Ariana Simone, left, and Chauncie Parchment had a certain coolness about them as they were walking along Canal Street in Manhattan on a Sunday in early January. Wearing shades of lavender, blue, orange and green, they brought to mind the palette of a spring day, as well as the colors of the New York Knicks.

Ms. Simone, 26, a model and yoga instructor, and Mr. Parchment, 30, a wellness coach, were heading from the Happier Grocery market in SoHo to the nearby A.P.C. store when I saw them arm in arm from behind. When asked if they were wearing anything sentimental, Mr. Parchment opened his jacket to reveal what he said was a 1970s-era gym shirt he bought about a decade ago at the Quality Mending Co., a vintage store in downtown Manhattan.

He described the shirt’s age as a big part of its appeal. That it has been around for decades, he said, “speaks to the quality, to the uniqueness and to the story.”