'Comfort over everything': Australian stars offer their advice for how to dress for the tennis

Unlike its British counterpart Wimbledon, the Australian Open doesn't enforce a strict dress code – meaning it is a fashionable open season.

"Tennis core" is one of the most popular choices for AO style: think pleated skirts, polo shirts, linen, halter tops and visors.

But for those wanting to maximise comfort over fashion, some of the stars on the ground at Melbourne Park have offered their sage advice.

Entrepreneur and podcast host Sarah Davidson had a simple message for anyone dressing for a day at the tennis: "Make sure your outfit is comfortable".

"You want to look cute, but if you can't sit comfortably in your outfit, you are not going to have a good time, so you have to do the sit-test at home," she told 9honey.

"You will be absolutely stoked for that decision".

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Melbourne influencer Cat Spanti agreed dressing comfortably was key, however encouraged thinking outside the box.

"But if you want to lean in, lean in," she added.

"And always a hat, always sunglasses, always slip, slop, slap."

Beauty influencer Gemma Dimond is a big advocate for sun safety too.

"Sunscreen head to toe, and keep reapplying," she said.

"Secondly, make sure you're comfortable. It can be so hot, it can be hard to find shade, comfort over everything, truly."

Dee Salmin, radio host and partner of Collingwood star Darcy Moore, said her tennis style rule is to always don a pair of good sneakers.

Her advice is to ditch the heels or sandals in favour of arch support.

"I think it's the one event where it's honestly encouraged, for someone who has worn a lot of really high heels and really high boots," Salmin said.

"I get really excited to generally just spend hours all day walking around, sitting down and watching the tennis, and wear shoes that I'm really comfortable in."

Style-ish podcast host and beauty expert Maddison Sullivan-Thorpe, meanwhile, said her go-to tennis outfit involves a few wardrobe staples.

"I'd probably do a jean, a good Ralph Lauren shirt, and probably a sneaker," Sullivan-Thorpe, a guest of Ralph Lauren Fragrances at the AO, said.

Australian actor and Nine Getaway host Lincoln Lewis – who was dressed head-to-toe in Ralph Lauren for day three of the AO – offered his perspective on men's courtside fashion.

He told 9honey the wrong pair of pants can ruin your experience.

"[You need] a comfy pair of pants with a bit of give, because you're gonna be sitting for a long time, getting up, you need some pants that you can sort of stretch out, that don't restrict you," Lewis explained.

"If I'm confined and the pants don't have some give to them, I weirdly get a little bit frustrated, so I think pants with a bit of give, that's my tip."

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