Known for her flamboyant style as much as for her powerful serve – remember the leopard-print tennis dress she rocked two seasons ago at the U.S. Open? – Serena Williams once again made a fashion statement when she played Wimbledon earlier this month, even while conforming to the tournament's code that players dress in white.
The tight-fitting short dress that sponsor Nike had given Williams to wear for her matches at the All-England Lawn Tennis Club semi-finals game against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova turned heads, and not only because it revealed more of the athlete's body than some viewers might have thought appropriate. Just as noteworthy was the outfit's retro styling, consisting of a sleeveless bodice with a high neck and a short, flared skirt with kick pleats. As a look, it was a grand slam, confirming that Williams, the world No. 1 and a two-time Vogue cover model who designs her own clothing line when not on the courts, has a tight grasp of what's in fashion.
Retro tennis style is dominating fashion's centre court right now, scoring points with consumers for whom Stan Smith sneakers, Chris Evert frilly knickers and John McEnroe shorty-shorts are the latest manifestation of sport's wear as fashion trend. "The modern focus of tennis fashion is performance, but it's current street wear incarnation is an affirmation that vintage sport style is currently cool," observes Shawna Whish, branding specialist for Sporting Life, a sports-wear retailer headquartered in Toronto with locations across Ontario.
The new-old look of Lacoste’s spring/summer 2016 collection.
Classics are the name of the game, and legacy brands such as Lacoste, Fila and Sergio Tacchini are volleying looks from their storied past – doubled up with the latest in moisture-wicking fabrics – to take the advantage. Newer, more fashion-focused brands are picking up on the retro tennis trend, transitioning it to the street. Stella McCartney's spring/summer 2016 collection includes retro-inspired polo shirts paired with long gingham skirts. At Kenzo, vintage-inspired tracksuits and slouchy drawstring pants are part of the sporty influence dominating the label's current men's-wear collection.
In Canada, the Montreal-based Rudsak label and John + Jenn from Toronto have both taken retro tennis style and converted it into street wear for youthful consumers. Rudsak's line of colourful transparent plastic visors represent a revamped version of an accessory that came of age in the 1970s. The slim-cut zip-front tennis dress at John + Jenn goes farther back in time to channel the mod sensibility of the early 1960s.
When fashion designer Phoebe Philo at Céline wore a pair of Adidas Stan Smith sneakers at the conclusion of her 2011 runway presentation in Paris, she turned the retro tennis shoe into a chic object as coveted as a pair of Christian Louboutins. The white sneaker is white hot, worn by such contemporary style icons as Gigi Hadid and Kylie Jenner. Sales of the style are up 40 per cent this year, reports Ron White, owner of the Ron White chain of shoe stores in Canada and the U.S.
"Retro tennis style has been making a comeback and the simple fact is that the fashion world has become obsessed with the functionality and comfort factor of athletic performance apparel," observes longtime fashion director Barbara Atkin. "The vintage tennis aesthetic is the present focus today because, in a time of too much choice and too many fashion options, retro tennis offers simple lines, a clean palette and a sense of timelessness. Retro tennis has always been a symbol of the stylish life."
As far as laying claim to authenticity, few brands do this better than Lacoste, the fashion sports-wear company named for early 20th-century French tennis great René Lacoste. The company has been making sports wear, embossed with the imprimatur of a crocodile, Lacoste's nickname, since 1933. Recently, Lacoste has sought to update its image, presenting a colourful street-wear collection at the recent edition of New York Fashion Week, for instance, without losing sight of its heritage. At the French Open this year, Lacoste presented its 2016 Roland Garros capsule collection of sports-wear pieces plumbed from the company's archives. Among the garments presented at a courtside fashion show in May were piqué cotton polo shirts and dresses, in addition to white shorts and jackets embossed with the lean long lines of the modernist era.
"For Lacoste, retro is more than just a trend, it is the core of our timeless collections," says Lacoste Canada chief executive officer Nicolas Raybaud. "We have been at the forefront of this style, designing classic pieces inspired by sport, for years. People are starting to take notice of us again with the rise in popularity of athleisure wear and retro inspired designs. We have never stopped taking inspiration from our past, even as we create clothes that fit perfectly with 2016."
Just last month, in the weeks leading up to Wimbledon, street-savvy Russian designer Gosha Rubchinskiy presented his latest men's-wear collection at Pitti Uomo in Florence, Italy. It included a collaboration with Fila, the Italian sports-wear company that famously dressed tennis legend Bjorn Borg during his heyday in the 1970s. "There is a consumer demand for retro-inspired styles on and off the court, and designing both our tennis and lifestyle collections, we tap into our vast archives for inspiration, to recreate legendary looks from Fila's history in sporting style," says Danny Lieberman, senior vice-president of apparel at Fila North America. "We take elements like the brand's signature red, peacoat and white hues, iconic logo and classic silhouettes, while adding a modern spin as we introduce these designs to a new generation."
Fila's comeback is also linked to a new partnership with Urban Outfitters, the U.S.-based retailer that has lent mass-market fashion an air of indie chic. The brand has also recently forged a relationship with Tennis Canada, in time for the Rogers Cup tournaments taking place in Toronto and Montreal this month.
" Fila is such an iconic brand in sports wear and it's known for its retro flair and unique style," says Rob Swann, Tennis Canada's vice-president and chief commercial officer. "So many incredible and historic moments on the tennis courts have been achieved in Fila clothing through the years, and we at Tennis Canada are happy to be part of their family."
The renewed focus on Fila is having a spillover on pop culture. Hipsters have rediscovered Borg, the Fila-wearing tennis player with a style like no other. The Swedish sensation had a mane of dirty blond hair held in place by a striped headband, broad shoulders warmed by a colour-blocked, zip-up tracksuit jacket and a muscular neck adorned with pukka beads peeking out from behind the opened snaps of his snug-fitting cap-sleeve Fila polo shirt. It's a look that has launched a million imitations and tributes including Richie, the tennis prodigy played by Luke Wilson in Wes Anderson's 2001 film, The Royal Tenenbaums.
Borg might have retired from tennis 35 years ago, while at the top of his game, but his influence as a trendsetter hasn't abated. "Before Borg, tennis players were perceived as athletes. After Borg, they became global celebrities exercising a huge influence over fashion and style," says Rogers Cup tournament director Karl Hale. He cites Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's new above-the-knee ensemble as evidence that retro style is back, and raising more than just hemlines. "It's the McEnroe and Borg effect. Both players were known for wearing short shorts in the 1970s. McEnroe wore Tacchini and Borg wore Fila. After them, shorts for men fell right down to the knee. But with retro style making a comeback, they are climbing back up again."