Until this year, I’d never been to the U.S. Open, for many reasons (some more valid than others): basketball is the only sport I follow, I’ve always assumed the tickets were way too expensive, and it’s usually sooooooo hot and humid in New York until October. But my husband—who loves a live sporting event, is down to try anything once, and has had many a serendipitous encounter and weird opportunity fall into his lap—had somehow also never been, and I felt like that needed to be rectified. (And obviously I was curious about what everyone there was wearing.) Amidst the most beautiful Labor Day Weekend weather this city has ever seen, we got some last-minute tickets and went!
There’s already some great tennis style coverage on Substack (see here and here), but I figured it would be fun to get the perspective of someone who is going in fresh. And I always enjoy reading ‘on-the-ground’ style reporting, like
’s thoroughly delightful Bay Area style anthropology series.
*~* the vibes*~*
(Keep in mind that my points of comparison for live sporting events are: NBA and WNBA games, one minor-league baseball game, and one soccer match in Denmark.) There are fewer visible allegiances to players like there are for teams (though I’d imagine this is slightly different when you’re watching some of the most famous players). People cheer after a rally is over, but the stadium otherwise stays quiet during play, and there’s no music while the match is underway. (Also, the way the announcer reminded the crowd to be quiet was just by saying “Please”… love that.) I didn’t get a honey deuce because I don’t drink vodka and I’m not about to spend $23 on a drink but they do look just as appealing in real life as on Instagram! Though we were in the nosebleeds (pretty sure there were only two rows behind us in the entire stadium), I still felt like I could follow the match. I do always appreciate a jumbotron celeb call-out—the night I went, we were graced with the presence of Anna Wintour as well as Alec and Hilaria Baldwin.
*~* what I wore*~*
I was at an impromptu neighborhood picnic that afternoon, and didn’t have much time to think about my outfit when I went home to change. In the end, I think that served (sorry) me well—I didn’t have time to second-guess myself. I wore a vintage Bombay Gin raglan shirt that I found for $5 in a Florida thrift store (the only 50/50 cotton/poly shirt I will tolerate!), baggy white jeans1 via the RealReal, a Madewell black studded leather belt, and my weird Adidas ballet sneakers w/paracord shoelaces. I topped it off with a white baseball cap (merch from Josh Sharp’s ta-da) and a red leather Tod’s purse via eBay.
*~*what everyone else was wearing*~*
As always, the disclaimer from my copy+paste series: I love seeing street style photos, but ethically, I feel uncomfortable including my iPhone creep shots in a public newsletter unless I’ve explicitly asked someone for permission to share.
(Translation: I am definitely sneaking some photos, but those stay on my phone for me and me alone!)
Sneakers were by far the most common shoe option, but I also saw several pairs of loafers and some sleek flats—very few pairs of sandals! Of the sneakers, Adidas were the overwhelming favorite (Sambas and Gazelles for the most part, one pair of Forums), but the Onitsuka Tiger and the Gola Tornado also made multiple appearances.) I also saw a couple pairs of Puma Palermos. Sneakers were frequently accompanied by visible ankle/crew-cut socks (in the manner of Gen Z)—I noticed multiple lettuce-hem ankle socks in particular.
There were lots of tiered white midi skirts (and some tiered white miniskirts, à la Hollister 2003 and apparently Hollister 2025), and white bottoms in general. Tops ranged from knit polos to rugby shirts to loose button-ups—lots of stripes, some gingham. Blue was the most common color (outside of black and white), and a lot of it was “U.S. Open blue”—tennis court green was a close second, though! I saw a lot of shoulder bags: some leather (brown more than black), some raffia, a couple of those COS quilted handbags, and one U.S. Open yellow canvas tote, which I think was purchased on-site. Also… not a Labubu in sight. Make of that what you will. Baseball caps (including a Cyclones cap and a Phillies cap) were everywhere—I don’t think I saw any other type of hat.
One woman was wearing this gorgeous Toteme silk monogram pajama set, which my husband suggested I purchase until I showed him how much it cost. Aside from that, I saw fewer matching sets than I expected. To the girl in the gorgeous ankle-length floral trench coat—what a piece! And shout-out to the girl with the clear purse that held little more than a pack of Marlboros.
Oh, and I can’t forget the ball crew. Again, I didn’t take pictures because they all looked really young and that felt weird, but look at their gear!
*~*and the merch?!?!*~*
Of course I wanted to leave with some merch. But despite stopping into at least three different stores on our way out (forgot to take pics, sorry!), I left empty-handed—not even the baseball caps drew me in!2 The Wilson store had some decent options, but all poly-cotton blends (why?), the Ralph Lauren collaboration pieces were solid but expensive, and the official U.S. Open t-shirt options were manifold but almost all uninspiring (see above). Most of the designs felt like afterthoughts, very ‘free giveaway at a weekend conference’. (Also, they were the weird kind of cotton that feels too thin and soft… my fellow compatriots with specific sensory preferences will understand.) My husband expressed his belief that I would be able to find a much cooler vintage option online if I truly wanted something.3 So while I’m holding out for this Grailed seller with a dormant account who won’t respond to my offers, I’ve compiled a few other vintage U.S. Open options for all of you! (And one Wimbledon t-shirt that deserves some appreciation, too.)
*~*some vintage options*~*
I’ll leave you with the Whatsapp message exchange I saw on the phone screen of the girl in front of me (I won’t blow up her spot by sharing the actual photo). To her mom, she sent a photo captioned At the U.S. Open. Her mom responded, Nice, who’s playing? She wrote back, I don’t even know I am just enjoying lol. We should all be just enjoying!
(Oh, and here’s my dog with his jumbo Wilson tennis ball—I only said that I left empty-handed… my husband bought something!😈)
(I’ve learned from
to go up several sizes from the norm if you want a more casual vibe and it works!)Also, yes, ‘timelessness’ is a myth but if you bought a Honey Deuce trucker cap I imagine that you will want to put that away for a few years before it becomes ironic…
I did say, “If you keep your clothes long enough, everything becomes vintage,” in mild protest.
Just fyi for your searches I love 1988 sports/events merch forever (my birth year). :D
Great tee! Welcome back, Eleanor! I loved this critique of the merch, and also deploring the state of cotton these days, why is it so thin and icky?? The vintage options are sweet. Hooray for the woman in the floral coat!💕