Racquet’s First Official Spectator’s Guide to Tennis

By Liz Culley

When ball is life it’s not just about making sure you dominate the court but that you own the streets. I, Liz Culley, official, unofficial, international tennis influencer, will break down the actually *cool* tennis inspired fashions, accessories and necessities so that you can proudly let everyone know what time it really is.

I’m going to be honest with you, getting ready for my first Racquet House was a challenge. I wasn’t sure if folks would actually be rocking tennis gear (made for the court) or if everyone would be donning shades of white with coordinating bucket hats. I was stumped. I typed in “tennis inspired look” and was excited/horrified by the sheer domination that the tennis aesthetic has infiltrated Instagram fashion trends recently.

I was greeted with massive amounts of corny “tennis vibez” outfits and accessories—”there’s no way actual tennis people wear this stuff,” is all I could think. I did what any smart hot blooded Yankee would do and I Googled “Wimbledon spectator looks”. From there, I piecemealed a pair of crispy white jeans, a blue and white striped oxford and threw on some massive black sunglasses. You know exactly what/who I was going for and I went there and succeeded. As my tennis influencing has progressed and my spectator career has flourished, I’ve assembled quite the list of off court must haves. Take a whirl.

If you can’t spring for a box (or haven’t been invited into one) you are going to need a decent and attractive pair of sunnies so that you don’t get blinded by the sun and Kyrgios’ ego I mean his red Jordans. This Moscot pair will have you basking in the shade all day.

Speaking on the sun, we’ve got to protect that little face of yours because honestly lasers and Botox are expensive. I love this one from Alastin (until recently you had to go to a Derm to buy it!) it’s great for the ladies and the lads and everything in between as it’s light, the right size to fit in your plastic bag (more on that below) and it actually works. (I should add that the illustrious Rennae Stubbs is also a fan).

It’s a real bummer the amount of plastic waste we see at the tourneys and I’m loving seeing more folks bringing reusable bottles. While once on the court, I saw this woman carrying around what looked like a wine bottle, but it was actually a water bottle! BRILLIANT. While this bad boy holds up to a full bottle of wine (perfect for you to take for a picnic at home) it’s insulated so it keeps your water icey. (Goes up to 60z which is more than two bottles of vino, friends!)

Speaking of plastic, this clear bag situation at many tournaments is really killing my outfit vibes, ya know? Not much more to say than here are some options for you to flex with some decent looking bags that will get you through security. I like Gucci’s Ophidia Transparent Shoulder Bag or Under Armour’s utilitarian backpack.

I must admit, when I’ve stayed until the end of the tennis for the day and my skin is nice and crispy I get… cold? Better shove a nice sweater into your crunchy plastic purse that makes a statement. This unisex ombre number from Lacotse says that you are “tennis-minded but also fun.”

You’re going to be walking back and forth to the champagne tent so you are going to need some comfortable shoes. These old school but fresh-vibed Nike Killshots were once only sold at JCrew, which, is very lame, but now that is no longer a thing and you can buy them right from the source and not a lot of people know about the J Crew thing so forget I told you!

I like to let people know that I am living that tennis lifestyle at all times. Given that I’ve got to fly mostly overseas or coast to coast to watch the tennis, I need to make sure I’m wearing something comfy so that when the airlines inevitably lose my bag, I can sleep in the lounge comfortably. I really like the brand Recreational Habits from Jackie Skye Muller, former Women’s Director of Kith. I went for this matching white on white jogger and crew neck, but they’ve got tons of cute options.

After a few days in the sun, many trips to the champagne tent and a bit of travel, your skin is likely looking like trash, oui? I stumbled on the queer owned and created skin tool called Sola Wave at the beginning of the summer and I refuse to travel (and live) without it. This massaging redlight therapy wand feels incredible, depuffs my face and gets rid of the dark black circles under my eyes. Plus it’s cute!

If Woody Harrelson taught us anything during Wimbledon this year it’s that sometimes sunglasses are just not enough to block out the sun. Los Angeles living, French American bred hat maker Nick Fouquet has become popular with the likes of Lebron James and Pharrell (and honestly every other celebrity in the world) but his S22 straw hat is perfect for being the ultimate chic spectator this summer. (Someone please buy me this).