Tennis fashion has evolved since women first started competing in the games in 1884: Gone are the tea-time-appropriate ankle-skimming skirts, long-sleeve blouses, and wide-brimmed sun hats, replaced by butt-skimming custom tennis skirts, bathing-suit-like tops, and sleek visors that optimize a player’s game and keep her looking photo-ready.
To get in the tennis spirit, take a look back at some vintage shots of ladies looking a bit more demure with their tennis rackets, from Althea Gibson, the first African-American to win Wimbledon, to actress Joan Crawford, who surely never broke a sweat on a tennis court.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnGU3iN_DtC_e1otPtncndPcMsgh1jGf9Nxi5BsqKrRe5JO1tnOl1kRVM0U0qHdYhdVHWj4i6Q6N3XvdF4hWIgtl7NXpAl5_RLHKvsOCHzBtt6wumIco0bjDJP3RK0oQkIzFsgp02alakC/s1600-rw/Vintage+Pictures+of+Ladies+Posing+with+Tennis+Racquets+(1).jpg) |
Woodrow Wilson's Daughter Jessie, Circa 1910s. Photo: Corbis. |
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Joan Marsh, 1930s. Photo: John Springer Collection/Corbis. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqc45t69qJ3KRHpy7qMT9LvXEz3GXiiplwQw1fBJZ2TSrkDmRxhX2v9OdQksG_NRxY1jRTWwrB1Xi4lGgCKY76x-V0oki2IQth14q2qRSLHX86iZ4Bjeb6LrhaBUhe6kdSbKeJIoNSmMn8/s1600-rw/Vintage+Pictures+of+Ladies+Posing+with+Tennis+Racquets+(3).jpg) |
1940. Photo: American Stock/Classic Stock/Corbis |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ1SyCpePxg5YPbbvyNsuyxM4rzfLFIz7PVQbiX_llXD6cxISym-FmeNWvUKYWzY1xgXRSfpYpFwVuJ7Se8BSWXdDjgI2sPqQFngGEWB2nZB3U6mmo2YyY7BxKlkE7XcM7_MmYDj1qscCB/s1600-rw/Vintage+Pictures+of+Ladies+Posing+with+Tennis+Racquets+(4).jpg) |
Joan Frey, 1925. Photo: Bettmann/Corbis. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3XoKNcbq-fCkkLLtnx5be8kxZ_yFGvhGe377L7_iVp7UZnL1VFXxPIUGY9NyD3-3j_oGdlMCwmE2t1RRyKoixGHrDqh27QTfUVB_uBM8FRfeKUttyeh5YklYoCf4yPp_RjQecZrexJDEE/s1600-rw/Vintage+Pictures+of+Ladies+Posing+with+Tennis+Racquets+(5).jpg) |
1934. Photo: Classic Stock/Corbis. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0FE-kfxnQCsJKy3QCRwcDdS7W85HImc6VxopT_OhE_g2yAxgpV1zVh0J06UMX-wHjGPds6hu4hMPImolqTrhVU4iPzAwDSo7yW7fU3hwkaoLCEu9UVfqPq_FKQ3C1B7lTdLfypfhhyphenhyphenp1/s1600-rw/Vintage+Pictures+of+Ladies+Posing+with+Tennis+Racquets+(6).jpg) |
Ruth Roland, 1930. Photo: John Springer Collection/Corbis. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Py6DlzGXTdiOjXXan5Oj7H_5oKq0jG_bEwH0kzpDnt8cF6fQDOs0ak6vcloTD0smBHqCHAlxSmdTE9iWc4k4hCyRP-lrcDaHAGj9Q5DZtsRbrvachSBQtW5tWjSrzYydZD6CXW_faFIz/s1600-rw/Vintage+Pictures+of+Ladies+Posing+with+Tennis+Racquets+(7).jpg) |
Circa 1940s. Photo: Bettmann/Corbis. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQab5qC0AlsOesqV2ZebIzVMh3QoeHjJ82bMQK8H_P6BtzPvw_E2ihtVxoBQXoQIc0hyphenhyphenb7SzxKGxTcthmKsC48bFfzxRwu8SQH8J4ACygCuk6rHeVcT4MMKCF05etV-DQSg6L0-oElzHrm/s1600-rw/Vintage+Pictures+of+Ladies+Posing+with+Tennis+Racquets+(8).jpg) |
Circa 1900. Photo: DaZo Vintage Stock Photos/Corbis. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjert6-Nubl4mbMBBzx_1z5dVydeJ2krgijwBd4KXwiuwZ6n8UvytFnAJniYMLN_CMIryUou8WWvPQKnv2N7qZnHXqg2DIgaKij2uCRpGMUkkXavkiOhaMRA_VohQJedZ2fYYS6yjMlx2Yb/s1600-rw/Vintage+Pictures+of+Ladies+Posing+with+Tennis+Racquets+(9).jpg) |
Eileen Percy, circa 1920. Photo: John Springer Collection/Corbis. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHB1dqRQC456hNgKsAIZNaVfBfAEnPzTOKP_lvKPwFYdxZ25R7ve7D3GUQXC4Z7Te76MymyJniZI4EsfYEzO3i2e8S-WOj1xVQ2LfI5I11DhCqx7uV1KEewEX1C54sQcn7ZPTJI0mhOxL8/s1600-rw/Vintage+Pictures+of+Ladies+Posing+with+Tennis+Racquets+(10).jpg) |
