Varsity Jacket Design – Which One Should You Choose?

Did you know that varsity jackets are available in so many different design options? Yes, that’s true! After all, with a wide variety, sticking to the classic one is not compulsory. Moreover, you can choose the one that goes best with your personal style. You may be wondering: what options are available out there? And which varsity jacket design should you choose? Well, let’s find out. Keep reading…

Different Types of Varsity Jacket Design

The rich varsity jacket history tells that this clothing item has gone through a multitude of changes throughout the years. From pullover sweaters to sporty jackets, the journey is quite diverse. Besides, you should know that its evolution is what kept this trend alive across different centuries.

Did You Know?

The first-ever varsity jacket design was not even a jacket; it was a sweater.

It has become an outerwear that everyone can wear. Not just academic stars, not just athletes – EVERYONE. After all, it’s no more a high-school staple. In fact, it has evolved to become a fashion statement. Also, it’s called so for a reason: you can choose your varsity jacket design per your personal style.

Fun Fact:  Varsity jackets seem to be a celebrity favorite. Moreover, they have worn them in the past and still wear – flaunt – these jackets. From the King of Pop Michael Jackson and the beloved Princess Diana to fashion models like Gigi Hadid, celebrities from around the world love them.

Don’t know what design options you have? Don’t worry because here is a comprehensive guide on the types of jackets you can choose from:

Classic Varsity Jacket

Let’s start with the classic! This varsity jacket design is usually worn as a high-school garment. The classic jacket has a traditional yet timeless appeal to it. No doubt, it is the most popular jacket design of them all. Furthermore, students are not the only people who wear them. Apart from this, it is considered a highly fashionable garment. Therefore, you can see everyone wearing classic varsity jackets, from sportsmen to celebrities. This means you need not to be a student to wear a varsity jacket. Now, let’s move on to the details of these jackets. After all, the devil is in the details.

Materials

The classic jacket is collarless and has a button-through body. Moreover, the body is made of wool or cotton fleece and the sleeves are of leather. However, the material choices have diversified. Therefore, you can now select from a variety of materials for the body of your jacket, including:

• Cotton Fleece
• Cowhide Leather
• Cotton Twill
• Faux Leather
• Polyester Satin
• Melton Wool

For sleeves, you can go for the same material as the body. Apart from this, you can also pick leather for sleeves as it's durable and gives the jacket a seamless finish.

Elements

Want to know how the classic one differs from other jackets? Here are the features that are specifically associated with the traditional varsity jacket style:

• Buttoned closure
• Ribbed cuffs
• Waistband
• Collarless
• Letter(s) on the front

Letters – embroidered, patched, or printed – on this jacket is what makes them letterman jackets. Without them, it's just an outwear, a regular jacket. Mostly, these letters represent the school, organization, or team name. Besides, for a sleek look, people go for just initials but you get the whole name on your jacket too.

“The letterman trend – the letter H embroidered on the clothes of Harvard athletes – is by far one of the most iconic fashion moments of history.” - A fashion journalist from Harper’s Bazaar

Retro Varsity Jacket

Are you into vintage fashion? If so, the retro varsity jacket design is just right for you. Moreover, the retro varsity jacket or retro letterman jacket takes inspiration from the original varsity jacket. In fact, most brands mimic the exact design of the jackets worn back in the day. Additionally, a fun thing about these is that they exude the rich history and evolution of varsity jackets. Besides, all the college students of America once dreamt of wearing it with pride. Moreover, students still do but the hype at that time was something else. After all, a garment had spellbound everyone – surely history was made. Anyhow, let’s move on to the materials and elements of these jackets:

Materials

As aforementioned, the design of retro jackets resembles the vintage ones. This means that the material choices are also the same as the vintage varsity jackets. Here are the most suitable material options you have for retro varsity jackets:

• Wool Body
• Leather Sleeves

Many retro letterman jackets you see in the market mimic the design of the 1950s. After all, it was the time when they were introduced to the American youth culture. At that time, the jackets mostly had wool bodies and leather sleeves.
Elements
The elements of jackets are what distinguish them from any other varsity jacket design. The following are some features that are a must in retro jackets:

• Large letters
• Collared body
• Button-through
• Bold Color Combos
• Ribbed cuffs
• Waistband
• Old-School Embroidery

Moreover, embroidered or patched letters are the highlight of this jacket too. Have you seen the varsity jackets of early days? They were all about embroidered letters. Additionally, the same is the case with these ones.

