Men's Vogue
With the US Open beginning this week we thought a brief look at tennis fashion is called for. From the beginning when Henry VIII built the first courts and established uniform standards to the present high fashion impact through the likes of Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, tennis has certainly had an impact on fashion and sportswear trends. A post by NY Magazine’s Lauren Murrow chronicles tennis fashion from the beginning.
Boris Becker in the stands
Lacoste continues to play a prominent role in tennis fashion on and off the court. Tracing the company’s roots back to 1927, it was then René Lacoste earned the nickname “the Crocodile”. He made a pre-match bet over a crocodile-skin suitcase and later embroidered a croc emblem onto his shirts and blazers. The Fall 2008 Tennis line from Lacoste is now online now.
If you’re in the stands, you’ll need your own “Croc”. Tuttle is now offering free shipping on a purchase of two or more Lacoste polos.
This year the fashion battle is shaping up between Roger Federer and Raphael Nadal, fresh back from Beijing and the Olympcis. Visit ESPN.com for a run down on this front as well as Tennis Country for a more extensive discussion of tennis fashion and the Olympics.
Finally, The New York Observer digs deep into the Nike Block Party, complete with a behind-the-scenes view of Spike Lee and Sharapova. .
