London, England (Wimbledon)
The Shades of White I Tried at Wimbledon
At Wimbledon, players must wear almost all white. Cream and off-white are not allowed. I brought a paint chart.
At Wimbledon, players must wear almost all white from the moment they reach the court. Cream and off-white are not allowed, and a strip of color can be one centimeter wide, no more. This year the men’s champion won again, and a 21-year-old won her first major. I brought a paint chart.
My Paint Chart
- Gold. Not white. I knew that. I tried it anyway.
- Cream. Banned. Very strict about cream, which surprised me, at a place famous for strawberries and cream.
- Off-white. Banned. Off is not allowed.
- Eggshell. “That’s off-white,” said the inspector, kindly.
- Snow. Approved! Then I put on my tie, which is red. One centimeter of color is allowed. My tie is a lot more than one centimeter.
The Verdict
I tucked the tie in. Then I wore it under a white jacket. Then I held a white towel in front of the jacket. The inspector said she had never seen so much effort go into one tie. I told her it’s a very important tie.
In the end, I watched both finals from the stands, where nobody checks, in a red tie and a gold cap. It was the most colorful I have ever looked at a tennis match.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why the all-white rule?
It goes back to Victorian times, when people worried about sweat showing on colored clothes. My tie wasn't worried about anything.
Who won the finals?
The men's champion kept his title, and the women's champion beat a fellow Czech. I watched both in color, from the stands, where it's allowed.