At least for the select few, with five clubs featured in the 2024 adidas X MLS Archive Collection. Sporting Kansas City, LA Galaxy, LAFC, Inter Miami CF, and the Portland Timbers are all in on the collection, which features retro stylings brought forward into a modern era. Each club is getting not only a third jersey, but also a matching track jacket and some mouth-watering pairs of adidas Gazelles for the sneakerheads, decked out in matching kit colors and featuring club word marks on the back tab. The entire production embraces the fashion element of the game. People like to wear their favorite team’s jersey even when they’re not in the stands with other supporters or watching a game from a pub; why not make some jerseys and accompanying gear that looks just as good on the street as it will on the pitch?

And that’s where Courtney Mays comes in. In addition to the new collection, MLS also struck up a partnership with Mays, a fashion stylist whose clientele and past work includes some of basketball’s biggest names, including Chris Paul and Sue Bird. The Archive Collection comes with looks and shots styled by Mays to show how the third jerseys and their accompanying elements fit into modern styles and visions of the cities they represent.”There’s something about a soccer jersey that feels cool and nostalgic, whether it’s the silhouette; this sort of high V-neck, short-sleeve shirt reminds me a little bit of a vintage tee,” Mays told ESPN in an interview on the collection.

Despite confessing to being “new to soccer,” Mays quickly found a point of entry for her looks with the retro styles. And despite some initial challenges, like getting familiar with the sizing of authentic soccer jerseys, those limitations soon became tools for tailoring looks to specific models and teams.

The word “model” is only a technicality here because there weren’t any professional models used for the shoots. Instead, there are fans on display. LAFC defender Ryan Hollingshead and his family make an appearance. And there’s even some work done in the vibrant Kansas City Wizards throwback jersey from the grandmother of Mays’ partner. All of that is intentional; Mays said she was “adamant about working with real people” for the collection.