Tennis Anyone? How the Athletic Wear Trend is Making Consumers Fall In LOVE
If you have ever been a Serena Williams or Naomi Osaka fan, you may have paid more attention to the cute activewear they strut instead of the killer game they put off. Well society has cleared the path for “tennis wear” to not only to be for the court, but for our newest active-leisure wear for everyday. Think of it as 90’s country club preppy wear, with collared shirts and sweaters wrapped around your shoulders. You either look the game, or you play it. But designers are paving a way into the activewear department, one pleated skirt at a time. Find out how tennis is entering the fashion playing field here.
Fashion start- ups got the boost they needed in 2020, as almost 21 million people went out to the courts to play tennis during lock down. With not much to do, tennis was a great outdoor sport, and good work out, and almost anyone can pick it up and begin to play. This set the ball rolling for new and old start ups to evolve the existing attire to something new and modern. Brands are realizing these outfits can be worn on and off the court, creating versatility and value to their designs. Read more on the Business of Fashion to see which brands are leading the industry swag. https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/luxury/can-fashion-start-ups-cash-in-on-the-tennis-boom
If you have swiped through videos on TikTok you may have noticed a trend with the outfits the Gen Z and Gen Y’s have been wearing. It has become a fad to pair a pleated tennis skirt with a rock tee and post a TikTok dance to their account. Not only does the video go trending, but everyone is asking in the comments where to buy the skirt. Newly labeled “tenniscore”, this atheliesure look can thank TikTok for it’s trending daily wear. With real professionals being at the for front of marketing ads such a Naomi Osaka on the cover of Vogue and Coco Gauff as the face of the New Balance Campaign, all eyes have been on tennis, and its attire. If you are on TikTok, read more about the trend on social here. https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2021/jun/27/everyone-for-tennis-tiktok-sparks-fashion-trend-for-centre-court-retro-cool
Sport & Rich Campaign - New York Times
3. Interested in building out your tennis wardrobe? Curious to why tennis apparel has historically always been “white”? Or perhaps you don’t play the game and just found an interest in the latest trend and are hoping to break out the perfect upcoming Halloween costume? There is so much to know about how the tennis uniform came to be, who set the bar high in the tennis industry, and how you too can look like a tennis star. Find out what you need and what you don’t here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-ultimate-guide-to-tennis-clothesfrom-the-history-to-the-perfect-shoes-11627670972?mod=searchresults_pos3&page=1
4. A rebel at heart? If you haven’t been into the all white look of a typical tennis attire, look no further than Furi Sport, the newest start-up and tennis inspired athelisure company to hit the market. And their signature color? Black! What stuns the fashion community more is Furi is owned by a black man, and a white woman. A pairing you don’t see often enough. Learn more about how Furi put its mark in the tennis apparel market, and how the history and inception of the brand encourages others to build what they can’t find. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/22/fashion/tennis-everyone.html
Furi Sport Apparel
Tennis apparel has just begun to tackle the fashion industry. As America’s new found past time, tennis will continue to gain traction for its physical benefits, as well as its comfortable and trendy attire. We will continue to see more start-ups and larger brands expand this into its own category. Who knows, maybe it will be officially labeled “ Tennis Core”. If you haven’t taken the opportunity to enhance your “work -from-home” get-up, then take a page from these articles, and find what fits you. Because whether its the LOVE of the game, or LOVE of the apparel, you’ll have to make room for this trend.
Not sure if you feel inspired enough? Watch Naomi Osaka win the Australian Open over Jennifer Brady here, and you might just change your mind.
