Look closely at fashion over the last few years — the runways, the street-style feeds, the shop windows — and you will keep seeing the same thing: crisp whites, pleated skirts, preppy knits slung over the shoulders, box-fresh sneakers. It has a name now. Tenniscore. And here is the loveliest part of it, especially for a website built for people who love tennis but do not play it: you do not need to own a racket, book a court, or know your deuce from your advantage to wear it. Tenniscore is a look, not a sport.
It is also one of the most flattering, timeless, and genuinely wearable aesthetics going — clean, elegant, a little bit retro, and easy to pull off whatever your age or budget. If you have ever watched a Grand Slam and thought the outfits looked as good as the tennis, this guide is for you. Here is how to build the tenniscore look, piece by piece, and how to wear it in real life without ever setting foot on a court.
What "tenniscore" actually is
Before you buy a thing, it helps to understand what you are actually going for — because tenniscore is a specific mood, not just "sporty clothes."
At its heart, the aesthetic is about clean lines, classic shapes, and a crisp, preppy elegance borrowed from the tennis club. Think whites and creams, pops of navy and forest green, pleats, collars, and knitwear. It is polished rather than gymwear-casual; it whispers old-money country club rather than shouts activewear. And it is deeply nostalgic — you can trace it straight back to the 1920s and 30s, to an era of wooden rackets and long pleated skirts and cardigans worn courtside, the very look in the vintage photo at the top of this page. That heritage is exactly why it feels so timeless: tenniscore has been quietly stylish for a hundred years.
The key distinction to hold onto is this: modern on-court playing kit — the technical, sweat-wicking, logo-heavy stuff the pros actually compete in — is not really tenniscore. The fashion look draws instead on the tradition, the elegance, and the classic pieces. You are dressing like someone who belongs at the club, not someone mid-rally. Keep that in mind and every choice below gets easier.
Where the look actually comes from
Part of what makes tenniscore feel so grounded — rather than like a passing gimmick — is that tennis has genuinely shaped fashion for over a century. This is not clothing borrowing a sporty theme; it is a sport that repeatedly handed the wider world its wardrobe.
The pivotal figure was Suzanne Lenglen, the French superstar of the 1920s. Dressed by a leading couturier of the day, she scandalised and then captivated the era by abandoning the corsets and heavy, ankle-length skirts women were expected to play in, stepping out instead in loose, sleeveless, calf-length dresses and a signature headband. It was a genuine fashion revolution that rippled far beyond tennis, and if you have ever wondered why a headband reads as "tennis," you can thank Lenglen. From there the sport kept feeding fashion: René Lacoste turned his breathable court shirt into the polo that conquered casualwear, Fred Perry built a whole streetwear empire on a tennis laurel, and Wimbledon's insistence on all-white gave the aesthetic its crisp, disciplined palette. We have traced that long relationship in tennis fashion through the decades, and the money now pouring in has only accelerated it, as we explored in why tennis is chasing the fashion world.
The takeaway for your wardrobe is reassuring: when you dress tenniscore, you are not chasing a fad invented last season. You are tapping into a hundred years of proven, elegant design. That is why it never looks silly, and why the pieces below keep their value long after trendier buys have been forgotten.
Start with the pleated skirt
If tenniscore has one signature garment, it is the pleated skirt. Nothing says "tennis" from twenty paces quite like it, and nothing else does as much work to pull the whole look together.
A good pleated tennis skirt is astonishingly versatile off the court. Worn with a simple fitted top and sneakers it is pure weekend tenniscore; worn with a blazer and loafers it tips into smart-casual and can go to an office or a lunch. The pleats add movement and a touch of retro polish that a plain skirt just cannot match. Look for one that hits at a length you are comfortable in — they run short by default — and in a classic colour (white, cream, navy or black) that will slot into the rest of your wardrobe rather than fighting it. It is the one piece that instantly signals the aesthetic, so it is the smartest place to start.
The polo and the tennis dress
For the top half, two classics do most of the heavy lifting, and both come with genuine tennis pedigree.
The first is the polo shirt — a garment tennis literally gave the world, thanks to René Lacoste. A well-cut cotton polo shirt is the backbone of preppy dressing, endlessly wearable with the pleated skirt, with tailored shorts, or with jeans for the mildest possible nod to the look. The second is the one-and-done option: a white tennis dress. A clean, collared or A-line tennis dress is tenniscore in a single item — throw it on, add sneakers, and you are done. It is the lazy person's shortcut to looking effortlessly put together, which is rather the point of the whole aesthetic.
Stick to crisp, simple colours and good fabric that holds its shape, and both pieces will earn their place far beyond any tennis association.
Add the preppy knit
Here is where tenniscore goes from "sporty" to "expensive-looking," and it costs remarkably little to pull off: the knit.
The move is a fine-gauge sweater — ideally a cable-knit or V-neck tennis sweater, bonus points for the classic cream-with-contrast-trim cricket-and-tennis style — worn properly or, for maximum club-house energy, draped over the shoulders with the arms loosely knotted at the front. That shoulder-drape is practically the international signal for old-money preppy, and it instantly elevates a plain skirt-and-top combo into something that looks considered and polished. In cooler weather you actually wear it; in warm weather it is pure styling. Either way, a good knit is the piece that makes the whole outfit read as tenniscore rather than gymwear.
Finish the feet: clean white sneakers
Footwear is where a lot of people accidentally break the spell, so keep it simple. Tenniscore lives and dies on clean, minimal, white court-style shoes.
