Welcome to Reality Check: a new regular franchise from the ELLE fashion editors that asks: how well do the season's biggest trends really work in the wild? This week, we take a look at how we're actually tackling 'Tenniscore' this summer.
Fashion is enjoying quite the love affair with sport at the moment. While so much of style has been informed by sportswear for the last 100 years (athleisure most recently), there's something about the Twenties 2.0 that has us jumping from one sartorially-informed exercise garb to the other. From the embrace of football by designers like Wales Bonner and Martine Rose, to our collective obsession with Balletcore (think ballet flats and puffball skirts), no matter how (un)fit or (un)coordinated, we're all dressing like we're très sportive.
Next up on the honour roll of competitive games to wear now is tennis. Most obviously heralded by current royal of red carpet style, Zendaya, and her leading role in new film Challengers. Featuring costume designs from J.W.Anderson and with press tour looks that range from the smart to the surreal (think glittering drop-waist tennis dresses and tennis ball-heeled shoes), the internet is in love with, Zendaya and her stylist, Law Roach's, embrace of the stylish sport.
And shoppers are following through, with Depop reporting a 93% increase in searches for Slazenger, 92% increase in searches for Adidas' classic (and Phoebe Philo-beloved) Stan Smiths, as well as 29%, 52% and 53% increases in searches for skorts, tennis skirts and polo shirts, respectively.
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Brands are meeting demand, too, with Lacoste, Hill House and Mango all serving up tennis-inspired offerings in their recent collections and releases.
Shop Tenniscore Now
Sport and Rich Logo Pleated Mini Skirt
Ralph Lauren Signature Pony Baseball Cap
Hill House Home The Rachel Dress
Mango Striped Shirt
Adidas Stan Smiths
Lacoste V-Neck Cardigan
But how do we really translate the trend into a wearable look? I asked ELLE UK's own Site Director, Katie O'Malley (and actually sporty person) for her insight.
'Whether it was Gertrude Moran's cricket knitwear cover-up on the court in the 1950s and Maria Sharapova's Nike tennis cap, or Venus William's "controversial" black catsuit at the the 2018 US Open, I've long been obsessed by the widely-debated and diverse ways tennis players have interpreted the humble white tennis attire,' O'Malley tells me. 'In light of Challengers, I'm taking my Tenniscore love to the extreme this year and investing in a pair of thick white ankle socks, paired with chunky loafers, a Nike white sports bra styled with a satin midi, and swapping my Frankie Shop mini skirt for a white pleated tennis version styled with a chunky knit and sliders.'
O'Malley may just have it right, instead of doubling down in full tennis 'fit, she's suggesting introducing tennis-inspired elements into her usual ensembles, be it pairing a cotton cap with suiting or swapping out the usual white tee for a polo shirt instead.
Consider me, a tennis novice, somewhat convinced. Time to buy that pleated skirt.
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