12.28.07
Historical Trends in Men’s Tennis Apparel
Like its women’s counterpart, men’s tennis apparel is becoming more colorful, shorter, tighter, and smaller; and is covering less and revealing much more, leaving little to the imagination. Until 1946, men’s tennis apparel was smart active wear that consisted of a shirt, sweater-vest or cardigan, and full-length flannel pants. Running around the tennis court wearing hot full-length flannel pants would certainly be frowned upon by today’s athletes. The beginning of today’s trend in comfortable men’s tennis apparel may be attributed to Bunny Austin who, in 1933, was the first top-ranked player to make a bold statement in men’s tennis apparel by wearing shorts.
In the late 1980’s the clean cut look of the common tennis whites in men’s tennis apparel was rocked by Andre Agassi. Agassi hit the USA Courts and Wimbledon with long, rocker or mullet-style hair, a five o’clock shadow on his face, and bright, colorful men’s tennis apparel. Bjorn Borg also rocked the world of men’s tennis apparel with his skimpy, tight lycra shorts in the early 1980’s. By the year 2000, Andre Agassi was still sporting long hair and flashy men’s tennis apparel like jean shorts over brightly colored spandex shorts and a polo shirt to match. By the time Agassi’s back forced him to retire in 2005 he had changed to a more mature look in men’s tennis apparel and with his head completely shaved. Agassi’s tennis rival, Pete Sampras, competed in the clean cut look of men’s tennis apparel.
Dominik Hrbaty, in 2005, turned heads by wearing men’s tennis apparel from an advertiser. It was a daring pink and black shirt with cutouts on the back across the shoulders. In the 2005 season, Rafael Nadal began wearing Capri pants and tight muscle shirts. Today’s skimpy-tight, brightly colored men’s tennis apparel resembles some of the women’s tennis apparel; none of which leaves much to the imagination.
The designers of men’s tennis apparel are aiming to provide athletes with clothing that is durable, flexible, cool, and comfortable as well as fashionable. Ease of movement is a major element of necessity in men’s tennis apparel. Let’s hope that the manufacturers and designers of men’s tennis apparel leave one element of clothing in tact . . . the element of mystery. When it comes to watching men in men’s tennis apparel, leaving a little to the imagination is a good thing.