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What to Wear to The Indian Wells Tennis Tournament

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What to Wear to the Indian Wells Tennis Tournament

What I am wearing to BNP Paribas  – Indian Wells 2024

When you are attending a tennis tournament like Indian Wells, and you are thinking about what to wear – You will want to shoot for comfort, yet stylish, and more than anything you will want to prepare for all types of weather.

Indian Wells is an outdoor tournament and the weather will not be consistent. During the day it will usually (but not always) be sunny with highs in the mid 70’s during the day and can drop down to the fifties or even the forties at night. Last year (2023), it rained a lot and it appears as though southern California is getting a lot of rain again this year – remember… it can flood in Palm Springs.

Also, just because the averages are in the 70’s, there have been plenty of 100 degree days recorded in Palm Springs in March. There have also been plenty of 30 degree nights in March. So be prepared and check the weather before you go.

You will be a lot more comfortable if you put some planning into what you wear to the Indian Wells Tennis Tournament. Are you going to be at the Taste of Tennis? Although the pros will show up in their warm up clothes, most attendees dress well. Or are you just planning to spend a few days outside at the practice courts? If so – plan for full on sun with zero shade.

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What I am Wearing to Indian Wells

For the last few years, Athleta comes out with really great dresses that are easy to dress up or wear as is. The dress I purchased is is in the color “begonia” which is a beautiful soft pink color and goes with tons of items in my closet.

It is called the ELATION V-NECK HYBRID DRESS(color : begonia)

This wonderful dress has pockets, (which is such a great feature) and also comes in the colors, ‘Acacia Olive’; which is a more Khaki olive color, ‘Black’ and ‘Aspen Olive’ a darker green color. 

This dress is a longer dress, but is also available in Tall and Petite sizes. Also, the “Elation v-Neck Hybrid Dress” has a self bra in the dress making extra support on top optional. Athleta is a great company to buy pieces from. I have always found their return policies fair and the quality great. 

Purchase From Athleta

Switch it Up For a Completely Different Look

One of the great things about this dress is the way you can change the look of the dress by using accessories. Here are some ways that I have changed around the look of this dress with accessories.

This white top is also from Athleta, but any white top would look great. During the day, it can get very sunny and having some protection on your shoulders will be really great. This top is light and easy to wear. It is available in both black and white. I chose white, but I think either could look great.

EVERLASTING TANK(color : white)

Purchase From Athleta

This tournament was the event that put Palm Springs (and Indian Wells) on the map for me. Prior to the tournament I had never been to Palm Springs. What do I think of Palm Springs? What can I say? I am a huge fan. 

Indian Wells is a tournament that takes place in the desert. That means that during the day it can be sunny and warm and then once the sun hits the mountains, it can get very cold. I always recommend bringing layers and this is another reason this dress is so perfect for the BNP Paribas Tournament. 

I wore this combination to the Dallas Open and it was a big hit. The Athleta Elation V-Neck with a yellow sweater on top. The weather for the Dallas Open was rainy and cold, so the addition on the sweater was more for warmth than style, but then I got so many compliments on the paring, I decided to wear it more often. 

Purchase Yellow Sweater On Amazon

Another great way to wear this dress is with a short sleeve sweater. This is another great one I got from Anthropologie but it was over a year ago.

There are some great options on Amazon. Here are a few great options that I have found that are super versatile and totally cute.

Purchase On Amazon

Purchase On Amazon

It Can Be Hot During the Day at The Indian Wells Tennis Tournament

During the day, it can be very sunny and warm. There have plenty of 100 degree days in Palm Springs in early March. I really like to have items like this, ready for the most comfortable and stylish scenario when it comes to being outside all day.

Here are some additional items I plan to have with me to wear at the Indian Wells Tennis Tournament.

Sandals – 
I like to add a pair of sandals to my bag. There can be a lot of walking, but nothing cools me off like walking around without socks and sneakers. I like to keep a light but fashionable pair of sandals in my bag so that I have options. Steve Madden Women’s Travel Flat Sandal

Purchase on Amazon

Wrap or Scarf

Weather changes quickly in Palm Springs, so when you are considering what to wear to the Indian Wells Tennis Tournament, I suggest you bring a few wraps or scarves. When the sun dips below the mountains to the west in the afternoon, the temperature plummets rapidly.

