LONDON -- Wimbledon's strict dress code banning color and flashy corporate logos has made the tournament a bastion of tradition for more than a century.
But the grass courts of the All England Lawn Tennis Club finally have been infiltrated -- by a U.S. fashion house, no less.
Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. will become the first external company in 129 years to outfit the tournament's on-court officials, who will exchange their green polyester grass-blending jackets for smart navy blue ones. In the past, Wimbledon has done its own design of officials' uniforms.
Rob McCowen, Wimbledon's marketing director, said it was time the current uniforms got a "smartening up and a refreshening" -- but drew the line at anything too drastic.
"The very English and timeless look of Ralph Lauren fits very well," he said. "They are not a company that is aggressive like a sports company, wanting their name plastered all over the fabric of the shirt."
The deal, worth just under $10 million, will give Ralph Lauren's polo logo a visible presence on court at Wimbledon when the Grand Slam event begins June 26.
While the players must stick to the club's all-white rule, the 570 umpires, ball girls and ball boys will sport Polo Ralph Lauren shorts, skirts, pants and blazers in navy blue with both Wimbledon's logo -- two crossed tennis rackets -- on the shirt sleeve and Polo's pony on the breast pocket.
Wimbledon's traditional green and purple colors will be retained in the officials' ties.
The Polo deal follows a steady increase in the number of sponsorships at Wimbledon, including one signed this year making Nestle SA's Haagen-Daaz the official ice cream supplier.
The tournament now has 15 commercial sponsors, including IBM Corp., American Express Co. and Coca-Cola Co. That is just a few short of the U.S. Open, where players sport much larger logos and the courts are adorned with sponsorship advertisements.
But McCowen said Wimbledon has chosen its sponsors carefully, largely restricting itself to those providing services it needs such as clocks, computers and champagne.
"That's our unique difference for Wimbledon, we believe we get better television revenue because our pictures are so clean," he said.
Wimbledon fiercely has guarded the genteel reputation that sets it apart from other tournaments on the Grand Slam circuit.
