From as early as the 50s, varsity jackets became a quintessential style of the all-American high school student. Throughout the years of film and television, the varsity jacket went hand in hand with main characters and the prototypical “jock” amongst a colorful cast of characters. Despite the athlete archetype, many characters that adopt the style cover a wide range of personalities. Richie Cunningham of the popular 70s sitcom Happy Days embodied the picture-perfect American teenager of the 50s. On the other hand, even the most run-of-the-mill characters like Scott Howard of Teen Wolf carved out an identity for himself by donning the letterman jacket. While not limited to just the athletes, there are more contemporary characters to break that mold.

In most media, men would usually be the ones wearing the varsity jacket, in some recent examples, women are at the forefront. Similar to the aforementioned Richie Cunningham, Riverdale’s Betty Cooper is a more contemporary take on the “girl next door”. A straight-A student and overachiever, she strays away from her wholesome image with tenacity and courage when confronted with her problems. The naïve Cady Heron in the cult classic Mean Girls is depicted as a bit of a social outcast who proudly represents the “Mathletes” with her letterman. The “varsity image” encompasses much more than simply being a jock.

There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to characters that wear the iconic varsity jacket. Due to its inception as an accolade for athletes, the letterman has always been tied to athletics. Now more than ever it has evolved to include a wider range of character types while also becoming more of a fashion statement. Make a statement in your own right with a made-to-order varsity jacket of your own! Design your own varsity jacket here.