Other items have been given a “modern twist” by the club this year, however, such as a white sweatshirt embroidered with a giant strawberry, a retro-inspired navy and white bomber jacket, and an urban-style green and white co-ord tracksuit.
It has also launched a new range of Italian leather bags including cross-body bags, shoppers, backpacks, and washbags, which it said were designed for taking to the court or on a weekend getaway.
The All England Club said its latest collection demonstrates its growing relevance both on and off the court, with a growing consumer demand for tennis style.
last year, Wimbledon launched its first range of “smart casual” clothes for spectators as it revealed many visitors were unsure what to wear to the Championships, which has no official dress code.
In the three weeks leading up to the tournament last year, there was a 404 per cent spike in online searches on what to wear to the event compared with earlier in the year.
Blame Zendaya. The actress wore a slew of tennis-inspired outfits on the recent promotional tour for the film, and, with the help of her stylist Law Roach, single-handedly revived the “Tenniscore” trend.
Will fashion lovers bite?
It’s not a new thing. For the past three or four years, fashion has been looking to preppy, “old money” ideals for inspiration. Tennis, along with polo and cricket, falls under that umbrella.
Zendaya has helped draw focus onto tennis specifically, inspiring people who have absolutely no intention of hitting a ball with a racket to don visors and pleated skirts.
So it makes sense that Wimbledon is now betting on the trend too. Its 2024 collection is its largest to date, indicating its ambition to harness tenniscore fans.
Will fashion lovers bite? I’m sure some will. The Wimbledon retail collection is… fine. It’s exactly what you’d expect, and will probably be purchased by those who either love to look the part when they play tennis or those who want a souvenir from this year’s tournament. It’s more practical than on-trend, so a little styling skill would be required to make it ‘fashion’.
Just as Zendaya is not walking the red carpet in full tennis whites, wearing the tenniscore look is not as simple as wearing head-to-toe Wimbledon clobber. You don’t want to turn up at the pub with your friends looking like you got lost on your way to Centre Court.