Style Points: Tory Burch reveals how BJK Cup’s ‘Billie Blue’ winner's jackets came together

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On Sunday, Australia will take on Switzerland in search of its seventh title in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals. And this time, they’ll be fighting for even more than national glory and a prestigious trophy, as the winners will be the first to take part in a new tradition by receiving blue winner’s jackets designed by Tory Burch.

When the Manhattan-based luxury fashion label was announced as the tournament’s official outfitter this summer, the brand’s eponymous founder also revealed her plans to bring a beloved golf tradition to tennis.

Tory Burch designed the uniforms for umpires, linespeople and ball people—as well as a custom jacket for the tournament winners in “Billie Blue”.

“The green Masters jacket has been famous since 1937, and I wanted to create something just as iconic for women athletes,” Burch tells Baseline via email.

“We chose a special shade of ‘Billie Blue’ as a nod to the blue sneakers and tennis dresses Billie Jean wore throughout her career. White piping adds a graphic touch, and inside the jacket is an embroidered message Billie wrote to the champions.”

The first jacket of its kind awarded to female athletes, the Billie Blue jackets take their inspiration from golf’s emblematic tradition, in which the winners at the Masters in Augusta are presented with a Green Jacket. The likes of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson and more have received one, and it comes with its own strict set of rules.

To create a blazer that’s fit for the tennis court, Burch partnered with the tournament’s namesake, Billie Jean King, during the creative process.

“There is no one more iconic than Billie Jean King, and I felt a great deal of responsibility to create something very special and recognizable,” Burch said. “Our design approach was similar to our signature Tory Sport collections: mixing innovative fabrics and meticulous fits with a vintage sensibility.

“We created a new Billie Jean King Cup patch to represent our shared values: empowering women, breaking barriers, and promoting equality around the world.”

Burch also revealed her Billie Blue jackets will also have a few exclusive guidelines too: Only the winning players can wear the jacket, and it won’t be available on the brand’s website or anywhere else.

It’s a fitting first for a tournament that prides itself in being the premier international event in women’s tennis and the largest annual international team event in women’s sports.

With a storied history dating back to 1963, the competition—originally called the Federation Cup, later shortened to Fed Cup—was renamed in King’s honor in 2020 to celebrate the career of the former seven-time champion and tireless advocate for equal rights and equal prize money.

Burch is a self-proclaimed longtime admirer of King and, through her eponymous foundation, a champion for women’s empowerment herself. A special capsule of her Billie Jean King Cup designs, which include tennis polos, sweatshirts, hats, and a bracelet—but not the winner’s jackets—will be available on ToryBurch.com with proceeds benefiting the Tory Burch Foundation and Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative.

“I have played tennis since I was little and idolized Billie Jean King, and I am still in awe of her. If anyone could help create something as significant and iconic as the Masters jacket for women, it would be her,” Burch said.

“I am thrilled to see who will wear it first on Sunday.”