Vintage Varsity Jackets

Vintage varsity jackets from the 1970s and 1980s have a visual weight that modern reproductions can't match. The wool body and leather sleeves develop a patina over decades that tells you the jacket has been somewhere and done something. Chenille letter patches are sewn on by hand, each representing a specific achievement at a specific school. Wearing a vintage varsity jacket from a high school in Ohio carries an unearned history, and that's part of the appeal. Snap buttons are heavy and satisfying, the quilted lining shows its age, and the fit is boxier than current fashion would dictate. That gives the jacket a relaxed silhouette that looks intentionally oversized. I found mine at an estate sale for $25, a maroon and cream jacket with a basketball patch and the year 1983 embroidered on the left sleeve.