on July 3. Even if the strict dress code is only still present at Wimbledon, fashion is still influenced by the look of the "white sport" to this day. Not least thanks to tennis legends such as René Lacoste and Roger Federer. According to a survey by opinion research institute Marketagent, Federer's look even ranks second among style role models for Swiss men. Curated shopping provider OUTFITTERY is also currently seeing an increase in demand for tennis-inspired items and looks.


The history of tennis
can be traced back around 700 years. At that time, set-back games were very popular with the English and French bourgeoisie and nobility. Games were played in ballrooms, which were usually painted dark. As light-colored clothing stood out better against the background due to the greater contrast, it became established even then. Lawn tennis was invented in Great Britain in the 1870s and the first tournament was held at Wimbledon in 1877. This year's edition of the elegant tennis tournament starts on July 3. The "predominantly white" rule has been in force at Wimbledon since 1963, requiring players to wear 90 percent white clothing. In 2013, seven-time Wimbledon winner Roger Federer was warned for this reason due to the orange soles of his sneakers. A stroke of luck for his outfitter - the model was sold out shortly afterwards.


Tennis players have always influenced men's fashion.
The polo shirts typical of the sport, which - as the name suggests - have their origins in polo, only really became "in" when tennis player René Lacoste wore them and brought them into mass production under the Lacoste brand name. The Swedish player Björn Borg - former number 1 in the world rankings and five-time Wimbeldon winner - built up an entire fashion empire after his sporting career. In 1971, Adidas launched a sneaker that he named after the then active player Stanley Roger Smith, Stan Smith for short. The American wore the white shoes during his sensational Wimbledon victory in 1972. After that, the model was popular among tennis players for a long time. Since 2013, the sneaker has been celebrating a comeback as a trendy statement piece and is still sold millions of times today. However, it is not only former players, but also active players who inspire men when it comes to style. A representative study recently carried out on behalf of OUTFITTERY by the market research institute Marketagent revealed that Roger Federer's clothing style inspires Swiss men the most after George Clooney. In Bern, the man from Basel was even ahead of the Hollywood star in the survey.


Tennis outfits also inspire away from center court:
In the current summer season, curated shopping provider OUTFITTERY has seen an increase in demand for blouson-style jackets, polo shirts, white sneakers and light-colored pants. "I've also had customers who have explicitly asked for this look or cited Roger Federer as a reference," reports Swiss stylist Nikola Schmeling. "Unless you're an ultra-hipster, I recommend not taking the inspiration too seriously and avoiding tennis socks or terrycloth headbands."

www.outfittery.ch