Suzanne Lenglen: Tennis Diva Extraordinaire!

Mood swings, on-court tantrums, unique personal style and an uber-controlling parent… we’re not talking about Martina Hingis, Miss Sharpova or the Williams sisters!  Suzanne Lenglen or La Divine, as she was aptly nicknamed, set the stage for tennis divas early on in the 1920s.

Suzanne Rachel Flore Lenglen was born on May 24, 1899 to her father, Charles and mother, Anais in Compiegne, France. She was raised in a comfortable, middle-class family and began to show athletic prowess in running, swimming and bicycling by the age of eight. 

Vacationing on the French Riviera, Charles Lenglen admired tennis players for their skill and social status, so he purchased his daughter a racquet and had a backboard built for her practice.  Lacking availability of instructors, Charles chose to teach Suzanne himself.  He decided that the patient and careful style of women of the day was not right for his energetic daughter, so he opted for an aggressive manner of play more similar to men at the time.

The result was a game that revolutionized women’s tennis, and Suzanne Lenglen became one of the best women tennis players of all time.  She won Wimbledon and the French Open a total of six times each and from 1919 to 1926 lost only one match!

In addition to her fearsome athletic ability, Suzanne Lenglen achieved immense notoriety for her unique fashion sense.  She did away with the corset, starched collar and tie, and hired designer Jean Patou to craft a sleeveless dress with a hem that fell just below the knee, occasionally revealing the skin atop her stockings - scandalous!   To complete her look, she wrapped her short and sassy bob in a bandeau, fastened with a jeweled pin.

The quintessential sports diva, she wore makeup on court, pouted or burst into tears with bad play and sipped brandy between sets.  Suzanne Lenglen was a media darling who attracted crowds so large that Wimbledon was forced to move to a more spacious venue.  Like a few of her modern-day counterparts, she even had a tennis shoe named for her.

 Tennis Styles before Suzanne Lenglen

           

Suzanne Lenglen

     

After retiring from tennis, Suzanne Lenglen founded a school where she taught others to play, and she wrote several books:  Lawn Tennis (1925), Lawn Tennis for Girls(1930) and Tennis by Simple Exercises (1937).  Diagnosed with leukemia in June of 1938, Lenglen went blind just three weeks after her diagnosis was made public.  She died on July 4, 1938 of pernicious anemia at age 39, but her legacy lives on.  Built in 1994, Court Suzanne Lenglen is the second largest tennis court at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France.

 

The unique style of Suzanne Lenglen continues to set trends both on and off the tennis court. She was the inspiration for designer Jean Paul Gaultier when he created the Hermes spring-summer 2010 collection.  Divine!

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Tennis Fashion on the Runway

Does it happen that tennis fashion influences the off-court fashion? It certainly does. Jean Paul Gaultier turned the runway into a tennis court for his 2010 ready-to-wear spring-summer collection for the house of Hermes.

 

The pleated skirts, polo T-Shirts, long length cardigans and polo-style dresses which sassily fell off the shoulder were complimented by headbands, tennis bags and rackets. The tennis match on the background completed the look.

 

As for the inspiration, Gaultier told, 

        I don’t recall her name, I know nothing about tennis. I saw a photo 

        of her from the 20s or 30s, and I liked her silhouette, and I said 

        ‘allez, let’s play tennis.’

Well, you shouldn't be a guru of tennis to guess - Suzanne Lenglen, tennis diva of 1920-s! 

Do you like the idea and the collection itself? Tell us your thoughts!

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History of the “Tennis Whites”

There is no question that tennis and fashion go hand in hand, and the history of tennis fashion proves that the style for this game has certainly evolved over time.  But one thing that has not changed (much) when it comes to tennis fashion is the standard of wearing “tennis whites” on the courts.  In fact it is the most famous tennis Open of all, Wimbledon, that has created this tradition, and in a 127 year history, Wimbledon’s tradition is one that is still revered and respected today.  Wearing tennis whites is still an important part of the 127 year long tradition that is Wimbledon, but the fashion standard of wearing tennis whites has certainly changed over time.

As with most fashion standards, it has been the women players of this sport that have led to evolutions that exist today in tennis fashion.  It was women that led to the shorter skirts and sleeveless tops that are standard tennis attire today.  In 1890, Wimbledon imposed a strict tennis whites rule as this became the common color to wear on the court, as it was the color that best hid sweat stains.  Because playing tennis, even back in 1890, was an elite sport where one wanted to “look good” the form of tennis whites became a sport staple.

From 1890 to present, Wimbledon wants athletes to maintain a conservative look, and has carried the tennis whites tradition to contemporary Wimbledon fashion.  It was shortly after World War I when women players began to express a more open minded approach to tennis fashion.  1922 was the first time when color appeared on the court in bandeau form, when Suzanne Lenglen bravely donned a hair bandeau in a bright bold color that definitely had people talking.  For other women players at the time, with no heavy criticism from Wimbledon, this meant an open door to bend the rules on “tennis whites”.

 

Tennis fashion that strayed beyond the golden standard of tennis whites would not change so drastically until the Williams sisters came on the scene.  Serena and Venus Williams dominated Wimbledon and many other of the infamous tennis opens throughout the late ‘90’s.  And people were not just talking about their amazing talent, but also about their fashion.  These were players that knew how to play with the Wimbledon Cup traditional standard, with Serena still showing on court for the U.S. Open in a denim skirt and boots!

Does this mean that “tennis whites” are gone for good? Never.  Tennis is a sport that revels in tradition and respect, and Wimbledon will never veer from a 127 year old tradition.  Even the infamous Williams sisters who love to push the envelope respect the Wimbledon rule.  

