Varsity jackets, also known as letterman jackets, have a long history in America, dating back over 100 years. What started as a wool sweater for Harvard’s most distinguished baseball players in 1865 became leather jackets for all top athletes in the early 1900s. Now, athletes, band members, scholars, and more wear varsity jackets!
Varsity and bomber style jackets signify achievements and group membership. They also make a bold fashion statement. With a multitude of customization options, you can create a varsity jacket that’s unique and stylish.
A good varsity jacket should be made of durable materials that will last for years. However, that doesn’t have to come with a huge pricetag. So where do you find the best bomber jackets at the most reasonable cost?
Read on to find out everything you need to know about buying and designing the perfect varsity jacket for you!
Buying Wholesale Varsity Jackets or Single?
In order to pick the right company for your varsity jacket order, you’ll need to think about what you want.
Are you looking to design and order a single jacket or do you want to place a bulk order? Some websites will only offer reasonable prices on bulk orders, making it very difficult to order one or two jackets.
If you only want one or a few jackets, find a company that caters to small orders. If you’re looking to place a bulk order, find a company that offers a substantial discount on bulk orders. At Stagwears, we do both because we’re passionate about making every order perfect, no matter how big or small!
In addition to cost, you should consider the level of customization you’re hoping to find. That may come down to the color combination you want or even the style of jackets available. If you want to design something less traditional, like a satin varsity jacket or a varsity jacket with a hood, make sure the company you’re ordering from has those options.
Finally, decide how you want the logos and words to appear on your varsity jacket.
Some companies, including ours, have branched out beyond the classic felt patch. We offer digital embroidery, adding a new level of customization, and sublimation printing. The more you want to play around with your design, the more important a companies options for embroidery and logos are.
Overall, the key is to find a whole sale varsity / bomber jacket supplier that offers good prices but doesn’t sacrifice quality in the process. At Stag Wears Inc, we try to maximize every order for your satisfaction. To improve your experience, we offer free shipping and 15-day delivery and emphasize our customer service.
Designing Your Varsity Jackets
Once you’ve found the right company, it’s time to get working on your design! Whether you’re going for a classic Ralph Lauren look, an edgy Saint Laurent look, or something completely your own, we can make it happen.
If you have any questions about sizing, please visit our handy sizing chart! For the most accurate fit, you will need to measure the chest, waist, sleeve length, and back length of whoever is going to wear the jacket.
The Cut and Material
To begin, you will need to decide on the cut of your jacket.
There are two standard cuts of varsity jacket sleeves. The first is the “set-in” sleeve and the fabric begins at the far end of the shoulder. The second is the “raglan” sleeve begins where the shoulder meets the collarbone.
Set-in sleeves create a broader look in the shoulder area and are often used for men’s varsity jackets. Raglan sleeves are more slimming in the upper-body area and are often used for women’s varsity jackets.
Next, you will need to decide between buttons, a zipper, or a combination of both. Buttons create a vintage look while zippers create a modern look. When you design a jacket that has both, you will get a zipper hidden beneath a flap of fabric that can button shut on the bottom half of the jacket.
When choosing your material, you should think about the weather in your area. Certain fabrics are better suited to cold weather. For example, polyester satin and wool do a better job of holding in heat, while cotton tends to absorb moisture and trap in the cold.
Cotton fleece is standard for sleeve material, but leather sleeves are available on some of our jackets. The body can be made of smooth leather, sleek satin, thick melton wool, and more. No matter the materials you choose, the sleeves and body will always be hemmed with a ribbed knit base.
Color Combinations
If you’re designing your varsity jacket for a student, it’s common to stick to the school’s official colors. However, if you’re making bomber jackets for a new business and you’re still in the process of branding, think hard before you pick your colors.
Research has shown that color combinations matter when businesses are trying to reach new customers. Psychologically, different colors convey different messages, so you’ll want to do your research before you start branding your business.
Most varsity jackets will use a combination of two to three colors. We’ll walk you through the classic design, but keep in mind that you can design your jacket however you wish!
The body of the jacket tends to have the boldest color. That same color will be used for the knit base, which you’ll find in the sleeves, collar, and lower seam.
The lighter color (perhaps white or yellow) is then used for the sleeves, pockets, and knit lines. Knit lines run through the knit base, creating a cool contrast.
If you have a third color, you can use that for your sleeves, your knit base, or anywhere else you want an extra pop of color!
Names and Letters
Typically, varsity jackets feature a balance of logos, words, and letters. We’re going to talk about some of the places you can put words and letters and what styles are available.
Oftentimes, team, corporate, or school names will go on the upper back or on the right or left side of the chest. For the sake of design and space, you will usually need to limit full words to 12 letters or less. For classic varsity jackets designed for athletes or scholars, you will usually use the “baseball” or “varsity” font, although that’s up to you!
Whether or not you choose to put a word on the right or left chest, a logo of the school or company’s letters will often go on the opposite side of the chest. This indicates that you are part of a group or team, and will often be used when other people have similar varsity jackets.
On the right or left shoulders, you will often see numbers that further explain your position or role in a group. For example, you might put your jersey number on one shoulder, or the year of your graduation date.
Finally, names or nicknames tend to go across the upper or lower back. If you’re using a large graphic in the center, you might put the name across the bottom. Otherwise, it will typically go across the top.
Images and Patches
Most often, you will see embroidered patches on varsity jackets. This is where you can play around with your logo, mascot, or varsity letters.
We use a new process called digital embroidery that allows us to take your image and make an exact replica of it on a patch. That means that you don’t have to worry about how detailed or colorful your image is! That also means that we can turn just about any image into an embroidered patch, and you won’t have to select from a set of pre-made designs.
You can also get letters and numbers made into felt patches. Rather than having the sheen, stitched look, they will be more solid and have a slightly more raised look.
Finally, we offer sublimation printing, which many people use on satin bomber jackets. Rather than having patches that are separate, sewn-on components, the wording, numbers, and images will be printed directly onto the jacket. Think of a graphic t-shirt or a dye-print fabric, and you’ve got the basic idea of sublimation printing.
Images and patches can go just about anywhere that wording and letters can go, except for the upper and lower back.
If you want a large image or a artwork somewhere on the jacket, you will need to order it to go on the middle back. The middle back provides the most surface area. Smaller images and patches look great on the chest or sleeves.
Show Off Your Style and Spirit
Why give generic gifts like gift cards when you can give much more unique and thoughtful gifts? Varsity jackets are a stylish way to show your spirit for school, work, or any other group you’re associated with. Because they’re so customizable, they’re a great way to have fun with your fashion sense, too!
Whether you’re ordering a single jacket or a bulk order, we’d love to work with you. We do our best to make your vision come to life and deliver a quality jacket that will last for years to come.
If you’re ready to design your varsity jackets or just want a payment-free opportunity to play around with different looks, visit our design lab! Choose from our many styles and check out all the ways you can customize your jacket to get the perfect look.