Nobody does merch quite like Wimbledon Towels, hats and tote bags that become a status symbol

Always one of the most ancient, elite, and aristocratic tournaments in the world, the Wimbledon Tournament seems to have crystallized over time. Only here, in fact, among events organized by champagne brands and exclusive boxes, you can meet a very high concentration of noble titles, duchesses, dukes, counts and countesses, heirs to the throne and ousted cousins, a cast worthy of The Crown which together with celebs of various titles try to bring to the stands an old elegance made of tailored suits in pastel colors for men and light midi dresses for women. If Wimbledon has been this for a long time, the audience and the direction of the tournament itself have led to a more democratic evolution, which corresponded also to an aesthetic transformation into a specific type of clothing, the one that Martin Parr has photographed for his latest book: the average tourist and the merch. 

The Wimbledon Tournament is a world apart, a universe made up of rigid rules and centuries-old traditions, in which, paradoxically, the merch is not proposed as a kitsch accessory, it's not made of items of dubious taste, worthy of being touristcore, but instead stands out thanks to the intrinsic elegance of the tournament, to that refinement that even a simple guy from Staten Island can long for.