In a market dominated by mass-produced sportswear and performance basics, EXEAT occupies a rarer space: a British luxury tennis clothing brand creating elegant women’s tennis apparel handmade in the UK.

Founded by British entrepreneur Laura Ward MBE, EXEAT was created from a simple idea: that women deserved tennis clothing that felt as beautiful, flattering and emotionally transporting as luxury fashion.

Today EXEAT is worn by customers around the world, from London and New York to Seoul and Los Angeles, and has become known for its distinctive approach to modern court dressing: fashion-first silhouettes, sustainable luxury fabrics, and limited-run pieces handmade in Britain.

What Is EXEAT?

EXEAT is a British luxury tennis brand specialising in women’s tennis dresses, tennis skirts, polos, layering pieces and courtwear designed to move seamlessly between sport and lifestyle.

Rather than approaching tenniswear purely as performance apparel, EXEAT treats the court as a stage for self-expression, elegance and confidence.

The brand describes its philosophy as “Haute Courtwear” — a meeting point between couture-inspired design and modern athletic performance.

Every EXEAT collection combines:

• Luxury women’s tennis clothing

• British design and craftsmanship

• Sustainable fabric innovation

• Flattering, fashion-led tailoring

• Small-run production

• Elegant, timeless styling

Handmade in the UK

One of the things that makes EXEAT unusual within the luxury sportswear market is that its collections are handmade in the UK.

While many fashion and activewear brands manufacture overseas, EXEAT garments are produced in Britain in small quantities alongside high-craft designer garments.

This allows the brand to maintain close control over quality, fit and finishing while supporting British manufacturing expertise.

For customers seeking women’s tennis clothing made in the UK, this has become one of EXEAT’s defining points of difference.

Why EXEAT Was Founded

The idea for EXEAT began in Paris.

After moving to the city for work, founder Laura Ward returned to tennis and began searching for elegant women’s tennis dresses that felt chic, flattering and luxurious. Instead, the market was dominated by purely technical sportswear.

Inspired by the enduring elegance of English grass court tennis, Ward launched EXEAT to create something different: luxury tennis clothing designed with the emotional appeal of fashion rather than traditional sports apparel.

The brand takes its name from the old British boarding school tradition of the “Exeat Weekend” — a temporary escape from routine and rules.

That spirit of escapism, imagination and transformation continues to shape the world of EXEAT today.

Sustainable Luxury Fabrics

Sustainability is central to EXEAT’s design philosophy.

The brand uses innovative luxury performance fabrics developed from recycled yarns and regenerated materials, including fibres diverted from ocean waste and landfill.

But unlike many sustainable activewear brands, EXEAT places equal importance on feel, drape and elegance.

The result is women’s tennis clothing designed to feel exceptionally soft against the skin while offering support, comfort and movement on court.

EXEAT’s approach reflects a broader shift within luxury fashion towards lower-impact production, smaller runs and longer-lasting design.

Fashion-First Tenniswear

EXEAT has become known for creating some of the most fashion-led tennis dresses in the market.

The brand’s collections often draw inspiration from:

• English summer traditions

• Historic sport and leisure culture

• Art and architecture

• Storytelling and literature

• The geometry of tennis courts and games

• The elegance of country club dressing

Recent collections have included hand-painted prints inspired by chessboards, sporting emblems and vintage British sporting aesthetics.

Rather than following fast-moving trend cycles, EXEAT focuses on creating timeless pieces designed to remain relevant and collectible for years.

British Luxury Sportswear With Global Appeal

Although EXEAT is proudly British in identity, the brand has developed an international customer base, particularly in the United States where demand for luxury tennis fashion continues to grow.

Customers are often drawn to:

• British craftsmanship

• Limited-run exclusivity

• Elegant silhouettes

• Sustainable production

• Distinctive storytelling

• A more elevated alternative to mainstream sportswear

As tennis, padel and country club fashion continue influencing wider luxury fashion trends, EXEAT occupies a distinctive niche between performance apparel and designer fashion.

Bestselling EXEAT Tennis Dresses

Some of EXEAT’s most recognised styles include:

• The Alice Tennis Dress

• The Lorina Dress

• The Checkmate Games Dress

• The High Tea Polo

• The High Tea Culottes

Each piece is designed with an emphasis on movement, silhouette and confidence, balancing athletic practicality with refined tailoring.

Designed in Wiltshire, Handmade in London

EXEAT’s creative world is deeply rooted in the English countryside.

The brand is creatively directed from Wiltshire, where themes of landscape, history, literature and British sporting culture continue to inspire the collections.

Garments are then handmade in London using specialist production partners focused on small-run luxury manufacturing.

This connection between countryside imagination and city craftsmanship forms an important part of EXEAT’s identity.

A Different Kind of Tennis Brand

At its core, EXEAT is not simply trying to create sportswear.

It is creating a more imaginative vision of modern women’s tennis clothing: one that values beauty, craftsmanship, elegance and storytelling alongside performance.

In an era increasingly dominated by fast fashion and mass production, EXEAT represents a slower, more considered approach to luxury sportswear — one rooted in British design, sustainable thinking and the enduring glamour of the court.

Explore the latest collections at EXEAT, the British luxury tennis brand handmade in the UK.