Smack dab in the center of the most exciting tennis match in the world, let’s take a moment to look at the dress code of the Wimbledon players…because it’s strict. And no wonder why: the dress code dates back to the 1800s.
So why all white? For practical reasons. The sight of sweat spots on colored clothing appeared unseemly back in the day, so “tennis whites” became the way to go.
And by white, we’re talking white. The All-England Club takes this rule very seriously:
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“White does not include off-white or cream.”
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“There can only be “a single trim of color no wider than one centimeter.”
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“Any [colored] undergarments that either are or can be visible during play (including due to perspiration)” are not allowed.”
Many players have claimed that this rule is too strict. And many have tried to bend and/or break the rules. But most happily adhere in order to be part of such a privileged event.
As far as jewelry? While we can’t find any rules dictating the wearing of jewelry, from what we see, a few female players don a simple pendant necklace (which also looks great against a fashionable all white backdrop!).
Petra Kvitová