Our Favourite Fashion A-Game Moments At Wimbledon

Advantage: Fashion!

It’s not hard to ruffle the rigid feathers of the All England Club. For over a century, the Wimbledon tennis tournament has enforced a strict dress code that requires all players to wear ‘suitable tennis attire that is almost entirely white’.

For the first time in 146 years, they've finally allowed women to play in dark-coloured undershorts – a win for those with anxiety around periods. But the rest of the rules remain unchanged, so year after year, players find ways to get creative with what they wear on court. In the stands, not restricted to the same suffocating regulations, fans have also flexed some of the most iconic ‘fits in tennis history, here are some of our favourites.

Advantage: Fashion!

Images with thanks to Getty Images

The Catsuit Controversy
In 1985, US tennis player Anne White caused a tabloid frenzy when she wore a shiny, all-white catsuit to her first round Wimbledon matchup.
Pairing the outfit with a bandana and leg warmers designed by Ted Tinling, the iconic outfit embodied gaudy 1980s style. Unfortunately, the umpire didn’t appreciate White’s subversive taste, advising the Charleston athlete to change the next day (which she did).

Nearly 33 years later, Serena Williams was also reprimanded for wearing her Black Panther-inspired catsuit at the French Open in 2018. The bodysuit ban caused considerable backlash from tennis fans and the media alike, especially considering that Williams had worn the unitard to help with her history of blood clots.

Andre Agassi’s 1980s Attitude
What better way to express your dissent than by boycotting Wimbledon entirely? Andre Agassi sat out of Wimbledon for two years (1988–1990) because of the tournament's conservative stance.

Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, the minds behind Wimbledon’s stuffy sartorial attitudes were beginning to relax, and players like Agassi started experimenting with more interesting shapes and colours emblematic of Memphis design. Armed with his signature printed polo shirts and hats, Agassi is still credited with popularising jean shorts, bandanas and sneakers like the Air Trainer 1 – a shoe surging back onto court in 2022.

Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova
The sun may have been shining at Wimbledon in 2008, but Serena Williams nevertheless donned a trenchcoat when she faced up against her opponent Kaia Kanepi. Designed in collaboration with Nike, the coat was actually made out of a lighter fabric for breathability, while Williams added accessories like the wide bandana and her signature chunky hoops.

‘You know, I absolutely love trench coats. I just love coats. I'm always buying Burberry coats,’ Williams said of the look. ‘And I don't know why because I live in Florida. So it doesn't really add up.’

Russian heavy-hitter Maria Sharapova also sparked plenty of chatter when she wore her tuxedo-style shorts suit in the same year. Designed specifically for her by Nike, Sharapova was no doubt making a tongue-in-cheek comment on the conservative dress code routinely enforced by Wimbledon, whilst still adhering to its strict all-white dictums.

Nick Kyrgios and His Air Jordan 1s
We can’t really fault anyone for wearing Jays – even if they don’t conform to Wimbledon's draconian dress code! In 2022, Nick Kyrgios found himself under more scrutiny than usual after his match with Brandon Nakashima on Centre Court, the 27-year-old livewire grilled over his decision to wear Cardinal Red Air Jordan 1s and matching baseball cap.

Kyrgios is not the first to cause a stir with his choice of footwear at the British grand slam (white sneakers only, people!). In 2013, even the Swiss maestro Roger Federer was banned from wearing orange-soled Nike Zoom Vapors after his first round demolition of Victor Hanescu.

Somebody call Scotland Yard!

The Crowd Goes Wild!
Over the years, it’s not only the players that have sparked style chatter. Not tied to Wimbledon’s strict all-white dress code, celebrity A-listers continue to serve aces in the stands. Some recent highlights include supermodel Kendall Jenner in 2019 wearing a memorable Polo Ralph Lauren boyfriend shirt, high-waisted shorts and matching tennis shoes getup. Emblematic of Wimbledon's preppy fits, actor Letitia Wright also flexed Polo Ralph Lauren to great effect in the same year, pairing the crimson short-sleeve with formal black pants.

Of course, it’s also hard to fault royalty at Wimbledon. The Princess of Wales Kate Middleton was seen on day thirteen this year wearing a lime green Self Portrait look with classic pearl earrings and sling-back heels.

Scroll for some of our favourite celebrity court-side style from this year's Wimbledon 2023.