A pair of white leather court sneakers — low, unfussy, retro in shape — is the correct answer almost every time. Not chunky running shoes, not loud fashion trainers: the appeal here is understatement, a nod to the classic tennis shoe without trying to be a performance product. Keep them box-fresh and white and they will anchor everything from the pleated skirt to a summer dress to a pair of tailored shorts. If white feels too stark, a cream or an off-white with a subtle green or navy stripe stays perfectly within the lines. This is one area where restraint is the whole game.
The finishing touches: headband and visor
Accessories are where tenniscore gets fun, and where a couple of small, cheap buys punch well above their price.
A simple headband and wristband set is the most literal tennis reference you can make, and worn with confidence it reads as playful and intentional rather than costume-y — a thin white or navy band holding the hair back is genuinely chic. For sunnier days, a classic tennis visor does double duty: it shades your face at an actual match and finishes the look anywhere else, carrying a retro sporty charm that a normal cap just does not have. These are the details that show you have leaned into the aesthetic on purpose. Used sparingly, they are the difference between "nice outfit" and "oh, that is the look."
The bag that ties it together
To carry it all, skip the gym holdall and reach for something structured and classic. A clean canvas tote bag — ideally in a natural, cream or navy tone, with simple lines — completes the club-house feel and is practical enough for everyday life, from the office to the farmers' market. The tenniscore rule for bags is the same as for everything else: understated, timeless, and a little bit preppy always beats loud and logo-covered.
Tenniscore for men
None of this is women-only, and it would be a shame to leave the men out, because tenniscore might be the easiest way for a man to look sharp with almost no effort. The men's version leans even more heavily on the pieces most guys already half-own.
The formula is simple: a crisp polo or a fine-gauge knit up top, tailored shorts or clean chinos below, and box-fresh white sneakers underneath. Add a knit over the shoulders if you are feeling bold, or a simple cap and a good watch if you are not. It is essentially elevated preppy — the Fred Perry, country-club, old-school-cool lineage — and it reads as effortlessly put-together in exactly the situations where men tend to struggle: summer weddings, garden parties, a smart-casual dress code, a date. The trick is the same as it is for everyone: keep the palette clean, keep the fit trim but not tight, and let one piece do the referencing. A navy polo, stone shorts and white sneakers is a genuinely great warm-weather outfit that happens to be tenniscore without ever looking like a costume. For men who find fashion baffling, the tennis club is a wonderfully foolproof place to borrow from.
How to wear it in real life
The single biggest mistake people make with any trend-with-a-name is wearing all of it at once and ending up in a costume. Tenniscore is at its best when you treat it as a source of pieces, not a uniform.
In practice, that means picking one or two hero items and grounding them with the clothes you already own. A pleated skirt with a plain white tee and your existing sneakers is tenniscore. A polo tucked into jeans with a knit over the shoulders is tenniscore. You almost never need the full head-to-toe look — a single strong piece does the talking, and the rest of your wardrobe keeps it wearable and modern. Lean into the colours (white, cream, navy, green), keep everything clean and well-fitted, and let one item carry the reference. Dressed up with tailoring it goes to work; dressed down with denim it is a weekend. That flexibility is exactly why the aesthetic has lasted, and why it is worth owning a few good pieces rather than a fancy-dress version of the whole thing.
One last shortcut, if you remember nothing else: get the colour palette right and the rest largely takes care of itself. Tenniscore lives in a tight, disciplined range — bright whites and soft creams as the base, with navy, forest green, and the occasional pop of red or pale yellow as accents. Keep your pieces inside that palette and they will mix and match almost automatically, which is half the reason the look feels so effortless. Loud prints, neon, and heavy branding are the fastest way to break the spell; crisp, quiet, and classic is the whole idea. Stay in those colours and even mismatched pieces from different shops will read as one considered outfit.
Building it on any budget
One of the quiet joys of tenniscore is that it works at every price point, which is not true of most aesthetics that look this polished. Because the look is about shape, colour and crispness rather than obvious luxury, an inexpensive version can read almost identically to a designer one — the whole thing is built on fundamentally simple garments.
That said, there is a smart way to split your money. If you are going to spend anywhere, spend on the two pieces your eye lands on longest: the knit and the sneakers. A good sweater holds its shape and colour instead of pilling into something sad after three washes, and clean, well-made white shoes are the difference between "expensive-looking" and "tired," because scuffed, greying sneakers wreck the whole effect no matter what else you are wearing. Those two are worth investing in. Everything else you can pick up affordably: pleated skirts, polos, headbands, visors and totes are cheap to buy well, and because the shapes are so classic, the budget versions genuinely hold their own. Buy the skirt and the accessories cheaply, spend a little more on the knit and the shoes, keep everything clean and well-fitting, and you will look far more expensive than your receipts. Tenniscore rewards care and restraint over spending — which is exactly why anyone can wear it.
Why tenniscore never goes out of style
Fashion trends usually burn bright and die fast. Tenniscore does not, and the reason is simple: it was never really a trend in the first place. It is a nearly century-old aesthetic rooted in genuine elegance — clean, classic, flattering shapes that looked good in 1927 and look good now, and almost certainly will in another fifty years.
That is the quiet gift tennis has given the wider world. Long after this season's fads have gone to the charity shop, the pleated skirt and the crisp white polo and the sweater over the shoulders will still be there, still looking effortless, still making the wearer look like they have their life together. You do not need a court, a coach, or a backhand to enjoy it. You just need a few good pieces and the confidence to keep it simple. Game, set, and a very good-looking match.
Photo: Female tennis players, ca. 1927, State Library of Queensland, no known copyright restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons.
