Wearing Jerseys has become mostly acceptable for adults. Especially the souvenier jerseys. I'm not sure I'd wear a game used Jersey around, although I did wear the one I own as a Halloween costume one year.
Wearing team jerseys used to be very frowned upon in bike racing circles. The idea being that it took some serious ability to earn one. Early team and club ones were almost like biker gang jackets.
By the late 70's there were some team replicas for fans, and with the 7-11 team being big in the US by the late 80's the marketing value overcame that resistance.
But you'd NEVER wear a championship jersey - Not the TDF yellow, WC or Olympic stripes, none of that.
The US team jerseys looked similar to older national championship jerseys, and there are some period replicas from the early -mid 80's.
Eventually the marketing value of the jerseys became enough that now any fat middle age wannabe can wear the world championship rainbow stripe without much teasing. Maybe the odd look from those of us who still believe those stripes NEED TO BE EARNED......But that's a shrinking group. (I'm one of them)
Steve B
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