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The Evolution of Tennis and Polo Shirts
A tennis shirt, polo shirt or golf shirt all refers to a type of t-shirt that is made of knitted cloth, usually pique cotton. Its style is customarily with some buttons down a slit below the collar, two small cuts on the bottom of each side of the t-shirt and maybe with or without a pocket. On rare occasions are tennis shirts made of silk, merino wool or synthetic fibers.
Between the nineteenth and early twentieth century, tennis players had a tough time playing their games as a result of poor design of their attire. In those days, they had to wear long-sleeved shirts, trousers and even ties to the tennis court. These formal cloths were akin to what the white collars of today wear to work and were simply too heavy and cumbersome for professional playing. Therefore, a French tennis player called Rene Lacoste decided to start his own line of tennis shirts named after himself, Lacoste. The 7-time Grand Slam tennis champion came up with a loosely-knitted un-starched pique cotton tennis shirt with a collar and longer shirt-tail at the back. The collar is thicker so that it could be upturned and provide the neck protection from the sun while playing. Actually, before Lacoste invented the revolutionary tennis shirt in 1929, polo shirts already had the button-down collar design since the late nineteenth century. While this design was able to prevent the wind from flapping the collars against the players’ neck, the long-sleeved polo shirts which were made of Oxford-cloth cotton were clumsy to wear on the field. As a result, Lacoste’s tennis shirts were promptly taken on by the polo players as their apparel in the 1930s.
Soon, the polo shirt and tennis shirt were considered the one and the same. In the US, the two terms were very commonly used interchangeably in the 1950s to describe this very popular apparel. It was so popular that the tennis players openly refer to their shirt as a “polo shirt”, even though the t-shirt was first used in tennis and even though polo only adopted it many years later.
The t-shirt was made even more popular, thanks to Ralph Lauren. In 1967, he added a Joules Polos shirt into his already famous clothing line called Polo. However, his polo shirts were not meant to be worn by professional players. They were only imitations of the style of what the polo players were wearing at that time.
Before long, golfers became aware of the advantages of Lacoste’s tennis shirt. As a result, when golf’s customary wear grew more relaxed and informal some time in the twentieth century, golfers did not think twice about adopting the tennis shirt. Until today, most golfers wear nothing else. For the ladies, they can have their tennis shirt custom made in colors that they like. The only difference is that the monicker “golf shirts” have various golf cuts necessary to incorporate into the standard tennis shirts. Today, the tennis shirt’s popularity is so widespread that it has a line of fashion of its own. Most of the main clothing producers have a version or variation of Lacoste’s tennis shirt since it is worn extensively by both men and women today and not necessarily for athletic purposes. Tennis shirts are regarded as smart casual wear. Many semi-professional and retail workers wear tennis shirts to work because round collar t-shirts are considered too informal and yet business suits are too formal.
Field guides, laborers and others who work outdoors love to wear tennis shirts to work because the material and design are resilient and durable. Sometime in the 1990s, the tennis shirt also found favor by the high tech industry and was made its standard business as well as casual wear. Other industries followed suit. Usually, a company logo is printed on the shirt to make it look more business-like. In some of India’s government departments, tennis shirts are standard office wear.
In many schools with uniforms, especially junior schools, tennis shirts are part of a compulsory uniform for both boys and girls. The tennis shirt continues to be popular in sports, even used by officials such as caddies, some retired golf professionals, umpires and sports announcers. Thanks in part to the outdoor nature of the sports with which they are linked to, the shirts often come in light colors, for example in tennis the color white is most often used.
Like in the original Lacoste’s design, sometimes a tennis shirt is cut so that the back hangs a few centimeters lower than the front also known as a “tennis tail”. The longer tail is meant to keep the shirt tucked into the back of a man’s tennis shorts when he is bent over to survey the court. The easily-upturnable collar remains another athletic aid to protect against sun burns.
The tennis shirt or Joules Clothing polo shirt will continue to occupy a niche in the fashion industry, regardless of the changing trends and times. It has become an essential wear in our daily lives.
Women’s Tennis Gear: the Perfect Gifts!