“The outer layer of vintage varsity jackets has wool or leather and displays its wearer’s name, a varsity letter, and the school’s mascot.” – LegacyBox

Hooded Varsity Jacket
If you like to keep it casual and comfortable, a hooded varsity jacket is a must-have. After all, they are not just stylish. In fact, they will protect you from extreme weather too. Moreover, it has become a favorite item of street fashion. Besides, streetwear is all about a contemporary yet laid-back style. And so is the hooded varsity jacket design. The addition of a hood transformed the whole vibe of this garment. The hood gave this jacket a cozy appeal when it was sporty originally. Interesting, right? If streetwear is up your alley, this one is a must-have.

Materials

You should know that this jacket is a mix of the traditional varsity jacket and a comfy sweatshirt. So, the material selection for this jacket is done accordingly. In other words, these jackets feature sweatshirt-like materials for their base. These include:

• Cotton
• Fleece
• Melton
• Wool Polyester

The fabric for the body and hood is similar – and so for the sleeves. However, many manufacturers prefer adding leather sleeves to their hooded varsity jacket design. It is because leather gives it a more premium finish. Elements We know that what makes this jacket special is the addition of the hood. But there are a lot of other features you should know about too, including:

• Hood
• Ribbed cuffs 
• Buttoned or zipped closure
• Inside lining
• Logos & patches

Those who prefer a modern, sleek yet comfortable style can go for this design of varsity jackets. Moreover, keep in mind that no varsity is complete without embroidered, patched, or printed letters, logos, or mascots.

Bomber Varsity Jacket

Fashion enthusiasts! Here is something you must try: the bomber varsity jacket design. Didn’t know any such thing existed? Understandable! Most people don’t know there’s a garment featuring a fusion of varsity and bomber jacket. It’s a relatively new concept but surely a fashionable one. The best part about it is that it’s quite versatile. Yes, that’s right! Unlike varsity jackets, it's got more of a stylish appeal than a sporty one. So, you can wear it just anywhere. Whether it’s a baseball game or a movie date, a bomber varsity jacket is perfect for all.

Fabrics

The bomber-varsity fusion is simply an amazing one. After all, it gives you room to experiment with a lot of fabrics. The options you can explore include:

• Cotton
• Polyester
• Velvet
• Nylon
• Leather

Furthermore, you can mix and match different materials to maximize weather resistance. Also, jackets with more than one material look more fashionable. This is because the combination of fabrics gives more dimensions to the overall design of the jacket.

Features

As aforementioned, it is a fusion of two classic outwears: varsity and bomber jacket. And it inherits the features of both these. Also, you should know that this type of varsity jacket is shorter in length as compared to the traditional ones. Buttoned or zipped Ribbed collar, cuffs Ribbed waistband Emblems or logos.

“Bomber varsity jacket has a dynamic twist to it, looking elegant yet sporty.”

With our Bomber Jacket Builder, you are free to experiment and choose whatever elements you want to have in your jacket. So, let your inner artist take center stage and experiment with your style however you like.

Denim Varsity Jacket

Denim is a timeless fashion trend and so are varsity jackets. Therefore, combining them gave us an ever-so-chic clothing item: a denim varsity jacket. The creator of this must be an intellectual. I mean he knew what ingredients – components – to mix and come up with a masterpiece. It features all the iconic letterman elements plus the casual appeal of a denim jacket. What’s more, no other varsity jacket design is more versatile than this one. After all, it's denim! And denim can be styled in so many ways.

The denim varsity jacket mixes the timeless appeal of denim and the sporty aesthetic of the varsity jacket.

Materials

As it’s obvious, the material used for this jacket’s body is denim. So, aren’t there any fabric variations? Well, there are – in sleeves. Moreover, for sleeves, denim is not a compulsion. There are other options too, such as:

• Wool or cotton sleeves
• Quilted or padded sleeves
• The Classic leather sleeves

Features

Moreover, the other features are mostly the same as the standard varsity jackets. Those include:

• Ribbed trims
• Letters & logos
• Buttoned closure
• Waistband (optional)

Yes, that’s true! This type of varsity jacket may or may not have a waistband. After all, it’s a denim jacket and denims usually don’t feature waistbands.

Fashion Tip!

You can amp up your casual looks with a denim varsity jacket.

Psst… Hey! The above types of varsity jacket design are some of the decent choices you can explore. But fashion is not about being decent. Instead, it’s about experimenting and finding what aligns with your personal taste. So… we’ve got you covered for some bold fashion choices too. Let’s see what you can get:

Patchwork Varsity Jacket

This varsity jacket design exudes a piece of art. After all, it's the patchwork we are talking about. And you can do so much designing with it. With patched varsity jackets, you can play with different textures, fabrics, patterns, and whatnot. You can tell your unique story in your own unique. Moreover, there are premade jackets available out there. But you can customize yours too.

