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- New Balance has released a 16-piece Australian-exclusive capsule ahead of the 2027 Australian Open, with the full collection arriving in January.
- Seersucker is the standout design feature, bringing the textured look of traditional summer tailoring to contemporary tennis jackets, trousers, shorts and women’s apparel.
- The collection is available through New Balance Australia and the official Australian Open shop, with prices ranging from AUD $60 for a six-panel cap to AUD $280 for the Seersucker Stripe Tennis Jacket.
With another Australian summer of tennis fast approaching, New Balance is getting a head start on the centre-court action. The sportswear brand has unveiled the first instalment of its Australian Open 2027 Collection, bringing 16 pieces of tennis-inspired apparel and accessories to Australian shoppers well before the tournament gets underway.
This time, New Balance is drawing inspiration from an unlikely corner of the wardrobe: seersucker. Better known for its distinctive puckered texture and long association with lightweight summer suits, the fabric has become the collection’s defining feature, appearing across striped jackets, trousers, shorts and a handful of women’s tennis essentials.
It’s a fitting choice for a tournament played in the middle of the Australian summer, when Melbourne temperatures can soar beyond 40 degrees. But this collection isn’t just for the Grand Slam players at Rod Laver Arena. Rather than sticking exclusively to the performance-focused clothing you’d expect to see on centre court, New Balance has given classic tennis dressing a contemporary update, with pieces that look just as comfortable on the court as they do with a drink in hand after the match is won.
From Summer Tailoring to Centre Court
If you’ve never come across seersucker, it’s a woven fabric characterised by alternating smooth and puckered sections that give it a subtly rippled appearance. Traditionally associated with warm-weather tailoring, its puckered texture creates small gaps between the fabric and skin, encouraging airflow and helping explain its popularity in summer clothing.
It’s a natural pairing for a country of people who are all about playing sports no matter how hot it is outside.
1/3New Balance has taken that familiar look and applied it to a series of contemporary tennis silhouettes. The standout is the Australian Open Seersucker Stripe Tennis Jacket (AUD $280), which trades the usual track-jacket styling for a relaxed fit, shirt-style collar, buttoned cuffs and understated pockets. For whatever reason, though, it’s only available via the Official Australian Open collection page, not directly from New Balance. It’s also the most expensive item in the collection, so it’s only going to get more affordable from here.
The matching Seersucker Stripe Tennis Pant (AUD $220) completes the courtside ensemble, giving the collection a coordinated outfit that feels closer to traditional tennis-club attire than conventional training gear. Rather than traditional cotton seersucker, the men’s jacket and trousers use a textured fabric made from 91 per cent recycled nylon and 9 per cent spandex, giving the old-school look a more contemporary construction. Which makes sense. If you’re in the stands watching the world’s best tennis players at the Australian Open, you’re not about to jump the fence and show them how it’s done. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the match decked out in seersucker.
For something a little more practical when the Melbourne temperature starts climbing, there’s a pair of Seersucker Shorts (AUD $150). They carry the same design themes into a more casual clothing option that’s honestly far more suited to the season than committing to the full striped jacket-and-trouser combination. Even with that textured fabric, I can already feel sweat dripping down my back in the arena.
Beyond the Seersucker pieces, the men’s capsule includes the Tournament Winning Polo (AUD $120) and Stadium Graphic T-Shirt (AUD $80), with both offering a more straightforward take on tennis apparel. And because we’re all about slip, slop, slap Down Under, there’s also the unisex AO six-panel cap (AUD $60), which arrives in Team Navy and Oxygen with Team Navy embroidery, to finish off the outfit. Though I have to admit, the bucket hat in the Seersucker Jacket photos looks right up my alley.
If you want to don the missus in matching gear from the 2027 New Balance Australian Open collection, the women’s range follows a similar approach, with seersucker jackets, pants, shorts, a skirt and a tennis dress. The tennis skirt (AUD $150), tennis dress (AUD $220) and tennis shorts (AUD $150) bring the textured styling into more performance-oriented designs, complete with New Balance’s NB DRY moisture-wicking technology.
1/6How Much Will It All Cost?
The first 16 pieces of the New Balance Australian Open 2027 Collection launched on 4 November 2026, with retail prices ranging from AUD $60 for the hats to AUD $280 for the seersucker jacket.
Prices drop to AUD $220 for the matching trousers, with those summer shorts coming in at AUD $150. On the women’s side, the Seersucker Tennis Dress costs AUD $220, while the skirt will set the ladies back AUD $150. Across the capsule, you’ll find colour palettes combining White, Team Navy and Oxygen (basically a different hue of white), with additional colours promised for the wider release.
Of course, this is just the opening serve; there’s more set to come. New Balance, now entering its fourth year as the Australian Open’s official performance apparel and footwear partner, says the full AO27 collection will arrive in January 2027, alongside further tournament activations and experiences.
For now, Australian shoppers can explore the early AO27 collection, including the men’s Seersucker Short, matching striped trousers and AO six-panel cap.
With more New Balance tennis gear to come in January, the seersucker pieces have already given this year’s collection a distinctive look before the first ball is served. And since Opening Week is set to start on 11 January and the main draw on 17 January 2027, you’ll have plenty to wear between now and then.
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