New to the sport of pickleball, putting together my pickleball wardrobe became an obsession. Determined to put health and safety first, my first mission was to find an appropriate paddle and footwear. I talked to some orthopedics to decide how to choose the best paddle for long-term wear and tear on my body. I found out that weight and grip size of a paddle are important in this regard. Instructed not to go over a weight of 7.8 or a grip size over 4”, I chose an appropriate paddle that didn’t break the bank!
Next was footwear. I decided to focus on tennis shoes since there is quite a variety available and it seemed to me the shoes designed for both pickleball and tennis would be similar. My daughter bought me On Clouds for Christmas and I absolutely LOVE them. For this reason, I looked on their website to see if there were any options for tennis shoes. Sure enough, they had designed a tennis shoe named after Roger Federer. Though expensive, I thought it was important to get the right pair of shoes. It ended up my daughter bought me the pair I was admiring for Mother’s Day so I was set in the shoe department. My new tennis shoes are just as comfy as the shoes I received as a Christmas gift!
To go along with the shoes, I needed the right pair of socks. These too were a little pricey, but I waited till they were on sale and bought some Bombas brand tennis ankle socks. Worth the price! (I heard they have a lifetime warranty but I haven’t yet confirmed this fact!)
The one other necessity, since I play outdoors, is the sunscreen. So, I stocked up on a mineral sunscreen (recommended by my Dermatologist since mineral sunscreen is not absorbed into the skin) and I had my basics covered. I just need to mention that eye protection is an important base to cover when playing any sport – I always keep my eyes protected!
Now, for the clothing. Much to my dismay, since COVID, I really don’t wear many of my clothes. And, although I wear many more athletic clothes than I do regular clothes (especially in the summer), you would never guess that by looking at my closet – barely any athletic attire. I decided I would put together an affordable wardrobe of clothes appropriate for pickleball. I started by surfing the internet for every source of athletic clothes. I found the most options by looking for golf and tennis clothes. I like to wear leggings and shirts, but in the extremely hot and humid weather, skirts and dresses are much more comfortable. Being tall makes it tough to find a good fit in a dress, but I was able to find a couple good ones that were on sale. Many of my sale items were purchased on or near the 4th of July when many stores had sales and/or sale codes for purchases. There continues to be many summer items on sale, so it is a good time to plan ahead and purchase for next year!
Since I use leggings for yoga and other exercise classes as well, they are a multi-purpose item that is a good investment for me! Other than TJ Maxx, one of my favorite places for leggings is www.marika.com. I found some of my favorite leggings on this site and they often have great sales. They recently had a 3 pair for $39 and I loved some of the patterns offered. In fact, I rebought a favorite pair that I ripped during a recent fall trying to make a tough return shot! Of course, I stop by my local TJ Maxx and Marshalls regularly to check on current, affordable offerings. And, this season, I was able to score a great pair of leggings from the Old Navy clearance rack for $9.99!
Places that aren’t necessarily sports stores sometimes offer a piece or two of athletic wear and seem to have really great sales since people probably aren’t looking there for these type of items. Examples of this are a pretty green dress I ended up scoring for $16 at the www.loft.com. It’s so cute, and has the attached shorts underneath. The same happened with www.jcrew.com. I found a really pretty scalloped edge sports dress on clearance.
Tennis or golf skirts are best purchased at Marshalls or TJ Maxx, but I found a couple of superior sources. Though pricier, they are worth purchasing on sale or requesting as a birthday or holiday gift. The best source I’ve found was recommended to me by my friend Angela who plays pickleball outside all year. It is www.donajobrand.com. The skirts come in a variety of fun prints and in many styles. Most importantly, they come in a variety of lengths. Because I am tall, I often feel the length of skirts are obscene on me – showing way too much. With Dona Jo, it is easy to get a more modest fit. The other great source I found – and the best for skirted leggings is www.solsisters.com. A really attractive and well-made product!
Now to throw in a little fun! I’m not a big fan of t-shirts and I’ve never owned a shirt with writing on the front, but I found myself purchasing a couple of fun novelty shirts for pickleball. One I found on Amazon and the other on Etsy. (I also liked one that said “I’d hit that,” but thought maybe that went a little too far and decided against it!)
So, I have a great pickleball wardrobe put together for a very affordable price! Now if I can just figure out how to avoid the tan lines around my ankles!
Thanks for stopping by. Dink on!
Have a fabulous weekend! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie
P.S. Still on the lookout for some old school tennis socks with the pom-poms on the back!
Safety Tip: Although many athletic skirts and leggings offer pockets – don’t use them to hold extra balls…this can cause injuries in the event of falling on a non-forgiving plastic ball!