COUNTRY CLUB CHIC

Country clubs have often been viewed as elite establishments where the rich get inebriated off expensive booze and play golf or tennis between dips in the pool. Created in the late 19th century, country clubs were initially designed for upper-class Americans and often offered a myriad of facilities, sprawling land and multiple high-end dining options, shops and golf courses.

While the understanding that country clubs are only for the affluent is still common, more people attend them than ever before. And with the growing popularity of country clubs, there comes the growth of country club attire. While the fashion industry has changed, tennis attire has remained very true to itself over the decades.

Tennis has long been associated with the upper classes of society as those who frequented country clubs often gathered to play the sport. In the 19th century, a mandate was proposed requiring tennis players to wear all-white outfits to avoid the presence of sweat stains. According to Robert J. Lake in his book “A Social History of Tennis in Britain and Routledge Handbook of Tennis: History, Culture and Politics,” this all-white clothing requirement was heavily influenced by the Victorian era due to its symbolization of ‘purity and virtue, reflecting the self-perceptions of the class from which tennis derived most of its players.’

Tennis fashion has evolved over time. From the long kilt skirts and corsets of the 1900s to modern looks with pleated tennis skirts, polos, shorts and cardigans loosely knotted over the shoulders, people still choose to do all-white, sleek looks when hitting the courts.

Style: Amelia Schincariol Words: Yasmine Tenouri Photo: Milan Lazovski and Rahmya Trewern