Although I haven’t played tennis in quite a while now, following the amazing tennis players during Wimbledon 2021 and the runway trends that arose from Fashion Week, I find myself looking for the traditional pleated skirts and polo shirts from my teen years. And I’m not the only one. In fact, sportswear with retro tennis aesthetics has moved from the courts to the streets and invaded Instagram and TikTok, where we see girls wearing cool court-inspired outfits. From tennis skirts and shorts worn with track tops and hoodies to minidresses paired with sneakers, the retro girl sport style is cooler than ever, in and out of the courts.
The tennis sport style has been making a comeback since the classic Stan Smith sneakers became a must-have among girls of all ages. And coincidentally or not, tennis stars like Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka have appeared on the covers of fashion magazines and ad campaigns. Additionally, Osaka has become a Louis Vuitton brand ambassador and launched a swimwear collaboration with Frankies Bikinis.
The new girl sport style
Among the several fashion labels betting on the tennis style, the first that comes to mind is the London-based David Koma. The Georgian designer, whose brother is a professional tennis player, based his entire Spring 2021 collection on the chic sport. He found inspiration in the American player Chris Evert and her famous diamond bracelet that gave name to the tennis bracelet, and in Princess Diana, a keen player.
The designer is Gigi Hadid, Beyoncé, and former tennis world No.1 Maria Sharapova’s darling. Koma presented plenty of court-inspired looks for this season, including crystal-embellished sweaters, mini skirts, minidresses, and cycling shorts. Additionally, accessories with rhinestones like visors, sweatbands and tennis racket earrings glam up the girl sport style collection.
Chic sportswear
Miu Miu is another luxury fashion label that’s embraced the court sport style, and Miuccia Prada took sportswear to the next level. For this season’s collection, the Italian fashion house combines track pants and jackets with elevated sandals. The plaid skirts and minidresses worn with track jackets seems to be coming straight from the courts, but the kitten-heeled tennis shoes indicate the girl sport style is intended for the streets, and parties, of course.
How about the new girl sport style sneakers?
Prada has the perfect shoes for girls to take the court style to the streets. You can wear the chic retro leather sneakers and mule sneakers either to Wimbledon or the office.
The Romanian-born, London-based fashion designer Ancuta Sarca takes a step further. She creates hybrid sport style shoes, upcycling secondhand sneakers with kitten heels. The sustainable shoes have the same retro vibe we see in this season’s girl sport style.
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And to keep in the tennis mood, learn about Wimbledon’s history and interesting facts in the video below:
Title photo courtesy of David Koma.