Jackets are an outerwear item that is present in every household no matter where you live. If there is life on Mars even they’ll have jackets in their wardrobe. Jackets are simply loved, admired and have turned into an item that is worn by everyone. Jackets come in a variety of types. One specific type of jacket that holds a significant value in the hearts of us Americans is the varsity jacket. There isn’t a clothing present that is more American than the varsity jacket. To be honest varsity jackets should be the national clothing article of America.
These jackets are symbolic and have been in fashion since forever. Originally donned by high-schoolers, varsity jackets nowadays are worn by kids, teens and adults alike.
They have become a fashion trend and are worn by A-list celebrities and also appear in fashion runways regularly. Varsity jackets are simply a fixation among us Americans, which we simply love to show-off and flaunt.
You must have the question in your head by now as to why varsity jackets are so important to us Americans?
In this article we’ll tell you exactly why varsity jackets are important to us Americans
Varsity jackets are an item that has its roots firmly planted in the history and culture of the United States. They have been
These jackets have been inseparable from American high school athletes, and mean a lot more than a simple jacket to them. A varsity holds a significant place in the heart of any American high school jock. They wear these jackets with pride and honor. A varsity jacket represents excellence and class and only the best of the best got the chance to these coveted jackets and represented their alma mater.
Harvard University gave birth to this concept and these jackets in the mid-19th century.
In 1865 during a baseball match Harvard University students wanted to honor star players. Those students stitched the letter ‘H’ (H stands for Harvard) on the back-side of their university jacket. These jackets (known as the letterman jacket at that time because of the act of stitching a letter) were given out to the best players. Players who performed well and showed pride and determination only got these jackets. The players who underperformed had to give these jackets back.
Nearly ten years later the Harvard’s football team replicated the same concept and added the prestigious H on the backs of their jackets. Only the cream of the crop could wear them. This meant that everyone got super competitive and tried to excel every day and raise the level of their game so that they could receive or hold onto their varsities.
Varsity jackets became a symbol of pride, brilliance, superiority and distinction and gave the wearer all the bragging rights in his or her institution.
By 1891, the vogue of stitching the first letter educational institutes onto outerwear grew. The Harvard team started stitching the letter H on the left chest of their sweaters too. These sweaters were then called letterman sweaters.
This fashion-forward style spread like wild-fire. Soon every other institution in the United States started to wear letterman jackets. Letterman jackets became a norm and could be seen everywhere.
As schools, colleges and university teams were known as varsity teams, letterman jacket were now called varsity jackets. The cool jocks who had earned their varsity jackets wore them everywhere and boasted and showed them off. These jackets gave the individual a star status. Girls would swoon over guys with a varsity and they just made the wearer extremely cool. Everyone wanted to get their hands on varsity jackets. Everyone wanted to dawn these exceptional jackets and be outfitted in them. Soon we saw celebrities wearing these jackets and varsities started to appear on fashion shows and ramps. In today’s age and time varsity jackets still have that charm to them and haven’t gone out of fashion. As a matter of fact they’ll probably never go out of fashion. The rise in popularity of athleisure clothing has enabled varsity jackets to cement their place in the wardrobes of each and every individual. Varsities are now part of street fashion as well. The way things seem varsity jackets are there to stay and will always represent class, brilliance and excellence.
