McCall Style News simply describes this dress as "Ladies' and Misses' Dress; with scarves", but as it is illustrated by a picture of a young woman racing over a court to return a serve it was clearly most likely intended to be worn as a tennis dress. Women had been playing (lawn) tennis since the game was invented in the 1870s, but it was only in the 1920s that they could move freely on the court, unencumbered by long skirts and corsets.
Fortunately for us, there were plenty of fashion experts in 1928, giving us advice on correct (tennis) court wear. First we have Vogue who notes the newest innovation of sleeveless dresses:
The tennis dress is frequently sleeveless, a point of interest in so far as the fashion for sleeveless dresses has never, until this season, seemed quite chic or correct. It may be that, with the growing practice of spending the summer in resorts famous for their winter sunshine, the smart woman has adopted a fashion that suggests greater comfort and ease. In other words, like the sports mode in general, the sleeveless dress is the outcome of the sportswoman's necessities.
Vogue, April 15 1928
