FASHION COURTS OF ‘PREPPY’ FANS NOSTALGIA
SPORT-inspired tennis skirts are trending, and not just on the court.
Demand for the style has increased by 138 per cent globally since the start of January, according to exclusive data from fashion search engine Lyst.
The trend, known as “tenniscore” is driving sales and searches worldwide as the Australian Open continues, but it’s not just being worn with a racquet in hand.
Styled with sweaters and tees, tennis skirts are sporty spins on everyday casual wear, while searches for vintage “tennis club” logo sweatshirts have also gone up 12 per cent since the start of 2022, a Lyst spokeswoman said.
Vogue Australia fashion features director Alice Birrell said the tennis skirt’s rise reflected that “sportif attire has come off the sidelines and into focus”.
“Opting back into courtready miniskirts taps into both the way hemlines have been going on runways of late – that’s up and up to super-abbreviated miniskirts – and a nostalgia that many have been experiencing as we crave a less complicated life,” Birrell said.
“Tennis outfits of yore oozed a brand of easy glamour and gentile refinement that still appeals. Today, look to Bella Hadid … and French Vogue editor Eugenie Trochu in Dior and Ralph Lauren minis.”
The tennis skirt is a staple look for Ralph Lauren – the official outfitter for the Australian Open – this season.
Other brands putting a high-fashion spin on the tennis skirt include Bottega Veneta, Reformation, Aya
Muse, as well as Australian designers Aje and Dion Lee.
Celebrity stylist Elliot Garnaut, who styled our photo shoot, said the tennis skirt was “the backbone of the quintessential ‘preppy’ wardrobe and has resurged from the ’90s”.
“Once synonymous with icons like Cher Horowitz of Clueless, the tennis skirt trend is now worn by the biggest celebs of the moment,” he said. “Whether paired with a classic shirt or taking it full Y2K, the tennis skirt is approachable for women of all generations.”
Birrell said teaming it with a blazer “in keeping with the preppy feel” or, for off-duty, “pair with a cropped cardigan or oversized jumper”.
“Adding a streetwear element with white sneakers and socks or a strappy heeled sandal will work after dark,” she said.