Just because the cold weather is finally rearing its dreary head doesn't mean

you have to put your throwback jerseys in the back of the closet. In fact,

there's no better time to break them out. Just make sure that instead of the

regular lightweight mesh material, you rock your velour ones ([article id="1458932"]click for photos.[/article])

Sitting in his Manhattan office, located a few floors below Russell Simmons'

Phat Farm headquarters, former NFL great Carl Banks discussed the clothing

his company G-III Apparel is putting out. "The whole throwback thing is on

fire. We took it from an outerwear perspective to when Starter was hot, " he

explained.

Proving that Mitchell & Ness aren't the only ones who can capitalize on the

sentimental favorites of yesteryear (see [article id="1450431"]"Jay-Z, Nelly, Fabolous Seek Uniforms That Don't Conform"[/article]), Banks and G-III not only

supply the streets with clothes that big-up current teams, they make gear that cheers nostalgia.

In the video for Peedi Crakk's "One for Peedi," Freeway wears an old-school

Baltimore Bullets satin jacket, while his compatriot Jay-Z sported a

Milwaukee Braves jacket during Spankin' New Music Week on MTV. Riding the

subways in New York, it almost looks like it's 1987, with kids dressed in

throwback outerwear that reps the Magic Johnson-era Los Angeles Lakers and

Isaiah Thomas-led Detroit Pistons.

Cam'ron, Scarface and AJ from BET's "106 and Park" have also been seen

rocking G-III's velour jerseys and matching pants.

"With this new craze going on with all the throwback stuff, it was a natural

we extend our brand into that area," continued Banks, a 13-year NFL veteran,

who won Super Bowls in 1986 and 1990 as a member of the New York Giants.

Before hooking up with G-III 11 years ago, Banks began designing because he

couldn't find clothes to fit him at department stores. After getting kudos

for his outfits, he thought about moonlighting.

"I said, 'Maybe I'm onto something,' " remembered Banks. "Being in sports, I

never saw any leather coats with teams on them at that time. I approached the

NFL about giving me a license to do it. They were like, 'Your concept is

great, but we need you to align yourself with a company that's capable of

generating huge amounts of income, not only for yourself but for NFL

properties. We don't get into business with people who are not making money.'

"

After a mutual friend introduced him to the head of G-III, it wasn't long

before the two factions merged. Banks now serves as the company's vice

president. They stepped to the NFL with a new game plan and have been

partnering up with them since 1993. Now they have licensing agreements with

the NFL, NBA, MLB and the NHL as well as traditional clothing companies Sean

John, Nine West, Timberland and Kenneth Cole.

"The whole licensing process, especially in sports, is very difficult," Banks

explained. "Being a player doesn't guarantee the league wants to be in

business with you. I just had a specific niche that wasn't filled at the

time. That's was when Starter was prevalent, Nike and all those guys. I got

them to understand that I was serious about business. They're very protective

of their brands. They are selective about who they want to do things for

them."

As for regular designers, such as P. Diddy, Banks says the working

relationship has been equally fruitful.

"He's been pretty good," Banks revealed. "Our men's division works mainly with him. If he doesn't like something, he's gonna tell you. You gotta have a

lot of respect for his business acumen. As a businessman, seeing what he's

doing, you gotta respect him because he's not just an artist. Puff and guys

like Master P have taken it to another level."

Banks dealing with hip-hoppers goes back much further than when he got into

clothing. As a youngster new to the NFL, he used to hang out with legends

during his downtime.

"We hung out with Run-DMC all the time," he remembered. "Red Parrot -- I

think it was on Thursday night -- we use to go there from practice. That

was the spot on a weekday. They had DJ Red alert there killing it. Then it

was Nell's for a while, then the Limelight. We had a lot of fun. It was

incredible. That was a really good time in hip-hop in New York.

"My all-time favorite is LL Cool J," he continued. "I'm waiting on DMX to

come back. I'm a big fan of Eve, Nelly, Rakim. Murder Inc., I'm bumping them.

But if we could find a spot to bring Chuck D out in music, it would be

amazing."

As excited as Banks is to reminisce, he's even more amped about the future.

Proving his company hasn't forgotten about the ladies, they're gearing up a

women's throwback line for Spring 2003.

You can find G-III apparel at a local retailer.