Tennis Must-Have for Women: A Tennis Skirt

There is a known link between the sport of tennis and the world of fashion, and today, tennis and every major open is not simply about showcasing the talent of world class athletes, but also about brand promotion.  This has given designers an open door to enter the world of tennis, and change it, just a little with fashion.  Today, tennis must haves will be as versatile as your own personality layers, and as long as you make it your own, you will look great on the court.  Here we will talk about perhaps one of the most famous must haves for women, the tennis skirt, and what you can do with this must – have to maintain tradition, but still look hot and contemporary.

When it comes to tennis skirts this year, designers are creating a more streamlined silhouette.  You will see more skirt/top combinations that seem to blend into each other creating a silhouette that is not broken by a waistline.  This trend is in line with the tennis dress trend that is becoming a staple in designer’s tennis collections this year.  Whether you choose a skirt and top combination, or the sleek silhouette of a tennis dress, you will find the streamlined look is en pointe with trends in contemporary tennis fashion.

When you are choosing a tennis skirt, look for flat waists and veer away from the traditional pleated skirts.  This rule of thumb for contemporary tennis fashion is most important for larger figures.  If you are trying to minimize your behind or your hips, pleats will only magnify these areas, and a streamlined skirt with flat front and back will slim you down nicely.  At the same time, giving the illusion of longer legs with shorter hemlines will do the same job of drawing attention away from areas of your figure you want less focus.  If you look for less traditional styles, pay attention to the combination skirts. Both flat and combination styles are perfectly showcased in the new Nike line and come complete with built in compression to flatten your tummy and show off those legs.

Nike - Border Skirt - $50

Nike - Set Point Skirt - $55

When it comes to color for tennis skirts this season you will find the “tennis whites” will always be a traditional and respected color choice.  Designers are playing with this a little bit, and you can too if you like to appear on court with a contemporary style.  Colors in trend this tennis season will be bright and eye popping.  Both Nike and Adidas come through with a beautiful range of color tones that will pair well with a wide number of tops. As long as you pair your eye popping color with confidence, you too can pull it off.

Adidas adiZero Skort - $45	Adidas Barricade Skort - $45

If you love the traditional look of the tennis skirt, use these tips to make today’s skirt your own.  If you want to win, bring your personality to the courts with you.  When you arrive in serious contemporary tennis fashion, your game will be respected just as much as you will be.

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Here Comes the Sun! Tips for Saving your Skin on the Tennis Court

FACT:  Tennis players are often exposed to sunshine.  Unless you (1) have access to an indoor court and (2) enjoy the substantial bank account needed for club membership and court fees, it is likely you will be playing tennis outdoors at some point.  Even indoor-court aficionados sometimes need a little good, old-fashioned fresh air.

Besides the obvious enjoyment of a rousing game of tennis, there are wonderful benefits to playing outdoors on a sunny day.  Sunshine boosts the spirits and instills a sense of well-being, and it helps to keep bones strong by stimulating the production of Vitamin D in the body.  

 

Apart from those who live under rocks, most people are aware of the downside to sun exposure.  Sunlight contains invisible ultraviolet radiation (UV-R), and overexposure to UV-R has been linked to accelerated aging of the skin, sunburn and skin cancer.

 

There are three types of UV rays:

UVA Rays:  Penetrating the skin more deeply than UVB rays, these may cause premature aging of the skin, wrinkles and possible skin cancer.  Detrimental at any daylight hour, UVA rays can also penetrate clouds and glass.  

UVB Rays:  UVB rays can cause sunburn and play a part in premature aging of the skin with potential skin cancer. These rays, which can penetrate clouds but not glass, are most powerful between 10 AM and 4 PM. 

UVC Rays:  Luckily, these rays are absorbed by gases in the earth’s atmosphere before they reach the surface, because otherwise, they would be deadly.

According to the American Cancer Society, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U. S., and 90% of these are related to sun exposure.

 

Here are a few tips for on-court protection from the sun

• Loose-fitting shirts and shorts or sweatpants in tightly woven fabrics provide the most protection from UV rays.  Also, clothing with darker colors may offer more protection than that made of light colors.
• Sunscreens are given a sun-protection factor (SPF) number indicating their level of defense from UV rays – the higher, the better.  To protect bare skin, use sunscreen containing an SPF of at least 15 that offers both UVA and UVB protection.  Make sure to reapply if you are exposed to the sun for more than two hours.
• Try a hat with a brim to protect the head, face and the eyes.
• Wrap-around sunglasses can also guard the eyes from dangerous UVA and UVB rays.
• Avoid midday matches if possible, and try to play in the mornings or early evenings.

Many sports enthusiasts are conflicted about sunscreen.  On the one hand, sunscreen protects the body from dangerous UV rays, but some of these lotions are chock full of chemicals which may also be detrimental to the body.  We have the perfect solution!  Check out the Elemental Herbs Organic Sun Care Kit, available from our friends at Abe’s Market. 

This is a wonderful goodie bag full of all-natural, organic products to protect and sooth your skin.  Included are a couple of high-SPF, zinc-based sunscreens (one with a touch of tint), the All Good Goop Healing Balm to soothe sunburn (which also relieves scrapes, blisters, chapped lips and dry, calloused hands) and three SPF 12 lip balm sticks to protect and sooth dry or cracked lips.

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