D
Deleted member 56360
Guest
I've always wondered if it's worth it buying 60 dollar polos and 50 dollar shorts. What do you guys wear onto the court?
Buying the pro's apparel to wear for USTA tournaments and practice?
Mikey Fresh
Banned
the only polos i get are either birthday or from sales and discount stores such as ross and tj maxx
pmacino
Semi-Pro
IMO, your thread subject and your poll question are two different things.
Are you looking as to whether or not wearing pro gear/endorsed lines is acceptable/poseurish? Or expensive clothes in general?
For example you can have Rafa wristbands that are only ten bucks and still look like a fanboy...Or Federer wristbands for that matter...I'm not starting some lame debate on Rafa/Federer FWIW.
Personally, I buy for quality and versatility..I play about 5-6 USTA Tournaments a year and my team made it to sectionals this year (last weekend). So I would have played in about 15-16 matches this season and and average of 2-3 times a week playing in addition to matches/tournaments.
My clothing is a mix of 70% Nike, 25% Adidas, and 5% Diadora (Team Tops). None of my clothing are considered "Signature" tops ie: Rafa's or Federer's, etc..., but I buy the better lines, Nike Athlete, Sphere...where items are embroidered vs. iron on transfer, etc...my experience is that there is a difference in lines and the couple extra bucks can be the difference in a shirt looking new for two seasons rather than one. This does not mean you have to pay full price either. You can almost always find the previous season's colorway at a discount.
My shoes are Nike (CB1.3 White/Navy/Silver), Adidas(BV), and Babolat (PP and PP2). Socks are all Nike Dri-Fit Shox Compression, Nike Dri-fit, Thorlo, or Feetures. I don't mess with my feet and have no problem spending $12 for a pair of Thorlos.
As to whether or not it's okay to be decked out in Fed or Rafa gear while playing matches? I haven't seen it lately...most people wear whatever they want...I do see the occasional Charcoal/Pick CB1.3s that Rafa wore for the FO, but other than that not too much...I have never seen anybody match their idol head to toe in USTA play.
Are you looking as to whether or not wearing pro gear/endorsed lines is acceptable/poseurish? Or expensive clothes in general?
For example you can have Rafa wristbands that are only ten bucks and still look like a fanboy...Or Federer wristbands for that matter...I'm not starting some lame debate on Rafa/Federer FWIW.
Personally, I buy for quality and versatility..I play about 5-6 USTA Tournaments a year and my team made it to sectionals this year (last weekend). So I would have played in about 15-16 matches this season and and average of 2-3 times a week playing in addition to matches/tournaments.
My clothing is a mix of 70% Nike, 25% Adidas, and 5% Diadora (Team Tops). None of my clothing are considered "Signature" tops ie: Rafa's or Federer's, etc..., but I buy the better lines, Nike Athlete, Sphere...where items are embroidered vs. iron on transfer, etc...my experience is that there is a difference in lines and the couple extra bucks can be the difference in a shirt looking new for two seasons rather than one. This does not mean you have to pay full price either. You can almost always find the previous season's colorway at a discount.
My shoes are Nike (CB1.3 White/Navy/Silver), Adidas(BV), and Babolat (PP and PP2). Socks are all Nike Dri-Fit Shox Compression, Nike Dri-fit, Thorlo, or Feetures. I don't mess with my feet and have no problem spending $12 for a pair of Thorlos.
As to whether or not it's okay to be decked out in Fed or Rafa gear while playing matches? I haven't seen it lately...most people wear whatever they want...I do see the occasional Charcoal/Pick CB1.3s that Rafa wore for the FO, but other than that not too much...I have never seen anybody match their idol head to toe in USTA play.
LetFirstServe
Rookie
Indeed the poll question and the title question are different.
There is some apparel that just seems so cool that more people are willing to pay full price for. If its good enough, you may never find that "one of a kind" thing on a big sale and especially your size if you aren't XL+. At that point you pay for it and just hope you aren't kicking yourself later if it does end up half price so its almost a risk.
There is no other way to know if apparel is worth the extra dollars without trying it. Sometimes its gets as far as something performing well for a long time and a good design and cut, then when you are trying to find similar 2+ years later you can't find anything quite like it. Sometimes you need to hoard some apparel like some people have been doing with those older Nike Vapor models.
