From Corsets to Catsuits: A History of Fashion at Wimbledon
“Pristine grass and iconic whites” - Wimbledon
For over a century, Wimbledon’s wardrobe rules have shaped not just what players wear, but how feminine athleticism is expressed on the court. The Grand Slam’s all-white dress code began in the 19th century when tennis was largely a leisure activity for the upper class. Women competed strictly in corsets, long skirts, and modest sleeves. The reflection of Victorian ideals far outweighed the need for practicality. Wimbledon’s all white fabric policy was instilled to mask any appearance of sweat, a particularly unseemly trait in female athletes. Today, the tournament’s color palette remains unchanged, but women on the court continue to push the boundaries of what it means to be ‘pristine’.
The year was 1919 when twenty-year-old French tennis player Suzanne Lenglen walked on court for her Wimbledon debut. She emerged clad in a sleeveless, calf length dress with no boned corset restricting her movement. Every image from the monumental match shows her playing with unparalleled, fluid power. She went on to win the tournament, raising questions about just how much modest fashion norms were restricting women's tennis potential.
Decades later, in 1985, American player Anne White wore a white spandex bodysuit that technically met the dress code, but shocked the world with its ‘provocativeness’. Designed by Ted Tinling, the suit was tight, with a zipper stretching from her collarbones to her naval. White was asked not to wear the outfit again by Wimbledon officials, making it clear that the issue wasn’t color; it was silhouette.
Serena Williams, while always complying with the white dress code at Wimbledon, has also been known to use fashion to make powerful statements. Her outfits blend athletic domination with bold style, which has often led to harsh criticism. Wimbledon, and tennis as a whole, has revealed how dress codes can be unequally enforced across lines of race, gender, and body type. Even in 2020, when Williams adorned her iconic black and red version of the ‘cat-suit’, the criticism mirrored Anne White’s.
As tennis fashion moved towards a space of self expression in recent years, Wimbledon pushed back. In 2014, Wimbledon officials intensified the rules, banning even small flashes of color on undergarments, sports bras, and shoe soles (ESPN).
Venus Williams was asked to change her sports bra in the middle of her 2016 match in wake of the rule change. Though the request was made during a rain break, it sparked outrage for further interrupting the flow of the first-round showdown.
Just one year later, Wimbledon officials made the junior doubles players Zsombor Piros and Yibing Wu change their undergarments right before the match (BBC), causing even more controversy as the dress code rules bled over into young, male players as well.
It wasn’t until 2022, under pressure from players, that Wimbledon updated the policy to allow dark undershorts, finally addressing concerns about period anxiety and athlete wellbeing.
It has now been 148 years of “pristine grass and iconic whites”. Modern players work within the color pallet through meaningful, boundary pushing details. What began as a symbol of propriety is now an incredibly divisive topic, and while many still hold the tournament in a high regard in terms of tradition, the historical context and criticism against female players remains. Despite the dress code, these women and their styling teams have never stopped innovating. From the silhouettes of Anne White and Serena Williams, to the functional elegance of Maria Sharapova and Coco Gauff, each generation has redefined what it means to look powerful, and not just pristine.
Written by: Kat O’Connor
Cover Design: Valeria Camacho
