Why wimbledon white

Dating all the way back to , one of the most distinctive features of the esteemed sporting competition is the very strict dress code imposed on the players who take part.

It is a well-known fact that participants must wear all-white outfits when they walk onto the court. Players must be careful about the specific shade of white that they wear, as clothes that are off-white or cream in colour are not permitted.

Strips of colour can be no wider than a single centimetre, and logos on clothing that consist of patterns are not allowed. Players wore white in order to avoid sweat patches appearing on coloured clothing, as Valerie Warren explains in Tennis Fashions: Over Years of Costume Change. Shoes, soles and laces must all be white, as must the backs of shirts and undergarments. Only a thin, single strip of colour is allowed on necklines, sleeves, trousers and skirts, wristbands and headwear, no bigger than 10mm.

The tournament launched in , and in this Victorian era, it was believed white would be the ideal colour for players to wear.

The rest, as they say, is history — until players convene back at Wimbledon, of course. The Wimbledon officials are serious about their tennis whites rule. Recently, underwear has been the sticking point for players, and Wimbledon has gone so far as to replace the offending items for players.

In , Austrian competitor Jurij Rodionov was asked to change after it was discovered that he was rocking blue undergarments; he was able to swap them out for a white pair provided by Wimbledon, and went on to win his match.

Similar situations arose that same year for doubles players Zsombor Piros and Wu Yibing. Write to Raisa Bruner at raisa. By Raisa Bruner. No tennis whites, no service. Casals won in two sets, , Travel Guides. Videos Beyond Hollywood Hungerlust Pioneers of love. Wimbledon dress code guidelines:. Court No. Give us feedback.