Sometimes you can find the good apparel before they become "overpriced". I have a whole bunch of J. Lindberg stuff before they became cool.
Obviously you can find good sale stuff when you time things right if you don't care that much.
As far as what the pros wear, I'm one of those people that had one pricey outfit that a pro wears but don't wear it all the time and everything else is mid-price range. I don't think I'd judge someone as a fan boy just because they have Nadal's shoes that he wore last year or something. Head to toe is different though.
If you like what a pro is wearing, I see nothing wrong with spending $10 more for a particular style. Double the price is a bit different though.
There is some apparel that just seems so cool that more people are willing to pay full price for. If its good enough, you may never find that "one of a kind" thing on a big sale and especially your size if you aren't XL+. At that point you pay for it and just hope you aren't kicking yourself later if it does end up half price so its almost a risk.
There is no other way to know if apparel is worth the extra dollars without trying it. Sometimes its gets as far as something performing well for a long time and a good design and cut, then when you are trying to find similar 2+ years later you can't find anything quite like it. Sometimes you need to hoard some apparel like some people have been doing with those older Nike Vapor models.
Sometimes you can find the good apparel before they become "overpriced". I have a whole bunch of J. Lindberg stuff before they became cool.
Obviously you can find good sale stuff when you time things right if you don't care that much.
As far as what the pros wear, I'm one of those people that had one pricey outfit that a pro wears but don't wear it all the time and everything else is mid-price range. I don't think I'd judge someone as a fan boy just because they have Nadal's shoes that he wore last year or something. Head to toe is different though.
If you like what a pro is wearing, I see nothing wrong with spending $10 more for a particular style. Double the price is a bit different though.
D
Deleted member 56360
Guest
Alright Firstserve and Pmachino, thank you. I found out everything I needed to know. If you didn't understand what I was asking, it was sort of like...
I can buy 2 Federer shorts for 50 dollars; one in blue and one in black.
However I see two other shorts for 35 dollars each in the same color.
I saved 30 dollars; 30 dollars I could be using to buy a shirt, per se.
Now the question is...Is the quality of those two 50 dollar shirts worth missing out two other shorts in the same color PLUS a decent shirt?
I can buy 2 Federer shorts for 50 dollars; one in blue and one in black.
However I see two other shorts for 35 dollars each in the same color.
I saved 30 dollars; 30 dollars I could be using to buy a shirt, per se.
Now the question is...Is the quality of those two 50 dollar shirts worth missing out two other shorts in the same color PLUS a decent shirt?
LetFirstServe
Rookie
Same color and pattern, yeah the cheaper ones are better buy. I haven't seen them but I am assuming they are similar quality.
For shorts in general, they aren't designed as uniquely as shirts are. Sometimes they are made to go with certain shirts but that is the athletic garment that you can usually mix and match easier. So signature shorts I never found to be a big deal.
I find that black, white, and navy can go with most shirts, only need to watch the shade of navy but those are easier than reds.
For shorts in general, they aren't designed as uniquely as shirts are. Sometimes they are made to go with certain shirts but that is the athletic garment that you can usually mix and match easier. So signature shorts I never found to be a big deal.
I find that black, white, and navy can go with most shirts, only need to watch the shade of navy but those are easier than reds.
mtommer
Hall of Fame
I don't think any tennis shirt is worth $60. Concerning performance, my cheapie $2 on clearence Starter or Champion brand tech clothing performs just as well as my TJ Maxx/Marshals Nike or Adidas clothing. However, I have found that in general the name brands do last longer. The material has tighter weaves and better seams. The material also seems to hold up better to repeated washings. At the same time I've had some of the cheapies last awhile too but with the cheapies it's hit or miss whereas with the name brands is most likely going to be good quality. Even if one looks at MSRP pricing then I still don't think the roughly $40 or $50 difference between the cheapies and name brands makes the performance/longevity difference worth it. Not by a long shot.
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JoshDragon
Hall of Fame
Only if you are really into your own image. If you don't care that much about what you're wearing and just want to hit tennis balls, then you shouldn't buy it.
