We all buy clothes, but no two people shop the same. It can be a social experience, and a deeply personal one; at times, it can be impulsive and entertaining, at others, purpose-driven, a chore. Where do you shop? When do you shop? How do you decide what you need, how much to spend and what’s “you”? These are some of the questions we’re putting to prominent figures in our column “How I Shop.”

This is how you know Coco Gauff has spent much of her life thinking about style: Like many young GenZ-ers, she, too, was enamored with the “Shake It Up”-era Disney Channel fashion. Instead of scoffing at throwback memories of the excessive layering, sequined tank tops, neon-colored accessories and knee-high Converse, she remembers it all fondly.

“I was very much one of those Disney Channel kids putting on the crazy layers and stuff,” she tells Fashionista. “I was obsessed with whatever Zendaya or Coco Jones wore, even though they probably would hate their outfits now, but at the time, I loved it.”

Of course, today, the tennis star has matured her personal style. While her current closet has certainly simplified compared to that of her younger self, Gauff still loves to make a statement. This is especially true of her on-court style, which is defined by brightly colored matching sets, bold-hued headbands and fashionable (yet functional) pleated skirts. For her first singles match at the WTA Tour’s 2025 Italian Open, Gauff will be wearing Miu Miu on the court. Chic.

It’s a fitting choice, given that she recently partnered with Miu Miu and New Balance to collaborate on a range of designs. “I’ve always been a fan of Miu Miu and I’ve bought stuff from them, so when they told me about this opportunity, I was obviously so excited,” Gauff says of the partnership. “They dressed me for the [2025] Oscars and Vanity Fair party. So it’s been a whole relationship with them.”

With a designer collaboration under her belt — on top of a Vogue cover and an American Eagle campaign — Gauff’s fashion future is as promising as her world ranking (which is in the top three, to be clear).

Below, Gauff shares more about her on- and off-court style, her love for resale, her favorite fashion trends and more. 

“My earliest [fashion] memories are when I was a little kid, just going in my mom’s closet and looking at all her stuff. My mom was a teacher, and she lived in Atlanta. I always felt like teachers in Georgia just took pride in their outfits. Unfortunately, the school that I went to was a uniform-only, so I couldn’t really express myself in that. When I got homeschooled in third grade, that’s when I really got into clothes and got curious about fashion.

“I love street wear. That’s the aesthetic I like the most, but sometimes I’ll dabble playing into [other styles]. I like to mix masculine and feminine things, so I’ll wear ties, baggy pants, sometimes suit jackets and things like that off-court. Sometimes I’ll put that on with a skirt. It depends on how I wake up feeling that day. But usually I like baggier pants and more loose-fitting stuff.

“[My style inspiration] right now, I’d say, is Doechii. I love everything that she’s doing. Obviously Zendaya, too, she always kills it. A$AP Rocky and Rihanna, too. And Tyler the Creator, I think he has a good sense of style. 

“[My on-court style], I would say, is quite opposite to what I wear off-court, honestly. I like to show a little bit more skin, which I still do off-court, but even more on-court. I like to wear a lot of bright colors — I feel like it just looks good on the tennis court, especially on the hard courts. I like to play with silhouettes, too. Obviously, we can’t play with proportion that much in tennis because it has to be somewhat form-fitting because of the way we move. So I try to play with cutouts and things like that.

“[The outfit I wore] at the Australian Open this year was probably one of my favorites. There was also this dress I wore at the 2022 Australian Open that was like an orange fade into blue type situation. I really liked that too. 

“[On the red carpet], I’ve been lucky to be dressed by Prada and Miu Miu and have custom looks, which I think is awesome. But, for next time, I would love to reimagine something from an archival piece.

“What I wore at the Vanity Fair Party was definitely an ode to a lot of the dresses I wear on-court. I usually have an open back, so that was an ode to that. The Oscars look was just a gown — I didn’t want to look like anything like tennis. I mean, the front part of the dress looked like a tennis dress, but other than that, I wanted it to be very regal. But I definitely want to try other stuff than just dresses in the future.

“I love Miu Miu. But I don’t like to shop too expensive, so I’ll go to a Zara or H&M, honestly. They have some nice stuff there. And also, Jaded London. But, a lot of stuff I buy is either from Depop — so it’s not necessarily a brand, just like a random reseller — or TikTok shop. I’ll shop stuff I see on my For You page, and I’ll go in the comments to see what they’re wearing. But I can’t think of any particular brands I buy from. It’s kind of all over the place.

“I really like that everybody’s wearing ties a lot now. And I also like the idea that people are being more extra now. It’s cool to overdo it a bit. So I think that’s my favorite trend.

“My first designer purchase was a black Louis Vuitton purse. I got it when I was 14 after I had won the round of qualifying at the French Open. I had a nice paycheck, so I went and bought a purse. I still use it to this day. 

“It’s been super cool [working with Miu Miu and New Balance]. I didn’t think [the collaboration] would ever end up being on-court because Miu Miu is the first big fashion house to do this. So I’m super excited to be able to represent them and represent New Balance and be their muse for this collection.

“Hopefully, this puts me up there as one of the more fashionable athletes and people in general. Obviously, I have a lot to build on to reach that, but I think this is a good start. I feel like I’ve mastered that level of being one of the more fashionable athletes on-court. So I definitely want to reach that level off-court, too.”

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