Spring + summer activewear trends for court sports
Spring and summer mark the beginning of racket sport season, so if you’re looking for style inspiration for your time on the court, this article is for you.
Pastels with a pop
Pastels are always popular in spring and summer, but this year they’re taking on a more vibrant twist and moving beyond the usual butter yellow and baby pink.
For example, Alo’s spring yellow called “Sunshine,” is noticeably brighter than last year’s softer pastel yellow.
Another example is Hurricane Tyra Black wearing Wilson’s latest pink line, which leans into a bold, Barbie-pink shade.
Another popular spring and summer color is lavender, and Anna Leigh Waters’ vibrant purple look from Nike at the Greater Zion Cup is a great example of how traditional pastels are being turned up a few notches.
Playful ruffles
Ruffles are one of the most charming details you can add to any outfit, especially athleticwear, bringing beautiful texture and movement to your on-court style.
They can be subtle, like the ruffled hem on dresses from Abercrombie’s “Your Personal Best” line, or more statement-making, like the ruffle tennis skirts from Free People and Pom Peche.
Alex Walker wore an adorable ruffle skirt from Picopico at the Zimmer Biomet Cape Coral Open.
Parris Todd and Rachel Rohrabacher sported pink ruffles from Alo at the SXY Newport Beach Open.
Cailyn Campbell and Jalina Ingram experimented with ruffles at the Greater Zion Cup.
Let this be a sign to try out some ruffles this spring.
(Actually) romantic
The next trend is a popular vibe and aesthetic. When you think of LoveShackFancy, this is the trend they embody. Every spring and summer these frilly, girly styles, patterns, and silhouettes dominate streetwear and athleticwear fashion.
They’re super detailed and complex, and sometimes they’re even unrealistic, like this example from LoveShackFancy. Or this ruched dress from Anthropologie.
To me, these looks are more about being fashionable rather than functional for high-level play.
The more toned-down version of these looks are from Altar’d State, like what Kiora Kunimoto and Ella Yeh wear on the court.
These are much more functional for high level play.
Fishin’ in the kitchen
Another popular aesthetic is a boater, fishermen’s, effortless, and upper-class vibe that loves nautical prints, clean lines, and scalloped hems with a predominantly blue and white color palette.
Jalina Ingram and Jorja Johnson have worn some gorgeous examples of these from WiSkii.
I think the pinstripe details in this example from Free People are so charming.
This is a trend that subtly elevates a simple design and comes back into popularity every year.
Color blocking beauty
Color blocking is always popular in athleticwear, and I don’t think this is a trend that’s going away anytime soon. Lululemon just released a gorgeous color blocked pleated tennis skirt that takes the classic pleated skirt design and gives it more visual interest.
For example, Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright wore these fun pink and coral looks in Utah. And even Anna Leigh’s Nike purple top also features some beautiful color blocking.
Here’s another example I love from Anthropologie. This is a trend I’m definitely going to be participating in this season.
Mix and match maxing
Is it just me or have you noticed how matchy-matchy workout sets are out? And mix-and-match sets are in? In athleticwear as a whole, there seems to be a shift towards combining a few different colors that wouldn’t normally be paired together, like a pink top and blue bottom.
Monochromatic sets are out. And vibrant colorways are in.
For example, Hannah Blatt wore this hot pink top and mint green skirt from PB5Star.
In streetwear, a color combo like that might look a little crazy, but in athleticwear, it’s incredibly fun.
Streetwear can be athleticwear
This was popularized by up-and-coming player Nicole Conard.
Her signature look is to wear a long sleeve sheer lace top that she purchased on Amazon and pair it with a sports bra underneath. And I love her experimentation.
Because why can’t we wear sparkly sheer tops when we play pickleball? She really changed my perspective that anything can be an athletic top. It doesn’t have to be super limited to explicitly athletic material that comes from a sporting goods store.
So maybe there are some items in your wardrobe that you could wear on the court.
Give it a try, and maybe you’ll end up on a best dressed list someday.
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