WildVolley
Legend
It's not really fair asking a question to someone like me who is very cheap, except when it comes to shoes.
I think you should get some nice tennis clothing, just to try it out. However, if you shop sales and discounters, you can get nice stuff for a fraction of regular retail. You can get poly shirts for practice for under $10 in my area if you shop the discounters, and the same for poly shorts.
I think you should get some nice tennis clothing, just to try it out. However, if you shop sales and discounters, you can get nice stuff for a fraction of regular retail. You can get poly shirts for practice for under $10 in my area if you shop the discounters, and the same for poly shorts.
Top line $50 Adidas, Nike and New Balance shirts and shorts are usually very comfortable, well made, and reasonably durable. I like them more than your garden variety Champion or Target stuff. So in a sense, they are worth more money than cheap brands. But like many others here, I wait for them to go on sale for under $20, which is about the same as undiscounted Champion stuff.
P.S. If you think the tennis stuff is expensive, the prices of the golf clothes will shock you.
P.S. If you think the tennis stuff is expensive, the prices of the golf clothes will shock you.
mtommer
Hall of Fame
I got the impression there was a bit of mix of young and old. I see more "idol" worship from preteens and teens that from "old" guys.
Nothing wrong with matching outfits either. I don't have any personally but I do color match as I consider looking decent more of a sign of personal habits than anything "poseur" related.
BreakPoint
Bionic Poster
It's worth it.
You look good, so you feel good, so you play good.
You look good, so you feel good, so you play good.
Color matching is not the same as getting clothes from pre-set outfits. Sure Not going to wear my baby blue jordan shirt with some red tennis shorts, but doesn't mean I'm going to buy Nadal's whole outfit.
drakulie
Talk Tennis Guru
wow, how obnoxious could you possibly be?? can't afford new clothes, perhaps? how would you know who is good? bad? old? young? etc, etc, etc.
JoshDragon
Hall of Fame
To be fair to Noveson, some of the people who collect the clothes focus more on the style than the actual game itself. If your focus is 90% on the clothes and 10% on your game, you're not going to be very good.
LetFirstServe
Rookie
Nothing wrong with collecting clothes, more specifically sporting apparel. Its a bonus when you actually wear it too. People collect wines and whisky....I even knew a doctor that collected tapeworms! :shock:
Just like many of the people that post mainly in the racquet forum and have tried out hunnits of racquets and some go in there saying they had the same 2 frames for 10+ years. Those people are passionate in trying new frames This forum should be no different with some posters who are passionate about tennis apparel.
Just like many of the people that post mainly in the racquet forum and have tried out hunnits of racquets and some go in there saying they had the same 2 frames for 10+ years. Those people are passionate in trying new frames This forum should be no different with some posters who are passionate about tennis apparel.
Dorian Grey
New User
wear whatever you want....you shouldn't care what other people say or think...we should be more worried about blokes who wear polo's, khaki's and pleats and shoes with tassles....
フェデラー
Hall of Fame
cosign. kid has no idea what he is talking about. I play great tennis and i have alot of Fed apparel and am planning on getting more. So 1) never generalize people like that, since most people i see playing and or play with are no good and they dont have nice clothing so.. keep thinking that if you want noveson.
It is just a pretty easy generalization to make for me. Most of the people I see wearing these super expensive clothes focus more on how they look, which isn't really something to be valued I think.
Hah it isn't going to hurt me to keep thinking that. It is just what comes to mind normally when I see people dressed like that. Sure some change my mind and end up being very good, most are club players that care more about how they look out there.
This is my general impression of these people
And talking about obnoxious, you attack the amount of money I have. Oh man.
I work every summer moving pipes in a field so you know, going to be a college kid now though so I'm sure I will be poor.
drakulie
Talk Tennis Guru
well, "thinking" the way you do,,,,,,, most likely, you will be poor and cleaning toilets for a living, because with all the doo-doo you talk, it is the only thing you will ever "master" in college.
I bought myself an expensive pair of $35 (on discount!) white Adidas Formotion tennis shorts because 1) it was the most amazingly comfortable pair in the Adidas store at the time, and 2) it looked really REALLY nice on me. I put aside a bit of my month's salary (yes, I actually have to work hard for my money) so I could to buy it.