1955. Photo: Classic Stock/Corbis. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuOr97PKory1gy8UGsFEq-YEtgPdDWcErkUjNml3CLLAc7x5H-Zc-H5Hzn6jApmMK3fSpDffrwZrYNegUNwbSISZrz2dHdH0MIZRSSTYYblWuRmKWK7D2beIcuEsqkCRrwEesakzcVt5eH/s1600-rw/Vintage+Pictures+of+Ladies+Posing+with+Tennis+Racquets+(11).jpg) |
Circa 1940s. Photo: Bettmann/Corbis. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1RaWupmPqx6vh0mziEdXDfPVk_LpHAvAIFVfoZEjPv7dbiVnv1C02LyzrUC-JK87uZeBQ103Q3kuL2pxV4a1b29M5kfIvp4fnMQiuKZ22diQRue1Al3Ihe2lVw_L5I6e-nuCscFXevq5/s1600-rw/Vintage+Pictures+of+Ladies+Posing+with+Tennis+Racquets+(12).jpg) |
1952. Photo: Classic Stock/Corbis. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0VU6AtOkKvE4RkDZ1Dlerh4KpFx-ZZYk5zA_zKIv7itN9czjTDwqwnupTREd3tUiqaD9A6TsM6ebTjTEylx-jlH6nKdml6zVuE0TolGESAQzkn_OSpM2EPebbKuVBQKI-kgXH-ONRr-Nu/s1600-rw/Vintage+Pictures+of+Ladies+Posing+with+Tennis+Racquets+(13).jpg) |
Helen Wills, 1925. Photo: Underwood & Uderwood/Corbis. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjUptnDQS0XuDQEVvxQFjmYToKGuA6yRr-sp8Is_RK608U2q9Rz8f-p464rXkAqO4zEwktv2OrpbT6RzQCBTuIGGsIZjI-_9jqW1mWcXnAk1SZNltmGApLnSAyqDzlAY5abWzzOOo89rw/s1600-rw/Vintage+Pictures+of+Ladies+Posing+with+Tennis+Racquets+(14).jpg) |
Joan Crawford, 1928. Photo: Bettmann/Corbis. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdcbaNJDZUqiB3T3TNT9n9-OE7fsWQ2PDYsN0-8jmnGnY5vfEFf7TnwQpyIpwKOVYwi85uJuJzcuQfHWbrjnY_geQMD1f1BiiHNbsiYowTAScxPtxuYdtECngIz_7xVi57-wacwK396SiG/s1600-rw/Vintage+Pictures+of+Ladies+Posing+with+Tennis+Racquets+(15).jpg) |
Nancy Chaffee Kiner. Photo: Bettmann/Corbis. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCJMsAkXXgbPTZOfxoT5orgB6ek-WH285xL1hFVorJDKinbSPL95OoA6LsWEcnhV2D_BYaNBwJOZXpDrDRlBJwyXfhXwMwFZBvQxeFYpa5Dyi9h_7DWhYt3eJRKlJbDS5FEBuAtan409EP/s1600-rw/Vintage+Pictures+of+Ladies+Posing+with+Tennis+Racquets+(16).jpg) |
1939. Photo: Classic Stock/Corbis. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUT5KcDjJpX5taVVUdYSFvaXfFaU9L3NGpzrQTu8nSoDE7oXwxZ-kgIAjIH0voe8kGvnsTlZjUyNyTl-QifZnp4kpMO9AqknFPMNouFg32Fa_OBTs-7Bfiy6BfFQT7X2qUFTgCOFMiee6h/s1600-rw/Vintage+Pictures+of+Ladies+Posing+with+Tennis+Racquets+(17).jpg) |
Helen Wills Moody, 1954. Photo: Bettmann/Corbis. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzBkDXca0TkaKQZj8GfSeTG8cjuc4XCstul6Z4bkBtpYt2fPvGB1_pJURAlrDjmkcMgwQT1KHvIaRDZn8pTJEUK7QG3o7cOPrJV6jrQoqwb88ZhaQVb-xA-_GyuHR5BRuvg9SJM4vYdB_/s1600-rw/Vintage+Pictures+of+Ladies+Posing+with+Tennis+Racquets+(18).jpg) |
Ginger Rogers, 1940. Photo: Bettmann/Corbis. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72KhKBpk7YqBsMmWMO8meAziNNtfj1gEiXXHRcVNZyKAwO7EHVjlmqscCAl96hmSAd3guRWOB8HD2sFKpeEBsbZHQPqrE9R5Lg9jI_16-60ydTzGwB74P1gMHEsg5DpttaH8Ch6qjeyFF/s1600-rw/Vintage+Pictures+of+Ladies+Posing+with+Tennis+Racquets+(19).jpg) |
Katharine Hepburn, 1940. Photo: Bettmann/Corbis. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWiEiVtjhS-vtFrCQXvv2eeNpYT5cOY61HMDXRZ_i8P052ppxm91_QznXvZaob8BuaxYKy8lQaYvBxIK1BfJFlaBd_hVI04CwY2xx9wC-KT9gD8jTLh3KngpoUQmsLGxsF7EEe9R4JGyke/s1600-rw/Vintage+Pictures+of+Ladies+Posing+with+Tennis+Racquets+(20).jpg) |
1938. Photo: Conde Nast Archive/Corbis. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwZmMTiv0QGoswOpbRbpr5j7pggcjOk93agU0ZEplTicaioVzm7fvwaHUxNoe80Cf9Q3Ejp_gWInezlRGYfrUDhrbkvafoaLrNwuFkh-9WmIh0N3P15KzS0zGXaxWaScj7MSYPwBSpCxD/s1600-rw/Vintage+Pictures+of+Ladies+Posing+with+Tennis+Racquets+(21).jpg) |
1938. Photo: Classic Stock/Corbis. |
(via
The Cut)