The growing fashion trend of Tenniscore is taking over. From pleated skirts to white polo tops, this summer's fashionistas are focused on taking tennis attire off the courts.
ADVERTISEMENTFor a fortnight in London at this time every year all eyes are fixed on Wimbledon, arguably, the world's most famous tennis tournament.
Aside from player's progress, strawberries and cream dominate much of the chatter off-court, but fashionistas are also keeping a keen eye on what the stars are wearing - and talk of a resurgence of the ‘Tenniscore’ trend is getting louder.
Like most trends, it’s not completely new - and adds itself to the ever-growing list of cores, which we have covered rather extensively at Euronews Culture.
This year’s version of Tenniscore is a new take on the ‘80s New England preppy look with colours like black, white and grey paired with white socks and trainers. The TikTok hashtag #preppyaesthetic has received more than 1 billion views at the time of writing.
As you can imagine, celebrities have been quick to jump on the trend. American supermodels Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber, known for their impeccable fashion sense, have been seen sporting their version of Tenniscore. Combining minimalism and tennis wear, they’ve been photographed wearing mini-skirts, white socks, pleated skirts and loafers.
The Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, drew inspiration from the trend on Tuesday (4 July) when she was seen at Wimbledon wearing a mint green and white blazer paired with a long pleated white skirt inspired by the event itself.
Last month, supermodel Winnie Harlow was part of a campaign for Sportswear brand Puma's tennis-inspired Cali court trainers. The shoot took inspiration from on-court fashion; she wears an all-white top and shorts not dissimilar to something you would see on-court, paired with a brown lightweight jumper, worn over the shoulder.
Back in the 2000s, Puma also designed tennis stars Serena Williams’ infamous catsuit: an iconic piece of clothing which Tenniscore draws inspiration from today with its sleeveless detail and a figure-hugging cut.
Service return
Fashion has in fact been borrowing from tennis wear since the early 2000s when French luxury brand Chanel debuted a small collection of tennis-inspired pieces.
Italian high fashion brand Miu Miu followed in 2005 with a spring/summer collection that included pleated skirts, blouses and thick headbands.
Then again last year, Miu Miu debuted their autumn/winter collection which included white pleated skirts, cropped polo-tops and calf-length socks. The firm's current spring/ summer collection also has some elements of Tenniscore with bandeau tops resembling sports bras, more pleated skirts and T-shirts.
Not to be left out, French brand Céline also launched "La Collection Tennis” in its summer 2023 line. It's directly influenced by the tennis aesthetic. The line includes white boxy shirts, pleated skirts and sleeveless tank tops for an overall preppy but athletic aesthetic.
French brand Lacoste and American brand Sporty and Rich recently collaborated and launched a collection including polo tops, white tank tops, pleated skirts and sleeveless knits.
Tenniscore, Golfcore, Skatecore have their origins in the increasingly popular trend for Athleisure where streetwear meets sportswear.
According to the Fashion Network website, the global athleisure market is set to grow 25% in three years. It’s a hugely popular and growing market which shows Tenniscore is unlikely to be this year’s last sports-inspired trend.
