What to wear to a tennis club starts with the club's own dress code. Choose an outfit that meets its clothing and footwear rules for play, then check whether the clubhouse or your plans afterwards call for a change. Tennis whites, a collared shirt and a particular type of sole can be local requirements rather than a rule for every court.
A simple way to plan is to separate three moments: arriving, playing and staying afterwards. This guide gives you a wardrobe check for each, with examples from Canadian clubs.
Cover: an AI-created wardrobe illustration. It does not show a named club or an approved outfit for any particular venue.
1. Confirm the clothing rule before choosing the outfit
Open your venue's current guest information or ask your host for its dress code. Read the tennis section rather than assuming the golf, fitness or dining rules apply on court. Check colours, permitted tops and bottoms, and any separate event instructions.
The differences are real. Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club's guest information requires white tennis clothing with a limit on coloured trim. Its tennis footwear may include colour. In contrast, Dorval Tennis Club's rules explicitly say that white tennis clothes are not obligatory. Neither example establishes the rule at your club.
If the code says only “proper tennis attire,” confirm the pieces you intend to wear. A quick question about your top, shorts, skirt, dress or leggings is more useful than buying an entire new outfit based on a general online list.
2. Choose shoes for the actual court
Check both the type of footwear and the sole requirements. A white shoe is not automatically an approved tennis shoe, and a non-marking label alone may not answer a clay court's surface rules.
Dorval specifies flat-soled tennis shoes for its Har-Tru courts and excludes several other sports-shoe types. Cambridge Tennis Club's code explains that soles must not catch on the tapes or damage its Har-Tru surface. Confirm the requirement with your host club before choosing a pair.
If you arrive in commuting shoes, bring the approved court pair separately and change where the club permits. Follow any instruction to remove clay before entering other areas.
3. Plan the change after play
Ask where you are going next: straight home, a casual café, or a clubhouse dining room. A fresh top and an appropriate change of shoes can make that transition simpler. Choose the change for the destination rather than assuming a tennis outfit is accepted everywhere.
Shaughnessy publishes different clothing expectations for its clubhouse areas. It also states that tennis attire is not accepted in its Sequoia Room after 5 p.m. That specific rule illustrates the need to check the room and time, not just whether you can enter the clubhouse.
Keep your clean change together in a pouch. After playing, use a separate suitable pouch for used clothing during the journey home. Keep the used kit together until you can unpack it at home.
Save this three-part wardrobe card
| Part of the visit | Confirm | Write your choice |
|---|---|---|
| Arrival | Where may you change? Do arrival or lounge areas have their own code? | Arrival outfit; changing place. |
| On court | Colours, permitted garments, tennis-shoe type and sole requirements. | Playing outfit; approved court shoes. |
| After play | Dress code for the exact room, event or next stop. | Fresh clothing; onward shoes; separate pouch for used kit. |
Complete the card before buying anything new. If one detail is unclear, send the club a description of the relevant item and ask. The finished card is a practical plan for your visit, not a universal outfit formula.
Bring the change in a bag that follows your day
The Westmount Tennis Weekender pairs a refined quilted silhouette with space for up to two racquets and a roomy, dedicated side shoe compartment. Court shoes have their own place while you travel in another pair. The secure back zipper pocket keeps small essentials in a consistent location.
Top handles and an adjustable, detachable crossbody strap provide different carrying options between the court and your next stop. Explore the Westmount's current details and compare its layout with the change you plan to bring.
For booking, arrival and shared-court conduct, read our first-visit etiquette checklist. For the rest of your playing kit, use the tennis bag essentials guide.
A Maison Muze guide. Club examples and current product details checked 24 October 2026. Check your venue's latest rules before visiting. Find more guides in News.