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| Old money tennis outfit-london |
Belgrave Square, thirty degrees, and a pair of Dior slingbacks that have never once seen a rally.
I did not expect this outfit to do what it did.
It was one of those quiet London mornings where the courts are empty and the trees do most of the work. I had an Alo tennis set, a Chanel ribbon in my hair, and heels I had absolutely no business wearing on a court. I took the photos, posted them, and carried on with my day.
It became the most watched thing I have ever posted.
So I want to break it down properly here, because the old money tennis outfit is not really about tennis. It is a formula. And once you understand why it works, you can wear it to brunch, to the shops, on holiday, and nowhere near a court.
This post contains affiliate links. If you shop through them I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Why Tennis Dressing Works Off The Court
The tennis club aesthetic has never really left. It sits inside the old money world for a simple reason: historically, sport was leisure. Whites, pleats, club stripes, ribbons. The clothes were built for movement but worn by people who were not in a hurry.
That is the whole feeling. Ease, but considered.
What makes the look modern is the tension in it. Sportswear on the body, something entirely unsporty on the feet. A pleated skirt reads athletic. A pointed slingback reads evening. Put them together and you get something that feels styled rather than thrown on, without a single logo doing the work for you.
That contrast is the reason this outfit travels so far beyond a court.
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| Alo tennis skirt outfit dior-jadior-heels |
The Formula
Five parts. That is genuinely all it is.
1. A white ribbed tank, cut close. Not oversized, not cropped to nothing. It needs to sit clean against the waistband so the proportions stay sharp. Ribbed cotton photographs far better than anything shiny or technical.
2. A pleated skirt in navy or black. I know white is the obvious choice. Dark is the more expensive one. A navy or black pleated tennis skirt stops the outfit looking like activewear and starts it looking like a uniform, which is exactly what you want.
3. Crew socks, pulled up. This is the detail people underestimate. Ankle socks make the whole thing look like the gym. A ribbed crew sock, sitting mid-calf, is what makes it read club rather than cardio.
4. A heel, not a trainer. The single decision the entire look rests on. I wore the Dior J'Adior slingbacks because the ribbon detail speaks to the ribbon in my hair, and the pointed toe cuts against the softness of the pleats. A black pointed slingback or a kitten heel mule does the same job at any price.
5. One ribbon, one watch, one bag. Restraint is doing the heavy lifting here. A Chanel ribbon tied into the hair, a gold watch, and one good bag. Nothing else. The moment you add more, the whole thing tips into costume.
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| Tennis club aesthetic outfit belgrave square |
What I Wore
Everything from the shoot, linked below. If you shop through these it genuinely does help me keep this blog going — and it costs you nothing extra.
- The tank — Alo ribbed tank, in white. Shop it here
- The skirt — Alo pleated tennis skirt, in black. Shop it here
- The socks — Alo half-crew throwback socks. Small detail, big difference. Shop them here
- The heels — Dior J'Adior slingback pumps in black technical fabric. Shop them here
- The racket — Wilson Clash 100 Pro V3. Shop it here
You can also shop the full look in one place on LTK, along with everything else I have been wearing this summer.
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| Old money tennis outfit aesthetic |
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| ALO - pleated Skirt |
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| ALO - Tank Top |
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| Louis Vuitton - Speedy 30 |
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| Chanel - Black Classic Flap |
How To Wear It Off The Court
This is where the formula earns its place in your wardrobe, because almost none of us are going to a tennis club on a Tuesday.
For a city day. Same skirt, same socks, swap the heels for black ballet flats or a loafer. Add a fine knit over the shoulders. It becomes an outfit you can genuinely walk across London in.
For lunch. Keep the heels, lose the socks, add a structured bag and gold hoops. The pleats do all the work.
For a warmer holiday. White tank, white pleated skirt, tan sandals, no socks at all. Very Riviera, very little effort.
If skirts are not your thing. The formula still works with tailored white shorts. It is the sock, the shoe and the restraint that carry it, not the skirt itself.
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| Old money tennis outfit Louis Vuitton speedy |
The Details That Make It Look Expensive
Everything in this look is fairly accessible apart from the shoes and the bag. What makes it read the way it does is not the price. It is four things.
Fit before brand. A £40 tank that sits properly will always beat a designer one that gapes.
Sock height. Mid-calf. Pulled up, not slouched. It sounds like nothing and it changes everything.
Hair off the face. A slicked back ponytail with a ribbon is what ties it to the club reference. Loose hair softens it too much and the whole thing loses its point.
One hero piece only. The heels are the hero here, so nothing else competes. If you are wearing a statement bag instead, wear a plain shoe. Two loud pieces cancel each other out.
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| Old money tennis outfit Chanel-flap-bag |
Save This One
Of everything I have worn this year, this is the look people keep coming back to. I think it is because it is genuinely repeatable. There is nothing here you cannot build from pieces you may already own, and nothing that will look dated by next summer.
A white tank. A pleated skirt. Socks pulled up. A proper shoe. One ribbon.
That is the whole thing.
Everything is linked above if you would like to recreate it. Shopping through those links is quietly one of the biggest ways this blog keeps running, and I never link anything I would not wear myself — so thank you, sincerely, if you do.
Je Zen x
You might also like:
The Rich-Girl Athleisure Formula I Wear In London
Old Money Summer Capsule Wardrobe 2026: 15 Timeless Pieces Worth Investing In
The Rise of Quiet Luxury
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