Women’s tennis may have begun with polite outings in long white dresses but the modern tennis game spans from a fun social outing to a sport that demands strength, quickness, endurance, amazingly fine-tuned skills and everything in between. Finding the right equipment and apparel to match your style and needs is important for your comfort and your game. If you’re looking for something different in tennis wear for on and off the court, check out the Balle de Match clothing line- a great casual beach type look that can easily make the transition from on to off the court. Functional but with stylish flair, the Fila line of apparel combines performance fabrics and comfort to bring you the best in court clothing. Their simple lines and bold colors have transformed women’s tennis clothing. The Nike brand of women’s tennis clothing brings high energy and high performance with style. Combining performance features such as technology to provide ventilation and design lines famous for their captivating beauty to become a workout favorite Nike is a popular and versatile style. Tennis superstar Serena Williams has worn Nike tennis apparel and has lent her design sensibility to several pieces in their collection. These dynamic garments can give your game a surge of power.
Wilson’s W line for women provides tennis players with the style and comfort that they need for their game, with a full range of styles to choose from you won’t be bored. You can express your individuality on and off the court with Wilson’s Crystal, Fierce and Ocean lines. Wilson’s W line also features the famous UV/UVB protective clothing. It is always important to be protected from the rays of the sun whenever you go outside, now you can combine function and fashion in the best of both worlds.
With bright, modern styles Adidas brings you the best in fashion and function with cutting edge technology such as ClimaCool. Success on the court is demanding, but Climacool keeps you cool and comfortable while performing at your peak in even the hottest conditions Adidas also offers special technology in many of their clothes that provide UV protection. Looking for something with more classic lines? The Reebok women’s brand of tennis apparel uses simple detailing to bring a touch of elegance to your tennis apparel. Reebok has also pioneered the Play Dry technology. Play Dry technology provides moisture management and wicking properties for the active tennis player, keeping you dry and cool, and the reflective logo enhances visibility. The Under Armour brand brings the ultimate clothing for training on those cool days. Under Armour Metal technology pushes moisture to the fabric’s surface, where evaporation pulls it from the body keeping the player dry and warm in the most adverse conditions.
However, when protocol or tradition demands it, the classic line of women’s tennis apparel from Boast offers comfort and style. From public courts to country clubs, the classic tailoring and no-nonsense styling of this line is as appropriate today as it’s ever been. These are court & sport wear outfits look great on and off the court – Perfect for your everyday active lifestyle. Tennis rackets have also evolved as the game as become more and more popular among women. Whether you are a top-level athlete or a weekend warrior there is a racquet designed with you in mind.
The W line by Wilson has the tennis racket you need when you would like to express your personal style. This comprehensive line of racquets designed specifically for women, was created with input from female athletes. Wilson has combined nCode technology with new racquet construction and specific features geared to the women’s game. Tied to the Wilson Hope charity efforts, for every purchase from the W line, Wilson makes a donation to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. All W line models support Wilson’s HOPE efforts to benefit the Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation. This line of tennis racquets includes nine designs, divided into three head sizes each with a different stiffness. These tennis rackets have a new fluid, oval head shape with longer main strings for a larger sweetspot. Other features include Iso-Zorb grommets for reduced shock, a softer grip and a contoured butt cap, all of which offer greater comfort. These rackets also feature a new throat design creating greater strength and stability. Each of the tennis rackets comes in a variety of colors and graphics to allow a players individual personality to shine on the court.
Many sports have had products geared specifically toward women for years, but until now, the tennis industry has concentrated more on changing cosmetics than enhancing technology for women’s equipment. Not anymore! With Head’s new Women’s Series, women will benefit more than ever from innovative technology, products and design – everything competitive players expect from Head. Head interviewed thousands of women around the world to find out what they really want in a tennis racquet. That way, before producing a single tennis racquet for this new line Head knew exactly what female tennis players expected: lightweight power, comfort and maneuverability. The Head Air Flow line, endorsed by Steffi Graf, is designed to be a “function over fashion” line of tennis racquets. This series is meant to suit the performance-oriented needs of a female player. Air Flow tennis racquets, featuring Head’s Metallix technology, combine a specially designed matrix of carbon fibers and a new crystalline metal alloy to make it one of the lightest and strongest new rackets. The anatomical structure of the female hand is different from men’s and so the design of the tennis racket should reflect those differences. Positioned in the redesigned shaft section, Metallix reduces overall weight and improves the response and power of the racquet. The HEAD’s unique ergonomic grip is designed for a woman’s hand- thinner at the top and thicker at the bottom reducing twist and torque for more comfort and less strain on the arm. The result is superior handling and enhanced ball control.
