Tennis has been a beloved pastime for centuries (seriously), but unfortunately the typical tennis skirt or dress has remained relatively unchanged since its start. Tennis began in the 19th century and for women, their playing outfits were heavily influenced by the fashion at the time. 

While corsets and long skirts were the modern outfit, they proved too uncomfortable to play in and eventually were traded in for linen full-length dresses. Even though this is an improvement, a long dress still could not provide enough functionality for players. By the 20th century, shorter dresses and tops became the female player’s go-to outfit as it combined fashion with athletic ability.

Although the changes to the modern tennis dress are more than welcome, one crucial element still remains missing: shorts. Here at Edara, we made it our mission to learn exactly what to wear under our tennis skirts.

Does The Typical Tennis Skirt Have Built-In Shorts?

Short answer: no. Although we love the stylish takes many athletes showcase during their matches, it used to be considered unfashionable to attach shorts underneath a classic skirt or dress. While we fully believe every tennis outfit should have built-in shorts, the need did not become prevalent until female players complained of a lack of accessibility to carry extra balls.

When hitting a serve, most players prefer to have easy access to a second ball if it proves necessary to perform a serve again. Although it is possible to grab a second ball or hold it in your non-racket hand, we notice it becomes cumbersome and messes with the fluidity of the serve itself. 

Ball shorts have become the imperfect solution for most female players. Pockets are sewn into the shorts that are stretchy enough to hold a second tennis ball, but oftentimes they can become loose or start to slip during a game. 

This half-fixed solution started our mission to figure out exactly what to wear under a tennis skirt.

Trying To Find An Under The Tennis Skirt Solution

In the past, many official tennis rules tried to regulate what could and could not be worn under a tennis skirt or dress. Gradually, competitive tennis players started to test the rules until almost any undergarment is permitted for women tennis players.

Although we here at Edara have continually tried to find the perfect pair of ball shorts to hold an extra tennis ball, it became a battle of choosing between modesty and convenience. 

The best ball shorts on the market seem to always either ride up or down, making it incredibly inconvenient to play comfortably and still hold a ball. Shorts that provided the functionality we wanted always came without the necessary pockets needed for holding tennis balls. 

After what felt like a dead-end around every corner, we felt the perfect people to solve this problem were us. This is how Edara tennis dresses were born!

Creating The Perfect Tennis Skirt + Short Combo

After realizing the solution to tennis wear is sewing together the skirt and shorts, we knew the improvements to tennis wear did not stop there.

Our dresses are made with a stretchy, yet tight, fabric that is both moisture wicking and provides protection from the sun. Best of all, they’re made with the latest tennis fashion trends in mind and have the pockets we all want!

You may be wondering, why a tennis dress? We’re glad you asked! Tennis dresses prove to be the one-stop shop to keep a player comfortable and covered without feeling constricted. While a skirt and top are great options, having every part of your outfit sewn together ensures a sense of confidence that nothing can slip, even when fighting for your toughest rally. 

Here at Edara, we are in love with every aspect of tennis, but also believe comfort produces better results on the court. If you’re interested in trying one of our tennis dresses for yourself, click here to shop!