To think that Wimbledon needs to up its game?

[CoffeeCantata]

I love watching Wimbledon and so much about it is excellent but...

The poor Linesmen/women! Those horrible outfits suit absolutely no-one and are totally inappropriate for the job. Whatever their physique, this gear just doesn't seem to fit any of them. Shirts with contrasting collars, ties (for goodness' sake!) and badly-cut trousers. How about a smart polo shirt and either shorts or culottes?

Why do the ball-girls have to wear skirts? Why not shorts like the boys? Seems a bit outmoded.

The umpires' chairs are magnificent structures, affording excellent views and with multiple shelves and all kinds of devices attached - they want for nothing. But the players!! Two miserable plastic chairs?? Why can't they have a specially designed unit featuring a cushioned seat, an integrated, lidded cool-box and shelves for all their stuff? It seems they just have to dump all their stuff around them - very untidy and a bit 'school sports day'.

You’re right. I think Wimbledon as an institution, is really set in its ways. It’s been the same for years.

Point of detail, the ballgirls don't wear skirts, they wear skorts

The player chairs are design classics, and so much more elegant than the brash logo-covered benches at other tournaments. The whole point of Wimbledon is understated elegance.
(But I do agree that the ball girls should be able to opt for shorts).

Leave Wimbledon alone, why does everything have to change?

It sets itself apart as the 'classic' slam which the players say give it a certain atmosphere and charm. I agree.

the seats are as they are because they have to be quickly moveable if it rains.

Even Center/Court 1 have rain covers that have to be put on quickly.

using heavier seating would make it harder to move them swiftly in event of sudden rain, and make it easier to injure the people moving them.

I wholeheartedly agree with you about the linesmen/women's outfits.

Definitely - but I don't mean some hi-tech or logo-encrusted thing. I mean a nice wooden green unit (in keeping with the umpires' chairs) but with a place for all the stuff the players need for their breaks. A 1920s Arts and Crafts vibe would look lovely!

Well that's good news - but the ones I've seen do look very much like very short skirts and I don't see why there should be a differentiation. Proper shorts (not micro-shorts) for both sexes would be fine.

Why? Not everything has to be gender neutral.

I agree about the cut of the linesmen/women's trousers, they could do with a redesign. One thing I would say, as someone who lives quite near and goes most years, is that the colours and designs very much form part of the atmosphere in person that doesn't really come across on the TV. It will be interesting to see what happens if/when the expansion plan goes ahead - whether or not they will update then.

Gender-neutral hadn't occurred to me. I was thinking more of how I'd feel as a teenage girl, having to crouch down near the net ready to spring up, or to run across the court etc, wearing a skirt which might reveal my knicks.

If, as another poster said, they're actually 'skorts', and incorporate shorts so that underwear is not in danger of being revealed, then fine.

G-N has nothing to do with it, really, It's about practicality and that's the same, I would have thought, for everyone, when they're doing this job with spectators staring at you and with TV cameras on you.

Gender-neutral hadn't occurred to me. I was thinking more of how I'd feel as a teenage girl, having to crouch down near the net ready to spring up, or to run across the court etc, wearing a skirt which might reveal my knicks.

When has this ever been an issue with the ball girls at Wimbledon? Have you ever seen a close up of their “knicks” in the paper or on tv? I doubt it. It sounds like you are making an issue when there isn’t one. We see women tennis players in dresses and their shorts underneath and they are often teenagers, do you have an issue with that as well?

Oh my god! You've never seen the ball girls' "Knicks", because as has been said upthread, they wear skorts 🙄.
This is a bit of a worrying tone....

Quite, @Twitchingthenightaway I don't see a problem with seeing women in shorts.. ...

No point redesigning the line judges uniforms, they're being abolished (the line judges, not just the uniforms)

Wimbledon seems to be getting along just fine without doing any of those things.

Leave it alone, love it all. The chairs and school sports day appeal is part of its charm, bet the players wouldn't change a thing. I particularly love them holding a good old fashioned umbrella over the players when it's hot, obviously not seen that for years unfortunately!

Lady tennis players wear skorts or dresses so the ball girls wear skorts. As a youngster i ball girl'd for some tennis events (sadly, not Wimbledon) and was given kit. I loved wearing my branded skort, felt like a pro.

I went last week. I felt like I had stepped into the set of Brideshead Revisited and Sebastian was around every corner. The umpires and lines men looked ridiculous with their white trousers. A lot of spectators were dressed very smartly. Men in suits and women in dresses you would wear to a wedding. Several high end shops are in the grounds. Its a very upper class atmosphere with most people probably having their own tennis courts. I think I'm middle class but I've never felt such a pleb. I don't get it.

Why do they look ridiculous in their white Wimbledon trousers? what would you prefer, trackies and a hoody? Nothing needs to change just because Wimbledon makes you feel inferior for some weird reason.

They redesigned the line judges outfits some years ago. It was some famous designer - forgotten who. I rather liked the previous ones even if they didn't, as it was all part of the Wimbledon charm. Problem was, they improved them worse. Not at all flattering or practical.

But the ball boys and girls look fine to me.

@jellymaker I went last week too, and much of what you say is true--and I LOVED it! So much to look at. Let some things be fancy!

Well I don't care that much what people wear but yes I don't get why they aren't dressed in tracksuits. You wear sports wear at a sports event and wedding attire at a wedding . I'm only commenting because I agree with OP but it really doesn't exercise me that much.

DD and I were there yesterday. We did both wear nice dresses although both bought from Vinted so didn’t cost too much and we definitely don’t have a tennis court 😃 we both liked seeing people dressed up although equally lots of people weren’t and both were fine,