Comfortable, versatile and fashionable — these are some of the continually parroted words used to describe tennis skirts.
Tennis skirts, which are typically associated with the sport itself, ventured outside of the athletic fashion world long before the pandemic. Their most notable moments were in the years 2013 to 2015 when American Apparel’s pleated tennis skirts decorated streets and Tumblr pages alike.
Over the past year, however, these skirts have made a resurgence and many people around the University of Georgia campus have taken notice and decided to try the trend out themselves.
Jenah Clarkson, a senior political science major, was inspired to buy tennis skirts after she saw other girls wearing them on campus. Now she swears by them.
“Throwing on a tennis skirt just makes me feel better instead of running around in shorts and a T-shirt,” Clarkson said.
Unlike their counterparts from the early 2010s, today’s tennis skirts are more inspired by sportswear. They are often categorized as “athleisure” — a style of clothing that combines athletic fashion with casual, everyday fashion. Instead of American Apparel, brands such as Nike, Athleta and Lululemon have become the ideal places to buy the skirts.
It is no coincidence that 2020 marked the year of the skirts’ reappearance. With people confined to their homes due to the pandemic, athleisure of all kinds rose in popularity.
Sara Ros, president of the Student Merchandising Association, said that while the pandemic created an environment for the trend to thrive, she thought TikTok and influencers like Bella Hadid, Devon Lee Carlson and Emma Chamberlain also played a significant role in its popularity.
Ros also said that society’s nostalgia for early 2000s fashion has increased the appeal of short skirts, which is evidenced in the tennis skirt trend. Some like to style them in ways reminiscent of early 2000s fashion icons.
On campus, many style the skirts in a laid-back manner, opting to pair them with tank tops and sneakers. Ros and Clarkson attribute this to Georgia’s weather.
Clarkson said UGA students are, in general, representative of what’s popular in fashion, but the trends are tailored to fit a Southern lifestyle.
Sarah Harden, a senior fashion merchandising major, transferred from the University of Tennessee last fall and witnessed a difference in how people express themselves through clothes at UGA.
“You see less people wearing the same things,” Harden said.
The appeal of tennis skirts on campus might also be tied to productivity. Harden said she feels most productive when she has on a nicer outfit, and tennis skirts combine both functionality and stylishness.
Some, such as Harden and Ros, only occasionally sport the skirts. Though non-participants have a variety of reasons, Harden mentioned that the trend has some accessibility issues in terms of price and size exclusivity.
Despite the tutorials for DIY tennis skirts and lower-priced options on Depop or at thrift stores that Harden has seen, she noticed that on Pinterest, only one body type is represented.
Harden said she thinks the next skirt trend will be more inclusive in terms of body types. Both Harden and Ros agree the tennis skirt trend will wane in popularity over the next few months, but Harden said she believes it could resurface again in a few years.
Clarkson disagrees. She does not foresee the trend losing its appeal — or at least, that is her hope.
The Link LonkJune 16, 2021 at 08:00PM
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UGA students discuss pandemic inspired tennis skirt trend - Red and Black
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