Fabric & Elements

A patched varsity jacket is truly one-of-a-kind. Let’s break down its composition. After all, it is what makes it so amazing. Besides, patchwork jackets are made with standard varsity jacket materials. Plus, they feature all the standard varsity jacket elements, from closure to lining to sleeves, etc. So, what makes them different? It’s the PATCHWORK!!! With different patches adorning this jacket, they truly stand out from the crowd of mundane letterman jackets.

You can have so much fun with patches (if you choose to customize your patchy jacket). Here are the options you have:

• Letters
• Numbers
• Emblems
• Logos
• Mascots
• Images
• Quotes

The world of patches is very vast and you can play with them however you want. All you need to do is unleash your inner creativity. 

Camouflage Varsity Jacket

Camouflage clothing attracts fashion enthusiasts because of its edgy military-inspired designs. If you are into these, you can consider buying a camouflage varsity jacket. Moreover, its rugged look is what makes it stand out from the crowd. However, there is a downside to it: the styling. Because there is so much happening in terms of body printing, there are very limiting style options. Plus, you can’t wear them everywhere. Yes, that’s quite sad. Although you may want to flaunt your jacket, you can’t wear it at formal events. But the good thing is that you can wear them casually. Here’s a tip though: don’t overdo it when styling.

Materials

Camo varsity jackets are bold but comfortable. And the fabrics used to make them are picked keeping the wearer's comfort in mind. Here are the material options you have for both body and sleeves:

• Wool
• Polyester
• Denim
• Cotton fleece

What fabric you select totally depends on your personal style and how much warm you want your jacket to be.

Features

Well, other than the distinctive camouflaging print on the body, the design elements are somewhat same. It’s a collarless outerwear with a button-through or zipped body. The former is a better option though. Just like its traditional counterpart, it features embroidered or patched letters, pockets, ribbed cuffs, and a ribbed waistband. Are you into bold fashion? If so, this one is a must-try for you.

Floral Varsity Jacket

Those who like floral prints can definitely try out this one. Additionally, these jackets have a feminine appeal to them. Does this mean it's only for females? NOT AT ALL! Everyone can wear it. However, these floral varsity jackets usually appeal to those with a bizarre taste. Furthermore, if you are a fashion enthusiast ready to experiment with your style, you should get this jacket. How it looks on you depends on how you style it. And remember: styling it is a little tricky. Anyhow, don’t even dare to do any print-on-print shenanigans. Because you want to look chic not a clown.

Material and Elements As mentioned above, this jacket type rose to popularity because of the floral prints. The most common material options in these jackets are cotton or wool. You can go for other materials – as for traditional jackets – too. Besides, the best material choice for sleeves is leather or faux leather. As for the features, they are same as a standard letterman jacket. Additionally, this includes front closure, slanted pockets, inside lining, letters, logos, etc. 

The Custom Varsity Jacket Design – Build Your Own Jacket!

This is where the real fun begins – you can build your own varsity jacket. Choose whatever materials, elements, and designs you like. You are free to make this letterman jacket of yours truly yours. It can be a high school staple. Or it can be a style statement. Or it can be both. It depends on how you design it. Anyway, this is your chance to become a designer – a Varsity Jacket Builder. Furthermore, you can go for the standard design or retro appeal and even the edgy choices are there too. Still need help? Here is a teeny tiny – comprehensive – custom letterman jacket design guide for you:

Material Selection

Different fabrics are suitable for different varsity jacket designs. However, here are some standard options you can consider if you are customizing your jacket:

Material Options for Custom Varsity Jacket

Cotton Fleece	Lightweight and breathable
Sheep Leather	Softer but a little expensive
Cowhide Leather	Highly durable and comfortable
Cotton Twill	Thick and highly weather-resistant
Polyester	Durable and easy-to-care

Elements & Style Guide

What elements you choose for your custom varsity jacket design will surely affect its overall style. Therefore, choose wisely. Besides, the following are some options you have in terms of elements: 

Closure	Zipped up or Buttoned down
Inside Lining	A variety of comfortable options
Knitting	Different options are usually ribbed
Sleeves	Set-in or Raglan
Hoodie	Yes or no
Patches	Embroidered, Chenille, etc.

Quick Questions: What and How Many Colors to Choose?

Traditionally, you should pick colors that align with your school, team, or organization. Plus, it is better if your jacket has two colors – maximum three. However, it is not compulsory. Furthermore, you can choose just any colors you want. But make sure that the colors you choose complement each other.

Ending Thought – Which Varsity Jacket Design You Should Choose?

Wondering which letterman jacket design will go best with your personal style? With so many options available out there, making this decision can be tough. Therefore, we are here to help you. Furthermore, this is what this comprehensive guide is for: to help you choose the right jacket style for yourself. From classic to retro to patched varsity jackets, this blog features a detailed breakdown. So, if you have come this far reading, you must know which type of varsity jacket is the right one for you.