‘Gen Z dress like they’re ready for Wimbledon as sales of skorts surge’
With Summer fast approaching, it’s getting closer to the time where we either break out our tennis whites, or watch Wimbledon’s finest in theirs.
But now, Gen Z are taking it a step further, with the latest trend tennis-core sweeping across TikTok and other social media platforms.
And it’s largely thanks to actor Zendaya, who has been donning tennis garb – including shoes with tennis balls on the heels – as part of her press tour for upcoming movie Challengers, where she plays a tennis prodigy.
According to data from Buy Now, Pay Later platform Clearpay, the online trend has translated into real sales, with purchases of tennis-related clothing increasing significantly over the last year.
For example, UK sales of skorts have risen by 134 per cent year-on-year, with sales of mini pleated skirts increasing by 109 per cent.
And Brits have also been snapping up tennis core accessories and footwear, with ‘crew socks seeing a 20 per cent increase in growth, and white trainers jumping by 27 per cent amongst Generation Z in comparison to the previous year’.
In addition, Etsy has also seen a significant rise in searches for tennis core items in the past three months, when compared to the same time period last year.
According to the online retail platform, searches for tennis sweaters, hoodies, or shirts have surged by 47 per cent, prompting Etsy to predict that the trend will ‘continue to grow throughout the spring and summer’.
It’s no surprise to see that the movie has boosted interest in the style, according to sporting icon Venus Williams, speaking to Harpers Bazaar, tennis garb is always in style.
She said: ‘Tennis never goes out of style – it’s always trending! I’ve always loved seeing people embracing tennis-core and incorporating it into everyday style in their own unique way.
‘Tennis has long been at the intersection of sports and fashion, and Lacoste was one of those pioneers who helped elevate sports-chic looks.’
TikTok creators from around the world have been taking part in the Challengers outfit of the day challenge, whereby they try to recreate tennis core looks
Overall year-on-year growth sales for tennis core items including skorts, pleated skirts, and tennis-inspired shoes have seen a significant boost in popularity amongst Generation Z.
Wimbledon has also launched a line of clothing carrying its motif, catering to the tennis core trend that is currently taking social media by storm.
In addition to clothing, the tennis core trend extends to various aspects of interior decor, with Etsy pointing out that tennis-inspired items can effortlessly blend into home design.
With the surge in popularity of tennis core fashion, it seems that Gen Z is ready to embrace a preppy and sporty aesthetic this summer, showing that tennis-inspired styles are serving an ace in the world of fashion trends.
