David Bowie wearing a Roots jacket in 1987.
Justin Jacob Louis, designer of Section 35, in the Roots x Section 35 varsity jacket. The jacket sold out quickly but hoodies from the collection are still available at roots.com. Cycling Reflective Vest Outerwear Jacket
Roots founders Don Green and Michael Budman with David Bowie in a varsity jacket at Roots on Avenue Road in the 1980s.
H&M jacket, $124, hm.com.
Reigning Champ jacket, $600, reigningchamp.com.
Louis Vuitton jacket, $7,700, louisvuitton.com.
Section 35 jacket, $190 (on sale for $143), sectionthirtyfive.com.
Section 35 designer Justin Jacob Louis used embellishments that evoke Indigenous traditions for the varsity jacket he designed for Roots.
David Bowie wearing a Roots jacket in 1987.
Before the infamous rain-soaked rumble in the classic film “The Outsiders,” Darryl, played by a young, sinewy Patrick Swayze, steps out from his unruly crew of greasers to stand face-to-face with Paul, the leader of their preppy “socs” rivals. In seconds, the two will be throwing hands, but for one pivotal, brooding moment, their class divide is communicated not by words, but by a single wardrobe item: Paul’s varsity jacket.
The signature swag of gridiron Goliaths and hoop heroes, the varsity jacket has long been synonymous with all things jock. Its origins trace back to Harvard University in 1856, when some basketball players sewed a large “H” onto their grey flannel uniforms. The “letterman” jacket or sweater, as it became known, evolved from an item worn during games to one that signified socioeconomic status, physical prowess and fraternity when the stands had emptied and the lights had gone out.
In the 1930s, when high schools started adopting the collegiate trend, the melton wool jackets with leather sleeves prevalent today emerged. And while there has been a slowdown in youth representing their school sports teams sartorially, the garment is still very much at the forefront. This season, the menswear staple has been embraced by everyone from Dior to H&M, resulting in a wide array of options — from sleek and refined to playfully patch and logo heavy — in a number of different fabrics.
“The varsity jacket has never really gone out of style,” says fashion expert and GQ editor-at-large Jim Moore. “Like many athletic-inspired items, it’s always sort of simmering in the background, just waiting to be hot again. And just when you think you’ve seen it nailed a million times, you’re hit with different incarnations that are incredible.”
Justin Jacob Louis, designer of Section 35, in the Roots x Section 35 varsity jacket. The jacket sold out quickly but hoodies from the collection are still available at roots.com.
It’s an iconic piece because it offers a blank canvas to express some personality. “It’s actually a very personal item,” says Moore. “It can represent a favourite team, designer or a time or place in someone’s life. It can transcend logos, if you’re a logo-less person, or now that men are having a field day expressing themselves through fashion, it can handle all the colour and embellishments, yet still retain its pedigree. Better yet, it’s a classic silhouette that looks great on everyone, athlete or not.”
Indigenous designer Justin Jacob Louis is a former college baseball player, and many of his design ideas stem from a sports context. He has made the varsity jacket a mainstay of his collections since launching his brand, Section 35, in 2016 — his five-year anniversary jacket was displayed in the Lexicon of Fashion exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Now, he’s collaborated with Roots on one that features blanket stitches, floral embellishments and deer hide piping, speaking to Indigenous traditions of putting every component of the natural ecosystem to use.
Roots created its own first varsity jacket (which the brand calls the “award jacket”) in 1979. “I went to school at Michigan State and I did a lot there, but I never got a letter sweater. I always wanted one, because they’re a statement of accomplishment and fraternity,” says Roots co-founder Michael Budman. “We wanted the jackets to make you feel that. To this day, it’s how you feel in the award jacket that really matters. I wasn’t born yesterday, but I still feel great in one.”
Roots founders Don Green and Michael Budman with David Bowie in a varsity jacket at Roots on Avenue Road in the 1980s.
The Roots photo archive is replete with photos of athletes wearing its gorgeous award jackets, including numerous Canadian Olympic teams, which the brand sponsored for years. But they also found favour with a more unlikely but equally as influential group.
“We started putting them on entertainers and artists,” says Budman, naming Janet Jackson, Elton John, Drake, The Weeknd and Spike Lee. “I think it resonates with them because it becomes an extension of their art. These jackets allow you to tell stories, which is ultimately what they do through their craft. There’s a famous photo of David Bowie in one that we created for him that promoted reading and literacy. He loved it because it conveyed a message that was close to his heart.”
Louis has used the medium to convey plenty of powerful messages. “Coats have always been statement pieces for me but the varsity is special because it’s a statement piece that also allows you to make a statement,” he says. “That is a big part of what we do: reclaiming the narrative and telling our stories through fashion.”
He’s adorned his jackets with Cree syllabics and motifs from pow wow regalia to not only create an esthetic but start a conversation. “A lot of us don’t even speak our language fluently, but we’re trying to learn,” he says. “To be able to use a coat to convey a message in your language is really powerful. It shows pride in our culture, and hopefully evokes that pride in others, especially the ones who are wearing it. If they are, you know they ride with you, which is really what the varsity jacket was always about.”
H&M jacket, $124, hm.com.
Reigning Champ jacket, $600, reigningchamp.com.
Section 35 jacket, $190 (on sale for $143), sectionthirtyfive.com.
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