Tennis attire is everywhere. Credit the pandemic, social media and pickleball

While tennis fans savor the last matches of the U.S. Open, a subset of spectators and TV viewers have watched the year's final Grand Slam tournament as a source of fashion inspiration they can use to serve looks off the court. It may have escaped people who don't pay attention to clothing trends, but cities from Australia to America are awash in short pleated skirts, tennis dresses, polo collars, and other garments that can make everyone look like they possess a country club membership and a respectable backhand. The trend, dubbed “tenniscore,” owes its timing to multiple factors. It's an extension of athleisure, the time-saving, comfort-minded concept that made elevated yoga pants, spandex shorts, and other recreational attire acceptable to wear in public, no workout required. The market research firm Circana’s data showed sales of women’s tennis apparel spiked 22% in the U.S. between the beginning of the year and early August, while men’s tennis apparel saw a 19% increase. Athletic brands such as Nike, Fila, and Adidas have rolled out fashion-forward collections of tank tops, shorts, and visors to capture the momentum. Circana first started seeing tennis and pickleball apparel—particularly athletic dresses—pop up in its data when consumers started venturing out more after the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, said analyst Kristen Classi-Zummo. People wanted to retain the ease of the loungewear they lived in during lockdowns but to look more polished and put together, she said. Some fashion watchers categorize the trend as an offshoot of social media-fueled niche fads such as “quiet luxury”—which emphasizes high-quality materials and clean styles with no logos—and a close cousin known as an “old money aesthetic.” That's a term for styles viewed as displaying wealth—oftentimes generational—in a subdued way. Social media content creators, some of whom get paid to market products for brands or earn commissions from retailers like Amazon, have played a part in making “tenniscore” mainstream. This article was provided by The Associated Press.