It seems strange to speak of ‘fashion’ at the ongoing Wimbledon, a tournament which thinks of itself as a tradition, which is upheld by a dress code. The dress code states that clothes must be predominantly white and prohibits prominent display of sponsors’ logos. It doesn’t come as a surprise, however, as the tournament originated in Victorian England, a society not renowned for being hospitable to self-expression, especially among women.
Under such puritanical rigidity, which is in sharp contrast to the flamboyance of, say, the French Open, the choices of players and designers are reduced to tinkering with what is effectively a uniform. The dress code’s jurisdiction extends to spectators as well, and forbids them from turning up in hoodies, zipper jackets, jeans, strapless tops, shorts and bare midriffs, beginning this year.
The rules legislate on footwear, too. Radek Stepanek, the doubles partner of Leander Paes, found this out to his embarrassment just before his third-round singles match against Novak Djokovic, when he was ordered off the court for a pair of shoes that was deemed too bright.
However, in a sport that is predicated on respecting boundaries, few have had problems adhering to these restrictions (other than Andre Agassi, who famously refused to participate in the tournament because the code could not accommodate his denim shorts).
Roger Federer has done it gracefully over the years, and this year too his polo shirt stands out for its minimalism, bearing nothing more than the trademark Nike swoosh and green and purple strips on the collar. Nike has promised that the outfit will bring performance benefits, but any claims that wed fashion to function are insubstantial. Rafael Nadal’s second-round defeat at the hands of Lucas Rosol illustrates precisely this. Nadal, another Nike sponsored player, has for the past few tournaments relinquished his ‘pirate’ appearance for a more conventional but less voluble look comprising tees and shorts cut above the knees.
The far-reaching supervision of the dress code exempts underclothes, for reasons that are entirely comprehensible. Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, among others, have sought out precisely this garment to express themselves. With the dress code not showing any signs of relenting, we can expect more of the same from the coming editions.
