Wimbledon 2026 - What To Wear?

Wimbledon starts tomorrow!

If you’re heading down to SW19 this year have you thought about what you’re going to wear?

I know I’ve been drilling summer smart casual into your brain non-stop the last few weeks, but you’re a busy person, and I know things can go in one ear and out the other easily!

After a fortnight of steaming hot weather, thankfully it’s a little more comfortable this week, but week two sees the return of super hot, muggy and humid conditions, and I just don’t want you asking yourself “why did I think a heavy jacket was a good idea?”

So here’s a quick refresher - let’s get into it.

Wimbledon Starts Tomorrow

Yes the World Cup’s on but to be honest I’ve not paid it much attention - Wimbledon, however… that’s one of the big summer sporting events I love to follow.

It’s the one which makes you feel like summer has properly arrived - the sound of racket and ball at every park with tennis courts, strawberries and creams, that Pimms stuff, footage of crowds on Henman Hill or Murray Mound or whatever it’s called nowadays… those really cool Ralph Lauren style outfits they kit the umpires and ball girls and boys with that make you think “where can I get one of those?” (hint, I can replicate them for you).

And the dress codes. Where dress codes explode the brains of most people I do love them, and I love decoding them for people. Wimbledon is a sporting event like the World Cup is a sporting event, but where at a football match you can turn up wearing pretty much whatever goes, it’s not quite the same with the greatest tennis tournament on the planet.

It’s not that for most spectators at Wimbledon the dress code is particularly strict, but I just don’t feel it should be treated with a “socks and Crocs” attitude either. There’s got to be some consideration because Wimbledon is also one of the most elegant sporting events in the world.

Wimbledon rewards effort, and that effort will reward you. Not just in never having the feeling that you underdressed a bit, but imagine for a moment guys, there’s no way your partner isn’t making some level of effort and we should always be looking to complement our better halves right?

Also consider when it comes to the weather, getting your outfit right can pay dividends and avoid deep regret so you can truly enjoy your day!

The Weather Can Be…Interesting!

Week One of Wimbledon looks pretty easy to manage - temperatures that are warm but not completely sweltering so a lightweight jacket, good cotton or linen shirt and proper trousers or smart chinos will feel very comfortable (in the right fabrics).

But week two is going to be hotter than Satan’s bedroom and that’s where you need to avoid the weird decisions that lesser mortals will make when it gets very warm and humid.

You know what I mean - temperatures shoot up, standards drop down and some people think the way to “beat the heat” is to start stripping off. But some things people do are completely bonkers - shorts in places where they’re completely inappropriate, Jesus Creepers (sorry my term for open sandals), unbuttoned and untucked shirts, heavy running trainers because somehow they look better than loafers or a good pair of quality summer lace ups.

The trick with a hot day at Wimbledon is not to dress like a Brit on holiday in Benidorm - the trick is to maintain standards but get the fabric, constructions and colours right. Lighter fabrics (cottons, linens), softer construction (and unlined jackets), neatly tailored (baggy and poorly fitting clothes serve to act as a heat trap), breathable shirts, even short sleeves - and avoid dark colours, sticking to lighter shades to reduce any heat absorption.

A Quick Thought

One of the reasons I love Wimbledon as a style reference point is because it forces you to think a little about the difference between being dressed up and being overdressed.

There is a big difference!

A man in a light blue or stone blazer, light blue shirt, stone or olive trousers and brown suede loafers can look perfectly elegant without looking stiff, while another man in a badly chosen suit, black shoes and a double cuffed shirt (basically what he wears to the office) might look dictionary definition “smart” but completely wrong for the setting.

That’s why dressing well is never just about formality - it’s all about judgement.

What I’d Wear

If I were going to Wimbledon as a regular spectator, I’d start with a classic navy or stone unstructured jacket for week one - they are so usable time and again and easy to pair with other things. Gun to my head I’d choose the stone/lighter colour paired with slightly darker than the jacket cotton chinos.