The new DNX Attiva line by Volkl caters to those women tennis players with an aggressive and powerful game – just ask Dominika Cibulkova! These anatomically-designed tennis rackets will help you achieve your top performance. These new designs are light-weight, properly balanced, combined with additional performance and comfort features like: Catapult effect, Big Grommet, Sensor Plus Handle System and of course…the revolutionary DNX material. The Volkl Catapult technology allows greater string movement which provides increased comfort and a larger sweetspot with every swing of the racket. For supreme comfort, the Sensor Plus Handle System supplies excellent vibration and shock absorbance. DNX is a new unique material structure featuring high-strength micro tube construction that is 25 times stronger than regular carbon fibers. It is an entirely new material class whose properties represent the fourth dimension of carbon. DNX has strength characteristics that have never been reached before, a true break-through in material development, now exclusively available in the new DNX Racquet Series by Völkl Tennis. This line of tennis rackets was created especially for today’s women tennis players providing a selection of light, comfortable and easy to maneuver racquets. DNX Attiva provides the versatile strength you need to increase your on court potential.
Developed specifically with the female player in mind, the Dunlop M-Fil Lady has been enhanced with the Impact Shock Isolation System in the tennis racquet handle which dampens frame vibration and helps protect the arm from tennis elbow. Dunlop Hydramax Comfort grip features an exceptional tack feel for players who demand outstanding performance and maximum control. Dunlop has included its Multifilament Construction process at the 3 & 9 o’clock positions to further enhance the stability of this women’s tennis racquet. M-Fil (Multi Filament) is a technology, developed by Dunlop, that incorporates a unique patented 3D braiding process using a combination of three materials : Carbon, S-fiber and Magnesium. The added beam stiffness from the Multifilament Construction enhances the size of the sweetspot and helps prevent the tennis racquet from twisting on off center shots. These element are combined into the hitting zone at the racquet head to enhance the touch and feel of the racquet where and when you need it most – at the moment of ball contact. Unlike conventional racquets, the M-Fil fibers are layered in three directions, with the thrid fibre aligned at zero degrees. Additionally, Hotmelt technology produces a unique molten graphite skin which is layered over the entire racquet frame. This makes the racket immensely strong, durable and responsive, producing an incredible surge of 30% more “heat refined power” than standard graphite racquets. This enhances natural power play, producing greater shot accuracy and giving a more consistent touch and feel throughout the frame. This tennis racket is ideal for the competitor looking for a combination of control, comfort and power in a light-weight racquet.
In 1992 the Susan G. Komen For The Cure (Formerly the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation,) in conjunction with major cosmetics firms, launched the Pink Ribbon campaign to raise awareness about breast cancer. During the 2nd Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month the Pink Ribbon campaign was launched nationally across America. Through the years the popularity of ‘Pink’ products in support of breast cancer awareness and research has increased. Today many manufacturers offer products with a Pink theme, often supporting their national and international organizations as well as their own breast cancer campaigns. There is now a wide selection of Pink tennis gear perfect for the tennis lover in your life. The Wilson ‘Hope’ tennis cap features a clean white hat with pink trim, and an embroidered pink ribbon with the word Hope stitched in black across the front. In 1998 Wilson launched the Hope campaign. With the Hope products, Wilson intends to raise awareness and get the word out to women everywhere that there are steps they can take to help prevent breast cancer. The packaging of the Hope tennis products includes important information on how to reduce the chances of developing breast cancer. Wilson’s women’s Wildcard sneakers are lightweight and ready to go out of the box. With breathe-ability and nice support this shoe is low to the ground, supportive and solid. The Wilson 3-racquet bag is the perfect accessory for the court. With room for three tennis rackets, and a stylish pink design, this bag will be a hit with anyone. Tennis powerhouse Penn offers both canisters and cases of pink felt tennis balls, an ideal gift for organizations, family or friends. From bags to hats to shoes Pink is the perfect gift for Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, or her birthday!