Mitchell and Ness Throwback Apparel and More
The Mitchell and Ness company has become renowned over the last decade for their work producing high quality, authentic throwback jerseys. However, the company itself has been around for over 100 years and now produces a wide variety of sports apparel and clothing beyond vintage throwbacks. The Mitchell and Ness brand is one of the market leaders and most established brands and manufactureres in the world.
History of Mitchell and Ness
Mitchell and Ness, with the official company title being the Mitchell and Ness Nostalgia Co was founded in 1904 in Philadelphia. From its original origins of a small sporting goods store, it wouldn’t take long for Mitchell and Ness to be supplying local leagues and teams for their actual jerseys.
From the 1930s all the way through the 1960s, Mitchell and Ness made the jerseys for the Philadelphia Eagles. In the late 30s the company also began outfitting the Philadelphia Athletics, and shortly after that the Philadelphia Eagles. The local stores and high schools has enabled the business to expand.
The company then transformed once again into a retail operation. It was not all roses for the company as a quick expansion nearly crippled the business in the early 80’s. All of the stores were shut besides the now famous one in downtown Philadelphia was shutdown.
Then a chance encounter with someone who needed a vintage wool and flannel baseball jersey repaired change the course of the company and perhaps of the entire sports apparel landscape. Jumping on the untapped marketplace they saw, Mitchell and Ness began to produce vintage baseball jerseys in the late 80s. They painstakingly researched and recreated jerseys from decades past to produce top quality, vintage throwback jerseys.
It was a new idea, and surely even they did not expect the popularity the business would reach a decade later. From there, the rest is history, with the company producing throwback jerseys with licenses from Major League Baseball, the NBA, the NFL and the NHL as well as the NCAA.
The Throwback Jersey Craze
With the throwback jerseys market moving forward at a rapid right Mitchell and Ness as stepped as the market leader. In the 90’s it became apparent that as clubs stopped wearing a particular style they immediately became a hot item. They were popular both for showcasing the great athletes of past generations, but also some of the great styles. For example, the San Diego Chargers “baby blue” football jerseys and the Houston Astros jerseys with the huge orange and brown striping on the front are two examples of jerseys that are popular just for the way they look.
Throwback apparel became hot and were being purchased by the rich and famous including popular performers, and athletes. They didn’t have to support a particular ball club or team to wear a throwback, you just had to enjoy a particular style or like a player. This added to the popularity and widespread range of the throwback, versus a current jersey which is typically only purchased by fans of that particular team.
For the older generation, these throwback pieces are away for them to never forget the greats of yesterday. For the younger generation it is away for them to show respect to the greats of yesterday and show off fashionable styles. Mitchell and Ness, their throwback jerseys and now their full line of sports apparel is a force to be reckoned with.