It’s a look that not only looks stylish and considered but is comfortable and keeps you mentally cool because the overall colour palette of the outfit is light.

For my shirt I’d either wear a nicely fitted plain white tee shirt, or a collared light blue or blue striped shirt in lightweight cotton, linen or a blend of the two materials. Having linen in the fabric gives you the moisture wicking that will be necessary because it’s London in summer and it’s going to be bloody humid.

For footwear think suede loafers or lace ups - do not wear the trainers that you go running in. I’m going to say it, you just look cheap and frankly stupid. If that comment bounced straight off you then you’re not the person with this sort of problem!

Don’t put all that effort into looking classy just to bring the whole thing down with the wrong choice of footwear. Also running shoes are made of synthetics. Synthetics = sweat. Lots of it and you don’t want your “dogs barking” or whatever old-timers call it when their feet are hot, sweaty and swollen. Yuck.

If you’ve worked hard enough in life to be invited into the Royal Box or the Members’ Enclosure, then you are into jacket and tie territory. Don’t go roasting yourself in a suit, but choose a lightweight tailored jacket, breathable shirt and preferably a knitted tie which will look more considered and less “this is what I wear to a shareholders meeting”. If you want to wear a suit then go with a soft blue or tan linen or linen blend, a tropical wool like fresco or a light wool/linen silk blend so you still respect the environment, can cope with the weather, but again don’t look like you’re itching to rush off to a board meeting.

What I’d Avoid

If I haven’t offended you already let me try my best in this section (and again if you don’t take offence then you’re not someone who has any of these problems and I’m very proud of you!).

Sportswear, running trainers, T-shirts with big logos or slogans, ripped denim (if you’re a grown up person and you wear ripped denim then you need to be deported), anything too tight, anything too baggy, anything that looks like it belongs next to a hotel swimming pool and, for most men, I’d be careful when it comes to shorts unless the specific area of Wimbledon you’re attending and the company you’re with make them feel appropriate. I know people will say “but it’s really hot”, and yes dear reader, it is, but heat is not an automatic licence to kill all standards and dress like you’re going off to mow the lawn straight after lunch.

Also while I’m at it, be careful with hats because at Wimbledon you’re surrounded by people sitting behind you trying to watch the flipping tennis, and while sun protection absolutely matters, blocking someone’s view with a hat the size of a satellite dish is not only the height of social inconsideration, it just marks you out as being a total prick.

Sunglasses, yes (but not the ones you wear when you go skiing please). Sunscreen, 100%. A lightweight layer if you’re staying late is very sensible.

But everything should still feel considered.

The point of all this is that you’re dressing for Wimbledon, not just the weather. You’re dressing for the tennis, the grounds, the people you’re with, the possibility of lunch, dinner or drinks after and the fact that this is one of those great sporting occasions where looking like you’ve made an effort is part of the pleasure of the day.

What To Wear To Wimbledon - The Easy Way To Think About It

The easiest way to think about dressing for Wimbledon is this - don’t dress to the absolute minimum the rules allow you to, go a notch up because that’s what the occasion itself deserves.

If you’re going in week one, you can really enjoy that middle ground of summer tailoring where a jacket, shirt and smart trouser will still feel comfortable and you don’t need to stress about the heat so much.

But if you’re going in week two when the mercury is set to shoot back up, the answer isn’t to dress down completely but just choose better fabrics, lighter weight construction and light colours to combat the heat.

A blue or light coloured jacket, a good shirt and the right lightweight suede shoe will get most men a very long way. If you’re in one of the formal parts of Centre Court a lightweight summer suit or jacket and tie will do the same.

And if even after all this you’re not sure, just remember that at events like Wimbledon it’s better to dress like a man who was aware of the occasion than the guy who found out too late that “no strict dress code” didn’t mean “no standards whatsoever”.

I hope this special Wimbledon edition of Tailoring Talk has been useful - if you are going to Wimbledon 2026 for the tennis in the coming weeks, have the most amazing (and stylish) time!