Tennis

After the Civil War, tennis gained popularity and was no longer a sport solely for the wealthy. In the late 19^th century, a number of sporting clubs opened, offering such activities as tennis and golf. Lawn parties, country clubs, and resort hotels drew guests for afternoons of lawn or court tennis. Tennis was also extremely popular for women, especially during the 1920s. Tennis, like golf, was extremely fashionable during the 1920s, and the outfits worn for the sport were also quite fashionable. The evolution of the tennis outfit can help in narrowing the date of an historic image.

During the late 19^th and early 20^th century, women still dressed quite conservatively for sporting activities. Full length dresses of skirts with hats were in order. Men also sported dressy attire, such as trousers, button down shirts, ties, and hats.

Early 20^th Century Lawn Tennis: Image courtesy of the University of Vermont Landscape Change Program and Henry Merrill

During the tennis craze of the 1920s, clothing became more casual, and specific tennis attire was fashionable for women. Shorter, light-weight dresses, tights, and headbands all came together to create that Roaring 20s look. Many men wore the knickers and matching sweaters socks that were also popular for golf.

1920s Tennis Outfits: Image courtesy of Valerie Mendes and Amy de la Haye, 20^th Century Fashion, 1999

Roaring 20s Tennis Outfit: Image courtesy of the Tennis Hall of Fame

By the 1940s or 1950s, clothing was significantly more casual. The men in the image directly below wear simple long-sleeved shirts and tight-fitting shorts. The women in the image at the bottom wear shorts and sleeveless or short-sleeved blouses.

1940s-1950s Tennis: Image courtesy of the University of Vermont Landscape Change Program and John Carpenter

1940s-1950s Lawn Tennis: Image courtesy of the University of Vermont Landscape Change Program and Carolyn Hodgdon