Hey William, Chris, Chris’s twin. Love this question.
Is everyone going to Wimbledon?
Do they still have those red clay courts over at Battlefield Park?
But seriously, I love any sporting event that inspires people to get dressed. When I went over to the Atlanta store on Monday night to put together some looks, Ivy told me that his customer was also headed to Wimbledon next week and had just come in to get his wardrobe sorted out. We missed him by 15 minutes. (Don’t worry, Doug, if you’re reading this — I’m not going to share what you got. It all looked great, but nothing worse than flying across the ocean to a Grand Slam and spotting another guy in your exact same plaid jacket and shirt combination.)
Sid’s not en route to Wimbledon, but he would be wearing this exact look if he were.
Full disclosure: I have never been to Wimbledon myself, but I have been watching it on TV for the last 40something years and can help y’all get dressed. (For those of you who are staying home like me — but may be inspired to hit the courts yourself — we can help y'all too.) But at Wimbledon, what to wear depends a little on when you’re going — like a lot of events, things ramp up in formality over the course of the tournament. You can get away with a polo and trousers in the earlier rounds, but for the finals and semifinals, you’re going to want a jacket and ideally a tie. And I’d also say the closer you are to play, the more you’re going to want to dial it up. If you’re seated in Centre Court, same thing – jacket and preferably a tie — whereas you can be dressed a bit more casually if you’re just watching from The Hill. That doesn’t mean you need to wear the jacket the whole time! You’ll see a lot of guys in the stands in shirtsleeves and ties who have taken off their jackets midplay. It’s hot. But you want to have it on you as an option. This is a special event, and you should dress like it.
With that said… you’ve only got so much room in your suitcase, and it’s nice when you can squeeze out some extra mileage from the same pieces. Especially the same shoes. So here are a few outfit ideas with multiple ways to wear each jacket, depending on when you’re going and where you’re seated. (A lot of the shirts and trousers can be shuffled around as well. Lots of room to play here.)
Khaki Butcher Jacket + Navy Rally Polo + White Jeans + Chukka Boots
Khaki Butcher Jacket + Sky Small Bengal Stripe Shirt + Olive Field Chinos + Dot Knit Tie + Chukka Boots
Navy Seersucker Jacket + Green Awning Stripe Shirt + Navy Seersucker Tex Trouser + Chocolate Suede Tassel Loafers
Navy Seersucker Jacket + Sky Graph Check Shirt + Emerald Matka Tie + Charcoal High Twist Dress Trousers + Chocolate Suede Tassel Loafers
Slate Butcher Jacket + Pink Stripe Chambray Shirt + Khaki Field Chinos + Brown Camp Mocs
Slate Butcher Jacket + Blue University Stripe Western + Pale Pink Jeans + Brown Camp Mocs
Lovat/Bone Houndstooth Jacket + Blue Micro Cellulare Shirt + Dusty Red Cotolino Trousers + Chocolate Suede Tassel Loafers
Lovat/Bone Houndstooth Jacket + Pink Oxford Shirt + Navy Wm Brown Tie + Indigo Jeans + Chocolate Suede Tassel Loafers
Okay, there you have it. I hope this gives you enough to work with… and who knows, maybe all y’all will cross paths! Maybe you’ll run into Doug! Have a Pimm’s Cup together. Send me a selfie. Let me know how it works out. And most importantly, have fun.