Posted on March 16, 2010 – 11:45 in Features | Nick
Mitchell and Ness
Racks of jerseys, faithful reproductions of some of baseball, basketball, hockey, and football’s greatest players and moments, fill the floor of the Mitchell & Ness flagship on Philadelphia’s Chestnut Street. Each has a story. Each speaks directly to a particular moment in time.
During the early part of this millennium, Mitchell & Ness enjoyed a massive surge of popularity. Call it the throwback era. Jerseys became hip-hip uniform. Not that sports gear hadn’t played a part in the aesthetic prior, but it had never before been absolute standard. We all know the lore – jerseys were it, and then Jay-Z killed them off.
Or did he?
As a nostalgia company, Mitchell & Ness has never been, strictly speaking, about fashion. It has been an expression of one man’s passion for sports, his commitment to sporting history, and an obsession with producing garments the best way possible.
That man is Peter Capolino. He grew up in Mitchell & Ness, following his fathers footsteps, and later transfered his love of sports to a celebration the game of baseball through reproduction jerseys.
These are shirts that remind us of national values. They also explain moments completely devoid of humility. For instance, in 1920 the Cleveland Indians captured the World Series. What did they do in 1921? Just waltzed on to the field everyday of the season with “World Champions” emblazoned on their uniforms.
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Please note that not all sports leagues uniforms contract out their jerseys. Majestic Athletic make all of the on-field uniforms in their facility in Easton PA.
written by Charles Whitmore on 08. Apr, 2010