Fashion and sport are two of the "strongest" elements of culture, and both come down to the same question: who gets to take part, and how. When the two collide, the tennis court becomes a stage where performance reigns.
Sunita Kumar Nair's new book, ACE: The Times And Style Of Tennis, argues that tennis is a reflection of our time. She dives into the fashion of tennis and how its evolution translates into something bigger.
Naomi Osaka's appearance at Roland Garros at the end of May is a great example of how sport and fashion intertwine in culture. Her glittery top and long tulle skirt are a long way from the traditional all-white tennis outfit.
White kept you cooler. It concealed sweat. But more than anything, it signified privilege and wealth: if you could maintain spotless white clothes from morning to night, everyone watching knew exactly who you were.
In the 19th century, tennis was one of the only sports women were allowed to play. It was a time to socialize, to court each other, dressed in their nicest outfits. Fashion took up more part than the performance itself.
That's the answer, really: tennis fashion has never just been about the game. It's always tracked who was allowed on the court, and what they were allowed to say once they got there. White said wealth. Victorian lace said "available, and proper." Osaka's tulle says something closer to "this is mine to decide."
White never really disappeared. It started as a credential, proof you could afford to keep it spotless, but it outlasted the reason it existed, because it's just good design: nothing reads cleaner on a court, nothing photographs better in the sun, nothing pairs with everything else in your bag. That's the part of tradition the new BOSS collection leans into. Not the old hierarchy white used to signal, just the part that actually held up.
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