WHAT TO WEAR?
Editor's pick for the smartest casual clothing wearer; Tudor Jenkins playing in Surbiton at the Easter Open 2021
By Samir Patel Croquet England Tournament Regulations
The question of what to wear when playing croquet has been a topic of discussion for as long as the game has been played. However, for a long time there were no specific regulations. It is clear from old photographs that custom and practice changed over time. The call to wear whites on the court appears to trace to 1951 when John Solomon and Humphrey Hicks reported on the “excellent effect produced” by such a dress code in New Zealand. However, that was not codified in our Regulations for Tournaments until the 1980s. That “whites” dress code for tournaments has evolved slowly since then, with the most significant change in 2009 to permit wearing non-white team kit in team events. In recent years, there have been calls for a more relaxed approach, but also others for more formality. Others have noted that what might be appropriate for a major championship in the middle of summer might not be so appropriate for an early season event in what is likely to be significantly cooler and wetter conditions. As a consequence, the 2026 tournament regulations will define three dress codes. The aim is to provide more flexibility for tournament organisers to adopt a dress code appropriate for each tournament, but without players being faced with a myriad of options defined by each club/tournament. The default dress code will remain similar to the current “whites” dress code. There will be an option for a more casual dress code which will remove the white expectation, and a third option for those clubs that want more formality, for example including wet weather gear in expectations for white. The regulations are still being reviewed and edited, so keep an eye out for further communications.
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