Happy US Open, loves! Have you been watching Serena slay? I have. I’ll be there in person next week, but ‘til then, I’m tuning in via one of many screens in this household to watch her close out this chapter with (hopefully) one more Grand Slam.

The final weekend of the US Open often coincides with the first weekend of New York Fashion Week, which makes it a particularly buzzy time to be in the city. The tennis trend is bleeding into the streets this year, in what Vogue calls Tenniscore — a new era of luxury athleisure:

“Amidst the era of social distancing and outdoor activities, tennis proved to be the perfect sport. A net and 78 feet of court stood between you and your opponent. But even as social lives return to close proximity, tennis’ popularity has remained intact—especially as it pertains to fashion. 

“Brands traditionally not associated with tennis, from fast fashion to luxury labels, have been brought into today’s mainstream tennis culture,” says Jason Kim, SVP of marketing for Lacoste North America, of the sport’s rise. “Through content creation and true product development, this surge in tenniswear’s popularity has ultimately defined the new trend we see around tenniscore.”

Tennis is a sport known for its particularity when it comes to its uniform. At Wimbledon, players can be fined for not wearing all white on the court (as Nick Kyrgios was for putting on his white-and-red Air Jordan 1s this year). In 2018, Serena Williams’s black catsuit at the French Open earned unnecessary backlash from the French Tennis Federation and led to the ban of similar outfits altogether. While this official fussiness around dress code feels old-fashioned, many just getting into the sport are finding that the traditional tennis staples feel particularly fresh off court.” 

I personally like when my tennis gear has some sentimentality. Maybe it’s a hat or towel from a particularly great club I played at. Or maybe it’s a particularly swaggy souvenir from a memorable tournament, like this killer US Open sweatshirt I just snagged from Ralph Lauren.

Regardless of if you’re a lifelong player or new to the game, this is a great season to collect pieces for your on-court wardrobe. Rarely is the market so flooded with fashionable options! If you wanted a tennis skirt before 2020, you were headed to the pro shop. Now, Tory Burch makes ‘em (and really cute racquet bags, too). And there’s a litany of great brands getting in on the game too — from Sporty & Rich’s dynamite Prince collab and Venus Williams’ line to uber-cool new lines like Recreational Habits and Arthur Ashe. Nordstrom’s stocked with Full Court Sport. Irreverent prepster brands like Kule and Rowing Blazers are selling t-shirts emblazoned with phrases like “CANNES TENNIS”. Even the OG’s like Wilson and Lacoste are upping their proverbial game. (For the record, this is the skirt in my cart.)

But when it comes to sitting courtside, I prefer to defer the literal — leaving the gear to the pros actually on the court. While a little wink or nod is cool (think: a Lacoste polo under a chill blazer by Frankie Shop), looking like I just walked out of the B&T is a bit much here.

One of the most fun places I’ve played tennis recently is at Pebble Beach, with my boyfriend. I wrote more about the storied California club and the quaint neighboring Carmel-by-the-Sea for this week’s edition of YOLO Intel, go have a peek! I’ll be taking over their Instagram later this week, as well:

Follow Me on Instagram @jessnellgraves

More fun you might have missed this summer:

• We peeked into the makeup bag of Southern Charm’s Venita Aspen.

• We plumbed the depths of the internet for the most useful, beautiful things under $100.

• We talked “back-to-school” for cool girls, including chic sneakers, the summer reading everyone’s chatting about, and yes — even school supplies. Cool, minimalist Japanese school supplies, that is.

• We asked mega-artist Ashley Longshore, influencer Grace Atwood, CEO Nathalie Walton, and other boldface names what candle they’re burning right now.

• We chatted about high-summer survival for those of us in sweaty climes — most of these pieces are on sale, btw!

• I broke down what I packed for a late-summer trip to Manhattan and an early-summer trip to Carmel.

• I came up with some host gifts for those of you playing summer house guest and talked about my perennial favorite subject, summer black.

• We called bullshit on celebrity skincare lines.

• …And we drank so many Aperol Spritzes, we damn-near turned into one.

Our two-part fall fashion “September Issue” hits next week! Last chance to slide in with your shopping requests/links, styling questions, etc! DM me on IG or reply to this email with ‘em. ‘Til then!