The rule
Official hospitality facilities at the Championships apply a smart dress code and enforce it at the door of the facility, not the gate of the ground. That distinction catches people every year: you can be perfectly dressed for the queue and refused entry to lunch.
Men
A jacket, a collared shirt and tailored trousers. Ties are welcomed in most facilities rather than required; in the more formal ones they are expected. Smart loafers or leather shoes.
Not acceptable: sportswear of any kind, denim, shorts, trainers, T-shirts. A linen jacket is fine; a jacket over a T-shirt is not.
Women
Smart day dress — a dress, a skirt or tailored trousers with a smart top. Hats are welcome but not required. Sandals and wedges are fine; flip-flops and trainers are not.
Not acceptable: sportswear, denim, shorts, anything that reads as beachwear.
The English July
It rains, then it is hot, then the sun goes behind the roof. Bring a layer you can carry. An umbrella is more useful than it looks and less useful than a jacket.
If you are on Centre Court in the Royal Box
Different rules apply and you will have been told them. Jackets and ties for men are required; smart dress for women, no hats that obstruct the view behind.
Hospitality at Wimbledon is sourced through official programmes; the provider invoices you directly and nothing is added by us. How Wimbledon hospitality works.
How a Wimbledon day runs, and dressing for all of it
The dress code is set for the facility, but the day itself decides what is comfortable. At Wimbledon the day can be very long.
The fortnight
The Championships begin on the last Monday in June or the first Monday in July and run for two weeks. The singles finals are on the final Saturday and Sunday.
Since 2022 there has been play on the middle Sunday, which was once a rest day. A hospitality booking on that Sunday now means a full day's tennis.
Under the roofs
Centre Court seats 14,979 and has had a retractable roof since 2009. It takes up to ten minutes to close. No. 1 Court gained its own roof in 2019.
Under the roof, play can continue past sunset until a council-imposed curfew of 11pm. A day that starts at lunch can end close to midnight.
Dress for both ends of it. The linen jacket that works in the afternoon sun needs a layer underneath by ten at night.
Whites are for the players
The all-white rule applies to players and has been formal since 1963. Guests are not expected to wear white.
A summer colour in a smart cut is entirely correct in the facilities.
The Royal Box
The Royal Box on Centre Court is used by the royal family and other distinguished guests, by invitation of the club. Its stricter rules are given to those invited.
The queue and the facilities
Wimbledon is one of only two Grand Slams where people without tickets can queue for show-court seats. The queue culture shapes the grounds, which are relaxed.
Hospitality guests do not queue, but they walk through those grounds to reach the facility. Shoes that cope with grass and gravel are worth the thought.
See Wimbledon hospitality and the wider tennis calendar. For a February comparison, see the Twickenham dress code.