Few things improve with age. After fine wine, blue jeans and an old beat-up college jersey, you may be hard-pressed to think of things that truly improve with age, and even at a loss to come up with things that actually look better when they get older. Even antiques are considered more valuable when they are in good condition.

I think this is true about most things in life, including people. The better we look the better we feel. Whether this is actually true or not, this is what we keep telling ourselves.

There is something very special and unusual about an old broken- in college jersey, because like fine wine it must have time to age and mature naturally. It takes loyalty, commitment and patience, because it takes years of use to “break one in” properly. Even though the printed (latex) letters of your alma mater’s name may become severely faded over time and holes may begin to protrude, none of this matters, because it is a classic.

Let’s face it, there is nothing more comfortable or admirable than an old beat-up college jersey. Similar to a fine cabernet carefully aged to perfection, the older and more worn a college jersey is, the better it gets. As silly as all of this may sound, the more worn and beat up your college jersey becomes it earns admiration and respect like generals earn stars and stripes.

However, I must warn you in advance. You can be certain there will be some who will try to tell you otherwise. Perhaps your girlfriend, boyfriend or spouse does not understand why you continue to wear the old rag. Let’s be honest with ourselves; if they don’t have one, they’re gonna be jealous.

There is something truly classic and admirable about a college jersey that withstands the test of time. As it shows signs of aging, its popularity seems to defy our pop culture impulses and often rigid pursuit of a perfectly streamlined form, and brings us back down to earth, reminding us our human qualities, past experiences, and even our imperfections make us unique.

Maybe we all could learn something from an old beat-up college jersey and stop being so frightened to reveal our true colors and more of who we really are. After all, human beings were never meant to be carbon copies of one another, as pop culture and fashion magazines would have you believe.

In addition, there is something more to a college jersey than just its physical attributes. It carries its own unique history. It is far from being just another article of clothing, because it has strong sentimental ties to your undergraduate days. It is a part of your past, and wearing it is a badge of honor. And, why shouldn’t it be? You’ve earned it.

An old beat-up college jersey represents the very essence of the American spirit of hard work, sacrifice and a desire to get ahead in life, while at the same time symbolizes down-to-earth values of modesty, humility, and respect for the past.

In light of this, some of the brightest and most accomplished people in society can be seen on occasion dressing down and paying tribute to their past by simply wearing their raggedy old college jersey. At Harvard you can spot a professor working out around campus in his old Michigan jersey. Even several U.S. presidents could not miss the opportunity to be seen around the White House or Camp David while wearing their old jersey proudly displaying their alma mater.

Simply glancing at your old jersey can bring back a maelstrom of powerful memories of a time and place when you were surrounded by close friends and professors who seemed more like mentors than instructors. As you continue to wear your jersey, the less favorable experiences seem to fade, along with the letters of your alma mater, leaving you with mostly cherished moments.

For some reason even the few bad memories slowly start to become some of the best experiences and stories you could have ever hoped to have in college. Who knew?

Because you decided to join the honorable ranks of the Northeastern community, it is up to you now to carry the NU torch into the world. Remember, how people perceive Northeastern often begins and ends with its students and alumni. And, rightfully so. After all, it is our beloved alma mater.

If each and every one of us does our solemn duty to promote our college/alma mater in the best light possible, perhaps one day in another city or even a foreign country you will see someone wearing a classic Northeastern jersey, and find yourself admiring that person simply because you know what it means to have earned it. You may even find yourself full of pride, drifting in and out of your own thoughts, remembering how great college was and all those amazing co-op experiences you had.

I know this will happen to you someday, because it has already happened to me. While I was on vacation in Dublin, I spotted a young woman wearing a classic Northeastern jersey. I cannot express to you in words how proud I was to be in a foreign country and see the name of my alma mater enshrined in its faded glory for all to see.

Now, if for some reason your classic old college jersey was “borrowed” by a former girlfriend, boyfriend or spouse as so often happens, all is not lost. Just find another one and wear it often and you will soon have your classic college jersey in two or three years. And remember, it only gets better with age.

— Michael Turgeon is an alumnus from the Class of 1996.