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When one thinks of classic America (we’re talking pre-2016… not naming names), there are certain images that come to mind. Milkshakes. Diners. Danny and Sandy. Decked out in their varsity jackets and hitting the drive-in theatres. If you’re after the vintage look, we’ve got men’s varsity jackets that’ll leave you looking like the all-American boy next door…
The varsity jacket, which is also known as the Ivy League uniform, soon became a staple of the preppy lifestyle. It’s been worn by everyone from Elvis Presley, James Dean, and Michael Jackson who helped spread its fashion appeal, and when the letterman jacket was embraced by more people, different subcultures adopted the apparel, subverting its original roots of athletic prestige and elitism.
Today, everyone wears the letterman jacket, from high school heartthrobs to office workers pounding the pavements. But how did this item – almost as American as apple pie and the fourth of July – conquer fashion around the globe? What’s the history of the varsity jacket?
Also known as a letterman jacket, the varsity style dates as far back as the 1930s and has long been synonymous with American jock culture. Worn as a uniform, the patches-emblazoned jacket traditionally symbolised the initials of the school or establishment an athlete represented. The actual origins of the letterman jacket can be traced back to the baseball athletes of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 1865, members of the sports team wore the first iteration of what would become the classic men’s varsity jacket. Instead of the collared, button-down jacket worn today, these athletes wore a thick-knit sweater as their uniforms. As the story goes, the team decided to sew a giant ‘H’ on the centre of their sweaters, giving birth to the first letterman sweater. It was here that varsity style – and eventually the wool-bodied, leather-sleeved varsity jacket – was born. The varsity jacket is now worn by people on both side of the Atlantic, seen everywhere from high fashion houses to the high street.
In classic EMP fashion, our men’s varsity jackets have put a twist on the traditional. Our men’s varsity jackets keep the classic silhouette and style of the letterman jacket, but introduce more punky, pop culture symbols and images. Forget rocking your school colours or letters, who wouldn’t prefer one of our Mandalorian varsity jackets which have swapped the traditional letter for Boba Fett? We’ve also got Assassin’s Creed inspired varsity jackets, for those who graduated from the school of gaming. Other men’s varsity jackets include designs inspired by Marvel – including the Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Spider-Man’s Miles Morales – and Jurassic Park.
If you’re desperate to keep your men’s varsity jacket a bit more traditional, you can still rep a school team – Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. A Harry Potter men’s varsity jacket keeps the spirit of the original alive, just with a touch more magic.
A versatile item, the varsity jacket can easily be paired with many different looks. Mix preppy with punk, matching your latest jacket with one of our band t-shirts.