"It's got to be a new look": Top snooker stars discuss dress code

It’s a discussion that has gone on for seemingly decades - should snooker ‘move with the times’ and get rid of the waistcoat and bow-ties?

There is already a mixture of dress code rules across events on the World Snooker Tour. Several very recent competitions have allowed players to wear polo shirts - at the Championship League, Snooker Shoot Out, Champion of Champions, World Mixed Doubles and Riyadh Season Snooker Championship.

At most of those events, the shirts are individual to the players wearing them with their names on. In recent years at the Champion of Champions, the concept has gone further, with detailed, personalised shirts containing nicknames and unique colour schemes and patterns, similar to what darts players wear.

At the Home Nations Series events for a few years now, players don’t wear a waistcoat or a bow-tie; shoes and a black pair of trousers and long-sleeved shirt are what is required.

However, for all other events on the World Snooker Tour, full dress code is mandatory (unless of a medical issue).

Different attire ideas on the professional circuit have been tried in the past. Bow-ties were temporarily ditched for some events in the mid-00s, whilst red and blue shirts were worn by players at the British Open in the same decade, depending on who was the higher or lower ranked player between the two cueists in a match.

Whilst the majority of snooker’s biggest events have strict dress code rules, players are allowed to be colourful in what they choose to wear.

Several players such as Judd Trump and John Higgins talk dress code changes

In a recent feature on Eurosport called ‘Table Talk’, several of snooker’s biggest stars were asked for their opinions to the question “Traditional attire or a new look?”

There was support for a change of dress direction amongst several of the top ranked cueists asked.

Six-time ranking event winner Ali Carter said: “It’s got to be a new look. It’s just got to move on hasn’t it? I think a nice pair of trousers and a polo shirt is favourable.”

2023 World Champion Luca Brecel feels that wearing full attire is impractical and hampers him whilst on the baize: “I don’t feel comfortable in these clothes to play. There’s always something in the way.”

One of the sport’s all-time greats, Mark Williams has played in the professional ranks for over three decades, but he too feels it’s time for a change. The three-time World Champion said: “I think the waistcoat and dickie bows are getting a bit outdated now. I think you should be allowed to wear your own clothes really, so long as they’re smart.”

Earlier this year whilst filming at the Crucible Theatre and World Championship, the very popular Stephen Hendry’s Cue Tips YouTube Channel did a sit-down feature with several seed players asking them questions about snooker.

Judd Trump was asked by Hendry whether “Snooker should ditch waistcoats and bowties”. To this, Trump selected ‘strongly agree’ and that it should apply to all events, including the Triple Crown tournaments.

The current world number one said: “I don’t enjoy the way it looks but it also hampers the way I’m able to play. I don’t feel relaxed enough, I feel a bit uptight. I think my standard goes up when I’m not wearing it in other events.

“I’ve always been on the mindset that I want to get fans more involved, so if you’re able to wear a shirt supporting your favourite player, if you’re able to wear like Trump, O’Sullivan, Hendry - I feel like that would bring the game more up to terms, up to scratch.”

However, other big names during the Eurosport piece are more cautious when it comes to completely consigning waistcoats to the back of the wardrobe just yet.

Mark Selby said: “I’d like the mixture. I think for the Triple Crown events I’d like to keep the traditional clothing to separate them from the rest, but all the other tournaments I’d rather do a low key dress code. Still have probably trousers and shoes but have a nice fitted polo shirt.”

Fellow four-time world champion John Higgins was of a similar opinion wanting a balance, saying: “Both. It’ll always be good to keep the traditional.”

It doesn’t appear that a dramatic overhaul of clothing regulations will be coming anytime soon, although World Snooker Tour did announce a five-year partnership with global sports clothing brand Castore earlier this year.

Another factor that may stop certain events changing to a more ‘relaxed’ dress code is down to the tournament promoters. For example, all the tournaments held in China are currently full dress code, and part of snooker’s uniqueness in the Far East could be down to how the players dress.