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The Modern Guide to The Thing Before Preppy

Saturday, August 21, 2021

Tennis Apparel and Shoes?


From a reader:

Having recently started playing tennis again after over two decades away from the game, I'm wondering what are the best current brands for tennis apparel and shoes, specifically tennis whites? Thanks!

 

18 comments:

  1. Grass Court Collection cannot be beaten!
    https://grasscourt.com/

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  2. I recently got a white Baleaf skirt and quire like it. Baleagas for socks, K Swiss or Babolat for shoes. I’m still looking for a good tennis shirt that covers the shoulders.

    I know it is heresy, but Patagonia baggies are comfortable and so are Lululemon Align leggings with side pockets.

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  3. It would help if this is for a lady or gentlemen. I can help a lad find the right product in a modern, moisture-wicking apparel.

    Lacoste and Fila are still going strong. The latter is much less expensive than the former and they mark their whites at their lowest prices. Even better, the logos for their whites are not obnoxious like so many others.

    Boast, the folks who gave us the Japanese maple leaf logo (wink-wink), are back as boastusa and they're as cheeky as ever. Our cousins across the pond now have Play Brave and it unsurprisingly has a lot of white stuff.

    Finally, you can of course buy Nike if you don't care about being assimilated by the Borg.

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  4. Shoes really depend on what fits best on your feet. Mine are wider in front, I wear ASICS. I wear Balega or Bombas socks.

    Other apparel, all the major brands that sell sports clothing (Nike, Adidas, ASICS, New Balance as examples) and many others that sell appropriate apparel like LaCoste. Interestingly, Roger Federer began wearing Uniqlo on the court……

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  5. I've been playing for fifty years and wear Tretorns sometimes; New Balance makes a good tennis sneaker that I wear regularly. Boast is still around from the old days and I wear their shorts and shirts. I also wear Bean white polos. Brooks Brothers and RL both have tennis/cricket sweaters.

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  6. Grass Court is superb!

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  7. Avoid the classic Tretorns...not made like they used to be. But what is these days?

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  8. I play several days a week and wear Patagonia baggies, synthetic shirts given by tournaments, and Adidas shoes. I developed a foot problem with my old Wilsons and a doctor recommended I make a switch. I want to look presentable, but I play to win and this is one area of life I’ll sacrifice some tradition for performance. GLH

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  9. Fred Perry M3 polo shirts and tennis shorts with KSwiss Defier tennis shoes.

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  10. Does anyone other than I recall the year when vulgarity visited tennis? It was 1973, in Australia (where else) when a German player whose name I have thankfully forgotten wore a light blue headband designed to restrain his flowing blond locks. At first, virtually nobody noticed. Little did we know that a simply headband foreshadowed a path of pastels, neons, stripes and other monstrosities. By the 80s, we were lost. Now, with tennis being replaced with another vulgarity named pickle this or pickle that, what does it matter. For those among us who still have manners, there is always paddle, a sport the unwashed masses have never discovered, thank God.

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  11. I love Hedge and Boast for attire, as well as Tretorns for footwear (always!)

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  12. Lacoste Active Wear and Nike tennis shoes

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  13. You can score some great deals on tenniswarehouse.com

    I was a loyal Adidas barricade (shoe) user but have since switched over to Nike. Both great shoes.

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  14. Required reading...The Fireside Book of Tennis by Allison Danzig, Sports Editor, NYT & Sporting Gentleman by E. Digby Baltzell, who needs no introduction. What tennis needs is Perry T. Jones, who mentored players from the 30's to the 60's.
    Kicked Budge off the court for not having his shoelaces bleached as well as King for wearing shorts instead of a skirt. He is the only guy Pancho Gonzales ever listened to. Dress, deportment, & sportsmanship were his bywords. Enuff said.

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  15. As the question asker, thank you all for the responses! I have ordered a used copy of the Danzig book since it's no longer in print and am excited to read it.

    I have been using, to practice on my local hard court, my typical work out clothes and a pair of Nike training shoes. I am a Lacoste and Nike fan, although I do miss my old Rod Lavers from Adidas (They're not even the same design anymore, let alone construction). I asked because I will have the opportunity to play grass at a few different clubs in the coming year and know I need to get whites.

    Thank you everyone!

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