The Varsity Jacket

The world of fashion is decidedly still infatuated with the preppy universe, regularly borrowing a few style details from the American university preppy lexicon to put on the catwalks. This is his how over the last several seasons, the varsity jacket (aka, the Teddy jacket) ended up by reappearing on stage.

Straight out of the U.S., the varsity jacket originated from the country's sports world. It has been a part of the uniform for football, basketball, and baseball players for decades. These athletes were very attached to their jackets because they showed, via a letter on the front left side, their standing in their respective sport.

At the high school and university level, the varsity jacket was given out at the end of the year, stamped with the letter that corresponded to the student's performance (hence, the title "letterman's jacket"). The original models were made out of cotton and satin, but as of the 60s, more expensive materials, e.g., nylon and polyester, were used.

Varsity jackets have been difficult to find for a long time, and those that were available came deprived of letters, greatly reducing their attractiveness. They were also reserved for a more elite preppy class until the rappers, with their tendency to transgression, ended up appropriating them for themselves (as seen here and here). Since then, the varsity jacket has become more easily available and the prêt-a-porter world becomes hooked on them regularly.

Last summer, Alexander Wang's collection dedicated to American football presented a designer version of the mythical varsity jacket with a big "A" on the chest. Then the Parisian Isabel Marant, having fallen in love with the American way of life, offered versions in black leather followed by more girly colors; and Zara did not need much more encouragement to come out with their own version soon after.

Between belated homages to Michael Jackson and a general infatuation with the preppy style, the varsity jacket seems to be well on its way to fashionization. All that remains is to find an authentic model in your favorite vintage shop...