Courtside style guide: What to wear to the Australian Open
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NEW BALANCE
WORDS BY ELLE BURNARD
Time to serve.
Tennis has been having a moment. Culturally yes, but also sartorially. First, we had Luca Guadagnino’s iconic sports film, Challengers, featuring a love triangle between Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist. Need we say more?
But it was also Zendaya’s character, Tashi Duncan, who had us taking notes. Her wardrobe was an effortlessly chic combination of polos, pleated skirts, white runners and oversized T-shirts that were inevitably saved to countless Pinterest boards as fashion inspiration.
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Now the Australian Open has circled back around, it’s the perfect opportunity to take the leap and channel some tennis into your staples as well. Whether you’re sitting courtside, dressing for work or out with friends, there are plenty of ways to mix and match athleisure with your existing wardrobe. New Balance’s new Australian Open collection is the perfect place to start. With a combination of logoed T-shirts, polos, skorts and runners, it has plenty of essentials that will make you feel like the Gram Slam you are.
When in doubt, an all-white fit does the trick
Historically, tennis’ ubiquitous association with the colour white stems from its popularity during the reign of notorious English king Henry VIII, since wealthy athletes took to the colour due to its long-standing connection with purity, virtue and the fact that it was fairly expensive at the time, meaning that only the rich could afford it. (Elitism in sport runs pretty deep, it seems). But nothing says tennis like an all-white set.
New Balance’s Australian Open Collared Tournament Tank and matching skort instantly give off a tennis-inspired vibe that would look perfectly at home while out for a morning coffee or out for an evening at say, the Australian Open.
While monochrome can feel intimidating – after all, the ever-present threat of spilling some red wine or pasta is always there – we suggest revelling in the danger. What’s reward without a little risk, anyway?
Dress for comfort
When you’re attending the AO, there’s a good chance you’ll be there for a few hours on end. Alongside a supportive pair of walking shoes, it’s important to wear something you’ll feel comfortable in without having to adjust or fidget too much. New Balance’s Australian Open collection features a range of graphic T-shirts to mix and match with denim shorts, a maxi-skirt or jeans, which will keep you feeling comfortable all day long. If it’s a particularly cold day (we are in Melbourne, after all) the tees pair perfectly with a matching tracksuit or pair of cargos.
Sunsmart, but make it fashion
We hope that the dangers of UV exposure have been firmly drilled into your subconscious at this point, but it bears repeating: slip, slop, slap! While having some sunscreen and a bottle of drinking water on deck are a must while sitting courtside (or anywhere else particularly sunny), sometimes the lack of shade can be a real hindrance. Thankfully, New Balance’s Australian Open Visor means you can still look the part while being sunsmart.
Trot around in some tennis shoes
An athleisure-inspired outfit is nothing without a pair of reliable sneakers. They’re an essential building block when it comes to nailing tennis-core. While you might be more inclined to take a page out of Zendaya’s book and rock a pair of tennis ball stilettos (which we’re still obsessed with, don’t get us wrong), we’d suggest a pair of New Balance T500s instead (your feet will thank you).
A chafe-free essential: The skort
While we can gush about the staying power of the pleated skirt all day long, we’d be remiss not to mention its more sinister side: chafing. Plus, there’s always that inevitable panic that you risk flashing someone whenever you make any slight movement.
This is why we prefer to redirect our efforts towards the humble skort. New Balance’s Australian Open Pleated Skort manages to replicate the same classic shape, style and overall sporty aesthetic of its skirt ancestors while reducing any underwear mishaps and the risk of chafing. Or if you’re looking for a more simple piece with just as much movement, the Tournament Skort has a more fitted silhouette with just as much movement. It’s a game, set, match.
For more tennis-core outfit ideas, take a look at New Balance’s Australian Open collection.
