The Best Varsity Jackets (for Giving Off Main Character Energy)

Don’t let the name fool you; “varsity jackets” aren’t just for athletes. Once a status symbol exclusively seen on the backs of your high school’s “popular kids,” the evolution of this Americana staple has made it one of the most readily remixed and reinterpreted pieces of outerwear you can find on the market today. Easily identified (at least historically speaking) by its rounded knit collar, wool body, contrasting leather sleeves, and giant felt lettering (hence, “letterman jacket”), the varsity jacket may have its roots in high school and university athletics, but its timeless design means it simply looks cool on those who wouldn’t be caught dead anywhere near a set of goalposts.

The earliest rendition of the modern-day varsity jacket harkens all the way back to 1865 at Harvard University. Effectively just a chunky wool sweater worn by the university baseball team, the first proto-letterman jacket was embroidered with a large “H” and given to (and ultimately kept by) the team’s very best athletes. (If you weren’t up to snuff, the expectation was that you’d return the sweater at the conclusion of the season.) By the early 1900s, Harvard’s early letterman sweater made its way to other schools and expanded into other silhouettes (like the cardigan, worn mainly as a form of school spirit) and sports (especially football). To combat the cold weather common during the fall, winter and early spring months of the school year, letterman sweaters evolved into the varsity jacket we more commonly think of today—including a buttoned front, leather sleeves, and wool body—by around 1930. Like most staples of American men’s style, the garment’s popularity at the Ivy League universities soon spread to other universities and high schools, and beyond; the jacket’s iconic felt lettering and patches denoted which school you played for, your sport, or any notable successes you had on the field. With pop legends like Michael Jackson remixing the varsity jacket in the intro section of his blockbuster Thriller music video (playing on the 1980s’ nostalgia for the idyllic Americana of the 1950s) coupled with the rise of streetwear and sports merch in the 1980s and 90s, the varsity jacket cemented its  iconic status—regardless of whether you earned it playing ~*sportsball~* or not. 

Today, the varsity jacket’s legacy spans across brands and personal style tribes; whether found among the racks at your local Goodwill, worn by dads as way to relive the “glory days,” or sourced directly from a high fashion designer label, the varsity jacket’s place in the modern wardrobe in unquestionable. From faithful recreations of the sports-adjacent letterman jacket to models that celebrate the silhouette’s more modern appeal, check out a few of our favorite varsity jackets.

Short of shopping for a vintage varsity jacket (or digging one out of a relative’s closet), Golden Bear is one of the best brands in the business when it comes to recreating—or, in some cases, preserving—vintage sportswear styles for the modern market. While other brands honor the traditional varsity jacket but overcomplicate its appeal with corny lettering (or materials that just don’t look… right), Golden Bear’s Portola Varsity Jacket keeps things simple. With its wool blend body, contrasting leather sleeves, and knit trim and collar, the jacket’s traditional detailing makes it look vintage… but not dated. With a legacy that dates back to 1922, the Portola is a prime example of how Golden Bear’s commitment to the classics (and a dedication to still producing its wares in San Francisco) makes it just as relevant as it was over a century ago.

For something similar to the varsity jackets put out by Golden Bear (but at roughly half the price), it’s hard to top American Trench. Based in Philadelphia, American Trench is fundamentally committed to making top-tier garments in the United States. As the brand’s name implies, this began with a trench coat, but one look at its site shows just how wide-reaching its product offering (and, by extension, its ethos) really is. Case in point: the brand’s varsity jacket was made in conjunction with Portland, OR’s Settlemiers Jackets, which specializes in producing (and reproducing) classic American outerwear with American materials and fabrics. This take on the varsity jacket is just about as classic as it gets; a melton wool body, contrast cowhide sleeves, custom knit collar and cuffs, and traditional snap closure ensure that if you’re looking for a “traditional” varsity jacket (without any school affiliations or accents) at reasonable price, this is where you’ll get some of the best bang for your buck.

A slightly less traditional take from one of America’s most classically stylish labels, this Polo take on the letterman jacket swaps wool and leather for an all-over cotton fleece material. In place of a letterman patch, the brand’s added a gothic “P” that mirrors the textured lettering of the vintage OGs. Sure, if you look hard enough, you can tell it’s a more casual style from Polo, but we’d be lying if we said we didn’t like the brand’s blend of classic and contemporary. Of course, if you really want to lean into Ralph Lauren’s love for vintage Americana, the designer also has a letterman cardigan that looks like it was ripped right out of a university class photo from the early 1900s. Whatever vibe you go with, you can never go wrong with Ralph.

Varsity jackets have their roots in baseball, so it makes sense to go with a piece that celebrates some of the most important icons of America’s pastime. Dating back to roughly the 1980s, the satin varsity jacket rose in popularity alongside the expansion of national sports leagues. Similar to on-field varsity jackets (but cheaper to produce than the heavyweight wool and leather traditional styles), satin varsity jackets gave fans a chance to support their team with a similar option to those that players might have worn around the clubhouse (at a much friendlier retail price). Today, the satin varsity jacket is a statement in its own right, landing as an option that’s not necessarily as traditional as the heavyweight letterman jacket, but still a key part of the varsity jacket’s 20th-century legacy. Naturally, the MLB would tap Starter—itself a decades-old beloved manufacturer of sports merch—to produce a vintage-inspired satin varsity jacket for some of the league’s biggest teams.

Before his untimely passing, Virgil Abloh—and by extension, Off-White—was turning the fashion world on its head. Since the very beginning, by blending streetwear with luxury fashion, Abloh’s design vision was uniquely layered with references and remixes, putting new spins on style icons and Americana classics (Abloh’s Pyrex Vision label—a precursor to Off-White—notoriously bought up several flannels from the recently defunct Ralph Lauren Rugby label, screenprinted its logo on the back, and then resold them at a 700% markup). Known for its loud, easily identifiable graphics, Off-White has dropped several reinterpretations of Americana classics since launching back in 2012—especially when it comes to the traditional letterman jacket. This iteration goes for full graphic maximalism; while the design has the hallmarks of a traditional varsity jacket—the wool body, the knit cuffs and collar, the leather sleeves—it goes full-tilt with the patches. From the textured “O” and “W” letterman-style letters and the stitching on the chest to the patches all the way down each sleeve and the giant Off-White branding on the back, there’s no debating where this jacket comes from.

While the wide world of varsity jackets and letterman jackets grows every year, there’s nothing wrong with deciding to grab a vintage one. As we’ve noted, this outerwear silhouette is—all clichés aside—as quintessentially American as high school football games on Friday nights. The decades (or should we say centuries) of varsity jackets that have been worn by athletes, students, and fans means there’s a massive amount of literal, one-of-a-kind grails just waiting to be loved by an entirely new generation. Whether you’re shopping on Etsy, Grailed or Urban Outfitters (yes, you read that correctly), sometimes the best varsity jacket is one that belonged to some guy who just happened to be on the field during the 1961 Rebel Bowl.

We might stink at sports, but at least we’re varsity-level deal hunters.

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.