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In the 1980′s, Chris Evert’s on-court attire came from Italian sportswear brand, Ellesse. Evert’s classic looks were characterized by pleated skirts, sleeveless tops and that famous half-tennis ball logo, making her one of the best-dressed females on the circuit at that time. During her playing days she served only as a face of the brand, but now her role with Ellesse has expanded. As the brand sets to relaunch in the U.S. Market, Evert now has a stake in the company and will be involved in designing and marketing the new line of Ellesse tennis gear due out in December.

Ellesse was absent in the U.S. market for the past several years and the only prominent player to wear the designs as of late has been Russia’s Nadia Petrova. Unfortunately her tennis ensembles have been less than stellar and Petrova herself has disapproved of the attire. Perhaps you remember the rainbow-striped dress from the 2010 U.S. Open? The addition of Evert will hopefully bring the brand back to their glory days of tennis fashion.

She told WWD, “As a player, I had nothing to do with designing the line. Now that I’ve been a kid, a young woman and now an older woman I’m better prepared and qualified to try to design some clothes and choose colors and fabrics. I’m excited about that.”

Generally speaking, a lot of brands cater their collections to 20-year-olds and women who wear a size 2 or 4, said Evert, a mother of three sons who added, “Ellesse is a line that is more about the average woman. When you’re a tennis player sweating on the court, you want something that is functional.”

Evert hosted a cocktail party to celebrate the relaunch of the legendary brand at Town Tennis in New York City last week. USTA junior players Whitney Schott and Loulou Revso were on hand to help showcase the new attire. From the looks of the gear, the brand has indeed returned to a simple, clean, retro vibe. Check it out:

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