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Justice for the ping pong kits

The next must-have thanks to the Lebrun brothers and Timothée Chalamet

Justice for the ping pong kits The next must-have thanks to the Lebrun brothers and Timothée Chalamet

Ping pong is a sport where aesthetic and cultural aspects hold significant importance, ever since it was declared the national sport in China in 1959, following the unexpected victory of Rong Guotan (who, ironically, met a tragic fate). This victory convinced Mao Zedong - former President of the People’s Republic of China - that ping pong could help the entire country expand culturally across the world, and it achieved this remarkably well. Today, the Chinese national team remains dominant in this sport, with an impressive 66 Olympic medals (37 golds, 21 silvers, 8 bronzes), undoubtedly making it the team that has contributed the most to defining a precise aesthetic for table tennis. Paradoxically, we speak of uniformity in a sport that is, in fact, extremely varied, with different names across the world: 'Gossima', 'Table Tennis', 'Whiff Waff', 'Parlour Tennis', 'Indoor Tennis', 'Pom-Pom', 'Pim-Pam', 'Netto', 'Royal Game', 'Tennis de Salon'. However, the uniform is an essential element in the game itself. Primarily because table tennis is a team sport, and, as with every respectable team sport, uniforms are essential for several reasons.

Moreover, the concept of uniform is culturally relevant in a nation like China, which played a decisive role in the global spread of ping pong. Think of institutions, for example: in China, school uniforms are still mandatory. Even in anime culture, cosplay is based on a uniform aesthetic, allowing fans to visually identify with their favorite characters. Today, new cultural phenomena are emerging, with converging forces that push ping pong towards global fame, and consequently to the appreciation of a mainstream audience that the sport has rarely been able to reach. Above all, table tennis owes thanks to the feature film Marty Supreme, whose storyline is based on the world of ping pong. It tells the story of professional player Marty Reisman, who will be portrayed by Timothée Chalamet; following the worldwide media impact of Challengers by Luca Guadagnino starring Zendaya, Marty Supreme seems poised to bring racket sports to a higher level of appreciation. Another cultural phenomenon bears the signature of the Lebrun brothers.

How Ping Pong Coolness Was Born

Alexis (born in 2003) and Félix (born in 2006), in addition to drawing attention for their outstanding sports results achieved well before the French Olympic Games (where, in Paris, they won the bronze medal in the team event with Simon Gauzy), have also stood out for their style. Yes, because with their eyeglasses and "nerdy" high school look, they already stand out significantly from their rivals. Furthermore, they had the good fortune to compete in one of the most aesthetically curated events ever: from the look of shooters Yusuf Dikeç and Kim Ye-Ji to the formal wear of the national teams, which hinted at the fashion side. And thus, from a pair of glasses and a deliberately stereotyped haircut, the focus inevitably shifts to the uniforms worn in competition. In short, if these two table tennis players seem to be the last people interested in the aesthetic side, their apparent disinterest turns into a style that automatically highlights the tradition of ping pong kits.

Yes, because although the uniforms worn by the French golden boys are not particularly exciting, there are many other options worth noting. These outfits, just like various elements linked to the tennis-core trend, contribute to carving out more space for the sport in pop culture. Among apparel brands, the first to bet on ping pong-inspired aesthetics (albeit somewhat subtly) was Palace Skateboards, thanks to a unique collaboration with Stella Artois in the same drop where it launched tennis items by Slazenger, a historic racket brand. Skipping over the Chinese national ping pong team’s jerseys, there are numerous brands focusing on innovative designs, following in the footsteps of brands inspired by football, constantly seeking creative ways to reinterpret apparel for a sport traditionally less associated with fashion.

A notable example is Little Tokyo Table Tennis, a Los Angeles shop that reimagines table tennis uniforms with a fun twist, adding, for instance, a dolphin on competition jerseys by brands like Mizuno, Butterfly, Yasaka, and Nittaku. The freedom expressed by these brands challenges the original concept of the uniform, yet this might be exactly what the sport needs to speak to a significantly broader audience, even if they are simply spectators.