Old-school Wimbledon has responded to today’s casual fashion trends by tightening the dress code for members who wish to breach the confines of the clubhouse at the tony All England club.
While the riff-raff is free to prowl the outer grounds – pricey ticket at the ready – wearing any tattoo they like, the top people will have to smarten up if they want to rub elbows with the other elites over post-match sundowners overlooking the manicured grounds.
The new fashion rules, which are likely to be enforced down to the letter, prohibit most of the clothing choices of modern life – jeans, flip flops and short skirts among other fashion choices now ruled out of bounds by stuffy stewards.
Just to make sure that members get the drift, the club has published a photo guide of couples wearing the proscribed items, contained in the revised members’ guide. The handbook contains five photographs of a couple illustrating the fashion faux-pas – as defined by Wimbledon club fathers.