Retro NBA Jerseys: The Latest Trend in Hipster Fashion (To Piss Me Off)

If you're a regular reader of Deadspin (and let's face it, you should be) you may have read about the latest trend in hipster fashion -- ironic throwback NBA jerseys. Yes, no longer content with wearing skinny jeans, Keds, and 1950s-style glasses, hipster youths have turned to the once iconic accessory of rappers and street ballers everywhere. Except, with a typical hipster twist (it's all about the irony with these people), you won't find any of these jerseys in stores. Why? Because they're no longer stocking Arvydas Sabonis and Tony Kukoc jerseys at your local Champs, for one. But more importantly, the hipsters are all about jerseys of players nobody can remember in sizes only toddlers can fit into.

Now, I actually enjoy wearing basketball jerseys in the summertime. They're made of light weight fabric that breathes easily when you're doing physical activities. However, thanks to these clowns my fondness for the basketball jersey is in jeopardy and this hijacking of a once proud fashion accessory got me thinking: is there any difference between the hipster wearing an ironic NBA throwback and the douchebag/UFC-type wearing an Afflication shirt? Both are just copying a fashion trend among their cohorts. Both are proudly proclaiming their uniqueness from the rest of us squares/sheep by being entirely un-unique. But there is a difference and I never thought I'd say this but I actually respect the UFC douchebags. They know who they are. They know what you think of them and they're okay with that. They know their Afflication shirts prevent them from entering 99% of bars but they continue to wear them because that's who they are. The hipsters on the otherhand can claim no such sense of self-understanding or confidence. They're wearing a jersey because their buddy at the coffee shop is wearing one and if you were to make the mistake of asking the question. "Hey man, nice Penny Hardaway throwback., I used to love him on the Magic," they'd look at you as though you were the scum of the earth. And to think, you didn't even point out the fact that the jersey is three sizes too small! A sad state of affairs if you ask me. And my worry is, if NBA throwbacks can be taken from us, what's next? Is nothing sacred anymore?