The first time I wore it to my club (which includes poor impoverished ball boys, college varsity players on hard-luck scholarships, underpaid college professors, blue collar workers, and some "rich" people), people graciously complimented me, and asked me where I got it. I am about a 4.0 on a good day, and can beat roughly half of the members in both singles and doubles.
Did I buy this piece of expensive, high-performance clothing because I thought it would help my game? YES! I play tennis in 40 degree heat and/or suffocating humidity here in South East Asia, so every last bit of comfort helps when you are 5-5 in the third set.
Did I buy this gorgeous piece of clothing because I wanted to look good? YOU BET YOUR REAR END I DID. Nice clothes, racquets, bags and other things are a reward for my hard work. I bought them with MY MONEY, and no one can deny me the satisfaction of enjoying it.
So if you want to generalize about me and people like me that buy expensive clothing being "old and/or not very good at tennis", then do so at you own peril. And be careful when you say your envy "isn't going to hurt me to keep thinking that". Envy can make you bitter and resentful, and you can end up being consumed by it.
JoshDragon
Hall of Fame
I agree, Noveson was wrong on this point. I know plenty of people who own the higher end stuff who are 4.5+. I own some of the higher end clothes, I'm 19 years old and close to a 5.0 NTRP.
My envy haha? You're funny. You're not at all the kind of people I am talking about. What comes to mind for me is people that show up in exactly the outfit Federer wore a month ago, complete with bandana, wristbands etc. People that obviously just care about looking the part rather than being able to play. I mean I own two pairs of long Nadal shorts, and a crew shirt Federer wore a few years back, I'm not against looking good.
I just find that the vast majority of people who show up wearing full pre set pro outfits find other things about tennis more important than actually playing. Take Tokyo-something, a poster on these boards, pretty funny one at that. In all his videos he has full Nadal gear on, but then you see him play. He pulls it off pretty well because he is so funny but many people don't.
I like nice clothes, mostly shoes, as I have fifteen pairs or so, but I don't envy or have much respect for the people I described.
scraps234
Hall of Fame
well said but btw add ross =p
BreakPoint
Bionic Poster
Yeah, but how many people on the planet can play tennis as well as Federer? How about zero? So since you can't play as well as him, why not at least dress like him? What's wrong was that? If only people who can play as well as Federer are allowed to dress like him, Nike would go bankrupt. :shock:
LetFirstServe
Rookie
do you know that there are some "crazy" football and basketball fans that buy pros replica jerseys and actually wear them and pay sometimes $100+ for them?
mcutilize
Professional
do you know that there are some "crazy" football and basketball fans that buy pros replica jerseys and actually wear them and pay sometimes $100+ for them?
lol that sounds like me and my steve nash jersey cept i got it for my birthday
The_Question
Hall of Fame
I LOLed! Wannabe? Or great for Halloween?
mtommer
Hall of Fame
That doesn't bother me. What would (even though it doesn't...I just ignore/dismiss them) are those people who dress in the full outfit etc. and come off like they are good when really they suck. Even then the issue is that whenever they mess up, get passed, etc. it's always about how someone got lucky or it wasn't their fault they hit poorly, instead of just admitting they aren't very good players. These are the types who often seek out people they know are worse than them, often being people just starting out in tennis or just ever play social light-hearted tennis, so they can "appear" to be bad***.
Still, it isn't the outfit that causes the bad behavior (step away from the Nadal shirt! LOL) it's the person in the shirt. I always let people reveal who they are instead of making rash assumptions based on how they look.
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I would never pay MSRP for the gear, but items like adidas' climacool go on clearance every season -- to about $25 a polo, $20 crews, $20 shorts. Lots of good deals, whatever anyone else thinks of it, I don't care much, as long as it fits, feels, and looks good.
I wouldn't buy anything for any price I didn't think met all of those criteria, nor would I make any (idiotic) judgments about what other people wear.
I wouldn't buy anything for any price I didn't think met all of those criteria, nor would I make any (idiotic) judgments about what other people wear.
shell
Professional
Nice post. I agree.