As you can see here, both Serena and Venus adopted stylish and sleek tennis whites for Wimbledon 2010.  Serena went for a more streamlined look by Nike adopting the strawberries and cream theme inspired by Wimbledon, where her sister Venus went a little more flashy in traditional tennis whites she designed herself, in a look inspired by one of her favorites, Tina Turner.

 

Tennis whites are not a thing of the past, it is all about making it your own, and the Williams sisters are perfect examples of staying with tradition, and making tradition contemporary.  What has changed is the conservative nature of how strict these rules are kept, ensuring the world of fashion and tennis always stays en pointe with a contemporary world, in one of the world’s most traditional sports.

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Tennis Fashion Evolution

1528
King Henry VIII builds a tennis court at Hampton Court Palace and commissions suits—most likely “tall stockings, short blist’red breeches,” as in Shakespeare’s Henry VIII—for the ensuing matches. 

An illustration of a game of Real Tennis being played during the time of King Henry VII, circa 1500

1867
A sturdy canvas and rubber shoe called a croquet sandal is introduced and sells for six dollars a pair, making it too expensive for all but the very wealthy. The shoe later became known as the tennis shoe. The original sneaker offers players a solution to unsightly grass stains. 

 

1886
Women dress in aristocratic style—ground-grazing skirts with voluminous bustles, corsets, high necklines, and floppy hats. The game is rechristened “pat ball” as women gingerly tap the ball over the net. 

 

1919
Suzanne Lenglen wins Wimbledon in a knee-length dress with three-quarter sleeves and a widely imitated bandeau. (Women reportedly walk out, calling the display “shocking.”) Suzanne was the first woman to play without a corset under her tennis dress.

 

1920

Big Bill Tilden ushers in the golden age of tennis sporting a preppy array of cable knits and V-neck sweaters. 

 

Sandy Wiener and Bill Tilden on the courts in 1923 (Library of Congress)

1927
René Lacoste earns the nickname “the Crocodile” after he makes a pre-match bet over a crocodile-skin suitcase. He later has a croc emblem embroidered onto his shirts and blazers. 

 

René Lacoste wearing the first "crocodile" which will become an icon. Forest Hill, 1927

1933
Helen Jacobs breaks out Bermuda shorts at Forest Hills. The Prince of Wales later weighs in: “They are ... quite the most practical costume for the game, and I don’t think the wearers lose anything in looks.”

Helen Jacobs at Wimbledon, 1933.  

1949
“Gorgeous” Gussy Moran asked the Wimbledon organizers if she could wear colored clothing. Her request was turned down, so tennis fashion designer Ted Tinling created a dress incorporating lace-trimmed knickers which even triggered a debate in parliament. Photographers lie flat on the ground in order to shoot her knickers.

 

Gertrude "Gorgeous Gussy" Moran

1958
Karol Fageros was raising eyebrows at the All England Club - with her gold lame underpants. She was immediately kicked out of the tournament, but earned a reprieve when she agreed to cover up her sparkly undies with some more demure white lace.

 

1968
Arthur Ashe wins the first U.S. Open sporting an ahead-of-its-time hipster ensemble: short shorts and bookish black-rimmed glasses.

 

1970
Television viewers complain that they can’t tell the players apart in their all-white suits. For the first time, the U.S. Open permits pastel. 

1976
Sweatband-wearing Swedish heartthrob Björn Borg takes the first of five consecutive Wimbledons. Later, he founds a clothing line known for its boldly patterned underwear. 

 

 

1981
An unusually festive John McEnroe wins his first Wimbledon singles title on the Fourth of July wearing a blue-and-white striped polo shirt, matching tube socks, and a red sweatband.

  

John McEnroe winning his first Wimbledon in 1981

1985
Leggy blonde Anne White takes the court at Wimbledon in a curve-hugging white unitard, distracting her opponent, Pam Shriver. Though the attire satisfies requirements, officials request that she dress more traditionally the following day.

 

1987
Chris Evert halts play at the U.S. Open when she loses her diamond-studded wristlet on the court. Jewelers like Tiffany & Co. and Bulgari promptly create their own versions of the “tennis bracelet.”

 

1990
Andre Agassi plays the French Open in hot pink. The tournament’s director says he might institute a white-clothing rule. Agassi calls him a “bozo” and segues, briefly, into a lime-green phase.

 

1991
In a hotly anticipated moment, Agassi removes his warm-up suit at Wimbledon to reveal an all-white ensemble, with white Lycra shorts peeking out from under white denim; the crowd erupts in applause.

 

Andre Agassi in action at Wimbledon in 1991

2002
U.S. Open champ Serena Williams plays in a shiny, skintight black bodysuit: the infamous “catsuit.”

 

2004
Bethanie Mattek arrives at the U.S. Open poured into a formfitting leopard-print ensemble. She loses, but continues to dress for future Opens as though attending a Halloween party.

 

2007
Maria Sharapova fails to defend her U.S. Open title despite wearing a Nike dress encrusted with 600 Swarovski crystals, inspired by the Manhattan skyline. The bright red-flame color represents the Big Apple.

 

2007
Tatiana Golovin became the forth woman (after Gussie Moran, Karol Fageros and Anne White) who shocked British public, as she broke the rule of "mainly white" Wimbeldon dress code by wearing red knickers.

2010

Venus Williams has been constantly raising eyebrows by wearing skin-colored hotpants during Australian Open, then wearing the same hotpants with the dress which according to Examiner.com "better suited for a dancer at the Moulin Rouge", and choosing to wear form-fitting pink, sequined dress with matching bedazzled shorts during the US Open.

 

 

Used info from http://nymag.com/fashion/08/fall/49260/ and www.mirror.co.uk pictures from different sources from the web.

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