While Tennis Apparel Choices Sizzle, Eyes Are Still On The Game

Clean-cut garments continue to be popular in the court. Well known players in the sports garment industry like Nike and Adidas agree. Items like Nike's Serena Day Dress—with its bold color, lean waistline, and pleated bubble skirt—are a perfect example, showing polished elegance with clean lines.

Other great choices for tennis apparel this summer is the Neon Yellow shirt in the Adidas Competition Line, with its ClimaCool technology that's set to wow more than a few fashion conscious tennis fans and players alike. Both clothes though, aside from setting function over fashion, also point to essentially the same thing: it's not the clothes, it's the player.

However, since the news announcing plans of Ralph Lauren putting up a retail store underneath the Louis Armstrong Stadium circulated, some say change might just be in the air. The talks and rumors have already started. And it doesn't seem all that likely they'll end any time soon. The move, after all, is not only guaranteed to raise eyebrows but also to put small vendors on the alert.

The contract, a four year arrangement, is part of a new sponsorship deal that makes Polo Ralph Lauren the official apparel sponsor, replacing Fila. Widespread on-court branding is expected to be one of the perks in the bag.

The company says it will outfit all court personnel. This means fans can now look forward to seeing umpires, ball people and other staff sporting Polo's all-too-familiar logo. Line judge stand-in boxes will also be expected to bear the company's logo. Judging from this, it's clear that the transition has already started.

Not to say that Scott Oudsema, US Open's young tennis sensation, is also set to model and promote a number of Ralph Lauren tennis apparel and products. It's safe to say that the company has its hands full these days.

"We do very few events, only in an upscale way. The clothes will be refined," remarks David Lauren. Lauren manages the marketing as well as in-house advertising in New York. "There'll be some nice surprises—fresh takes on the high-tech performance gear inspired by our RLX line. It'll be Polo, but with a modern, performance-oriented twist."

Chief business officer at the United States Tennis Association, Pierce O'Neil, termed the pact "a powerful statement regarding the vitality" of pro tennis. "[It] creates a natural platform for the integration of design, fashion and sport."
The remark is one way to ensure that objections from “purists” are addressed.

After all, while tennis buffs love to see their favorite players striking wins in court—decked out in stylish threads—overt brand commercialism is not a very good way to win their affection. Tennis, with all the brands, all the sponsors, the clothes, is still about the game, about the players, about the sport. It's about the sweat, rage, joy in court. That's the blood and bone of the game. Anything that takes away from that isn't likely to make the company a winner for a number of tennis enthusiasts.

It's like what they say: what next? Choices for tennis apparel these days run to tight and stylish sets, to cool and comfortable dresses in bold colors, to separates that allow ease of movement and cover very little. That's what we have right now.

With Ralph Lauren in the court, are we going to have to look forward to fashion shows in the US OPEN now? Is couture tennis apparel going to be the norm very soon?

Many, if not probably most of us, hope not.