This always happens. And as for making rash assumptions, it isn't like I'm going to act on anything. No one would ever know what I think, it is just what I assume that person is going to be like. Assumed the same thing about one of my hitting partners and he turned out to be totally different, but still very interested in fashion. Understand where you are coming from though.
LetFirstServe
Rookie
I don't come across that type too often. For the people that "dress up" fully but skill level is lacking it's because they don't play often.
It usually starts with them know they are going to play tennis soon (later that evening or a weekend plan) and it's on their mind while they are working or whatever. They then go to the stores and start looking at tennis stuff because they are excited to go and play. Sometimes if they go and make a purchase they go overboard.
In tennis it definitely happens, however, I see this happen more when someone is about to go fishing for the first time when a new season opens. They don't fish often and they will buy themselves a new expensive fishing rod and a bunch of $10 lures that they will likely lose...lol.
It usually starts with them know they are going to play tennis soon (later that evening or a weekend plan) and it's on their mind while they are working or whatever. They then go to the stores and start looking at tennis stuff because they are excited to go and play. Sometimes if they go and make a purchase they go overboard.
In tennis it definitely happens, however, I see this happen more when someone is about to go fishing for the first time when a new season opens. They don't fish often and they will buy themselves a new expensive fishing rod and a bunch of $10 lures that they will likely lose...lol.
Great question and interesting answers. When I first started playing tennis, I was all gung ho and went out and bought one pair of nike shorts and one nike shirt and spent almost $100. Then I went to Walmart & Target, I can buy 5-8 tennis "outfits" for that same $100 and they are the exact same. I get sweaty, I change shirts; the nike shirt gets sweaty just as much as the starter or champion shirt does. So when I'm in a really big match I usually bust out the Nike gear, but for all other times, I'm in starter or champion.
Another intersting point, it has already been mentioned but I'd like to reiterate, is how many people I've seen on court that absolutely suck but yet they are decked out in the latest fashions seen on the tour. Some of these people <B>are</B> dressed head to toe like Nadal and/or Federer. What's even funnier is to see them with their K6.1 Tour and watch them hardly be able to hit the ball with the strings.
Me, I let my playing do the talking, it talks much louder than even the most expensive clothes or racquets ever could.
Another intersting point, it has already been mentioned but I'd like to reiterate, is how many people I've seen on court that absolutely suck but yet they are decked out in the latest fashions seen on the tour. Some of these people <B>are</B> dressed head to toe like Nadal and/or Federer. What's even funnier is to see them with their K6.1 Tour and watch them hardly be able to hit the ball with the strings.
Me, I let my playing do the talking, it talks much louder than even the most expensive clothes or racquets ever could.
Carefree
Rookie
Football (Soccer) shirts are so crazy expensive not only for one shirt, but the continuous buying. Here, in the UK, teams change their shirts almost every year. First game of the season last weekend, most people in SW London had the new Chelsea shirt on. They have 3 new shirts this season. They had 3 new shirts last season. I'm surprised NFL teams haven't done it yet. How do you keep producing a new royal blue shirt every year? People grumble about it...while they're in line buying the newest kit.
Back to the original question. The same principle applies to just about anything. How much do you like option A over option B. If there was an "expensive" shirt next to a "cheap" shirt and they were the same price, which one would you go for (based on material, looks, etc.). So now if the one you liked was $1 more, then do you like it $1 more than the other? $2? $3? ... At some point you don't feel it is worth the money, and for everyone, that point is different.
I don't make a lot of money, but personally I tend to buy fewer things I really like (usually at a higher cost, unfortunately) than more things that I don't really like. In other words, I would rather have 1 pair of shorts that I really like, over 3 pairs shorts that I'm not keen on. If there wasn't much to chose between the 2, I would of course take the cheaper option (and still only buy 1).
I like to look good. That's why I get my haircut, and shower, and brush my teeth, buy clothes that I think look good on me, don't wear socks with sandals...
Look at what the pros wear when they're practicing. That's essentially what they would look like if they were some guy on your local court. Most of it still matches and is an "outfit" but not necessarily the most expensive gear.
I kind of started rambling, but I don't feel like editing.
