The Shirt That Changed How I Think About Aging

So many jerseys on the market are standard replicas of the ones contemporary pro athletes wear. They are emblems of the present tense: You wear one to support active stars, to pledge allegiance to the way things are now. Throwback jerseys, on the other hand, are postmodern clothes; they evoke all sorts of references and encode ideas about time and change. A single, numbered mesh shirt calls to mind a specific athlete’s achievements across eras, and their limbs shifting within it: The shot clock winding down. Heaved passes. Miraculous catches. Game winners, sore losers. Blood spit onto ripped, moisture-wicking fabric. Doors and championship windows opening and closing. Auspicious debuts, farewell tours.