The History Of Mitchell & Ness
Mitchell & Ness was founded in 1904 in Philadelphia by Frank Mitchell and Charles Ness as a sporting goods store specializing in golf and tennis equipment.
By the 1930s, the company had expanded into making uniforms for local sports teams, including the Philadelphia Eagles.
However, it wasn’t until the 1980s that Mitchell & Ness became famous for its throwback jerseys. This shift began when they started reproducing vintage NBA and MLB uniforms with meticulous attention to detail, catching the attention of collectors and athletes.
Their breakthrough came in the 1990s when hip-hop artists and celebrities began wearing their throwback jerseys, cementing their status as a cultural phenomenon.
Today, Mitchell & Ness remains a leading brand in sports nostalgia apparel, producing authentic vintage jerseys for the NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL. The company has gone through various ownership changes, with Fanatics acquiring it in 2022.
Despite shifts in trends, Mitchell & Ness continues to thrive, catering to both hardcore sports fans and streetwear enthusiasts who appreciate classic sports fashion.
Throwback jerseys became a major trend in hip-hop during the late 1990s and early 2000s, largely thanks to artists who embraced vintage sportswear as a status symbol.
Rappers like Jay-Z, Fabolous, Nelly, and Cam’ron frequently wore Mitchell & Ness jerseys in music videos, album covers, and public appearances, helping to popularize the brand.
The oversized, colorful jerseys represented both nostalgia and exclusivity, as Mitchell & Ness focused on high-quality, authentic reproductions of classic NBA, NFL, and MLB jerseys from past eras.The trend exploded when hip-hop artists began referencing jerseys in their lyrics, and brands like Mitchell & Ness capitalized on the demand by releasing limited-edition, hard-to-find styles.
The 2002 hit Air Force Ones by Nelly and the rise of sports-inspired streetwear further cemented throwback jerseys as a staple of hip-hop fashion. By the mid-2000s, however, the trend started fading as rappers shifted toward more fitted and high-fashion styles.
Still, throwback jerseys remain an iconic piece of hip-hop history and continue to be worn as a nod to that era.
Mitchell & Ness is now owned by Jay-Z, Maverick Carter, Meek Mill, the D’Amelio family, Lil Baby, Kevin Hart, and Joel Embiid.
MitchellAndNess.com