Purchase On Amazon

Check out this super cute scarf Oyihfvs Woman Long Silk Scarf Soft Head Wrap

Purchase On Amazon

Visor

One of the things I always wear at the Indian Wells Tennis Tournament is a visor. There are so many opportunities to see the pros play and warm up at the practice courts that you end up spending a lot of time outside. One thing to know is that for a lot of the day there is ZERO SHADE at Indian Wells. Protect your skin with this awesome visor:

Purchase at Amazon

Diff Sunglasses

I absolutely love these sunglasses. They look great and and are easy to wear. Nothing makes an outfit more perfect than a great pair of sunglasses. I would highly recommend investing a bit in a nice pair. That said, I don’t like dropping a ton of money on sunglasses because they are easy to loose or break. I find that these from DIFF are the perfect balance of affordable and stylish DIFF Bella Designer Square Oversized Sunglasses for Women UV400 Polarized Protection w/giftable travel case, Black + Grey

Purchase at Amazon

Good Shoes

When you are thinking about what to wear to the Indian Wells Tennis Tournament, comfortable and supportive shoes are really important. Not all “trainers” or “sneakers” are the same. I really love these shoes by On. They look great and make for comfortable walking all day. I wore a pair of On shoes for all of my travels of 2023 and I am completely won over.

Purchase On Amazon

Socks

Who knew that crew socks would make a comeback?! Well they have. I am a complete fan of Bombas socks. They really are socks that cannot be beat. I will be wearing both ankle socks and crew socks from Bombas Women’s Original Half Calf Socks

Purchase Bombas Socks

Venus Williams Bombas Socks

And if you haven’t seen them yet, Bombas has done an amazing collaboration with Venus Williams. Check them out at Bombas

Purchase Venus Williams Bombas Socks

Weather at The Indian Wells Tennis Tournament

When you are visiting Palm Springs over the course of one or two weeks and looking for things to do, weather is going to be a factor and you might need to pack a lot of clothes. Especially if you are planning to do outdoor activities around Palm Springs like playing golf, biking, hiking, or rock climbing (which there is plenty of in Palm Springs).

If you search for “averages” the weather channel says that average temps in Palm Springs during the day are around 80 and get down to about 50 at night.

What they don’t say is that there have been plenty of daytime highs in March that were close to 100 degrees and plenty of overnight lows in the low 30’s. They also don’t say that it is not uncommon for there to be a forty-degree difference between daytime and nighttime in the desert. Make sure you pack accordingly. 

Also – it can rain, and even flood in Palm Springs in March. Last year some of the later matches were nearly rained out. Southern California in 2024 has been getting some epic rain, so I suggest if you are going to Indian Wells 2024 and plan a lot of activities in Palm Springs, be prepared for wet weather because you never know.

In general I can tell you from my experience with Palm Springs weather to expect to sweat during the day and freeze at night. Do not expect to pack just one type of outfit and expect it to wok for both day and all evening. It won’t be. 

Plan to either bring two or even three outfits with you, or plan to return to your hotel to change several times throughout the day. I usually bring layers so that I can add warmth as the sun sets.

Summary – What to Wear During the Indian Wells Tennis Tournament

In general, when you are thinking about what to wear to the Indian Wells Tennis tournament, I think it is important to consider being stylish, but comfortable. You are going to be doing a lot of walking. The temperatures between day and evening vary a lot. But it is still a tennis tournament, and it is still Palm Springs – a lot of people will be showing off their high fashion both in clothes, and jewelry.

Don’t get me wrong – you are going to see some jorts and white new balance tennis shoes at Indian Wells, but in general, most people look nice and some go way over the top in their fashion choices.

I look forward to seeing you at Indian Wells in March!

About the Author

Katri is an avid club player and certified tennis junkie. Katri lives by the tennis mantra of, “Do whatever it takes to keep tennis fun. Sometimes it is playing more, sometimes it is buying a new tennis skirt.” Sportsmanship and fair play are utmost important and promotion of the game of tennis is paramount. Follow along for further tennis fun and friendship while keeping your head in the game.

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