The Vintage Inn

This past weekend I was at a CFL game (Canadian Football league) for the Toronto Argonauts and it just happened to have been their 150th anniversary (1873 they were formed). Amazing timing!

150 years is a long time to have been around and the vintage photos & videos they showed during the game, was a thrill for this vintage loving gal! Especially the letterman sweaters and varsity jackets that made appearances in the early days.

1906 photo of the Toronto Argonauts in their letterman sweaters.

(1906 Toronto Argonauts – Canadian Encylopedia)

After the game was over, I was so inspired by what I saw that I thought it would be fun to take a look at vintage photos of people IN these “badge of honour” jackets & letterman sweaters and share them all with you.

So let’s take a look at what I found!

1940s vintage photo of a young woman in 1946 tieing a scarf around a young man wearing a varsity jacket. 1940s Fashion inspiration.

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay, are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Note: If the item you clicked on is no longer available, just do a search for like items. There are loads of vintage items being added to Etsy and eBay daily!

1960s Vintage Letterman Jacket Patch LETTER K

Source: eBay

Brief History of the Letterman Sweater & Varsity Jacket

The word varsity is a shortening of the word “university.”

Varsity jackets, in general, are traced back to letter sweaters (“Letterman Sweaters”) worn by athletes from the Harvard University Baseball Team back in 1865.

Having the letter “H” stitched into the center of your sweater was a mark of honor. Back then, it was incredibly prestigious, and you were seen to be in the elite few!

Some of the best schools will only reward students with patches if they are outstanding in other academic classes, and the badges display a well-rounded player.

The letterman sweater trend eventually trickled into high schools with the earliest known example appearing on an Arizona student in the 1911 Phoenix Union High School yearbook sporting high school letterman jackets.

Varsity jackets didn’t come about until the 1930s; the sleeves were leather, while the trunk of the jacket was wool-bodied. This resulted from athletes complaining about being cold in their letter sweaters (Source).

1930s Photo from 1936 of a young man wearing a Millsaps Majors Letterman Jacket (Varsity jacket) - Jackson Mississippi posing with his stylish girlfriend / wife in a plaid 1930s dress and long coat.

1936 photo: Millsaps Majors Varsity Jacket – Jackson Mississippi (source: eBay)

Vintage Photos of Men & Women in Letterman Sweaters & Varsity Jackets

Note: A few of the photos below I have shared in previous posts, but they were so good I needed to add them to this post.

A young man in his letterman sweater is popular with our stylish 1920s ladies at the University of Chicago (what stunning 1920s fashions..the hats are fantastic!).

Further Reading: Vintage Photos of Student Life 1920s-1950s

1920's vintage college image of 2 women and man vintage style university of chicago — Source: University of Chicago Archives

1939 yearbook photo of ‘The Varsity Club’ at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

“The members of this club have given us many thrills on the several athletic club”.

Further Reading: Vintage School Clubs Part 1 & Part 2.

1930s vintage yearbook photo of the 'The Varsity Club' at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. A. & T. is an all Black University.

Source: digitalnc.org

Two handsome college men posing together with their matching “T” letterman sweaters under lovely long winter coats. Late 1930s/ early 1940s photo.

Two handsome college men posing together with their matching letterman sweaters on. Late 1930s/ early 1940s photo. Super vintage men fashion inspiration.

Source: eBay

1940s photo. Western Connecticut State University students share a chat beside a bicycle. The young man is proudly sporting his letterman sweater.

Source: Western CT State University Archives

1940s Photo: Date night! Curly wears his letterman sweater with an “M” patch and bowtie to impress Ann in front of a 1940s four door sedan.

Further Reading: Vintage photos of date night in the 1940s & 1950s

1940s Photo: Curly wears his letterman sweater with an M patch and bowtie to Impress Ann in front of a 1940s four door sedan

Twin brothers sporting their Fort Frances high school sweaters. 1940s vintage photo.

1940s vintage photo of twin young men wearing letterman sweaters from fort frances high school

Source: Etsy – maclancy

Early 1950s photo of 4 young women with absolutely stunning hairstyles and fantastic college fashions (including that letterman jacket) posing for a photo on the front lawn of what I’m going to assume is a sorority house.

Early 1950s photo of 4 young college women in early 1950s fashions, posing together on the front lawn of their sorority house. One woman is wearing a letterman jacket. They have fantastic early 1950s hairstyles.

Source: Etsy-DearMacyVintage

1950s photo of a man in a Baseball letterman jacket at a bar posing for a picture with a happy woman.

1950s vintage photo of a man in a varsity jacket letterman jacket with his arm around a 1950s woman

Source: Etsy-iloveyourmorephotos

1950s photo of a young Black woman, proudly wearing her Cheerleader varsity jacket for a school photo.

1950s vintage photo of a young Black woman in a cheerleader letterman jacket varsity jacket

Source: Etsy-JakeRoebucks

1950s Vintage Photo of Cheerleaders at Wayne State University.

Further Reading: Vintage Cheerleading Photos

Varsity jackets everywhere in this 1950s highschool sports team photo.

1950s vintage photo of a highschool sports team in their varsity jackets

Too cool for school! “A” patch on this jacket. 1950s photo.

1950s photo of a young man in a letterman jacket / Varsity Jacket.

Source: eBay

1950s vintage photo of two teenagers sitting on the back of a car. The young man is wearing a “F” Letterman Jacket. Photo is from 1954.

1950s vintage photo of two Teenagers sitting on the back of a car in 1950s fashions. The young man is wearing a Letterman Jacket. Photo is from 1954.

Fall Fashion 2023 Trend: The Varsity Jacket is a hit for this season. If you have one, break it out.

Don’t own one? No worries, I have started a vintage collection of “for sale” letterman / varsity jackets and sweaters on Etsy (updated monthly).

Question Time: Did you own a letterman sweater or varsity jacket? Share your thoughts on this topic in the comments section below. I love hearing from my readers!

1950s students sitting on the steps of their college / university in their Letterman sweaters and letterman jackets. — Source: Flickr-Josh Nativio

Thanks for dropping by!

Liz

Brief History of the Dirndl

The Dirndl is a feminine dress which originated in German-speaking areas of the Alps. It is traditionally worn by women and girls in Austria, Bavaria (south-eastern Germany), Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Alpine regions of Italy (South Tyrol). A dirndl consists of a close-fitting bodice featuring a low neckline, a blouse worn under the bodice, a wide high-waisted skirt and an apron.

The dirndl is regarded as a folk costume (German: Tracht). It developed as the clothing of Alpine peasants between the 16th and 18th centuries. Today it is generally considered the traditional dress for women and girls in German-speaking parts of the Alps, with particular designs associated with different regions. The usual masculine tracht counterpart of the dirndl is lederhosen.

In the late 19th century the dirndl was adapted by the upper and middle classes as a fashion mode, and subsequently spread as a mode outside its area of origin. There are many varieties of adaptations from the original folk designs (Source).

Bavarian musicians, ca 1902

Note: There was a dark period for the traditional dress during WW2 when it was adopted it as a symbol of pan-German identity in the countries under Nazi rule (Germany from 1933, Austria from 1938). The dirndl was used to promote the Nazi ideal of the German woman as hard-working and fertile (Source).

It would be several years after the end of the war before the dirndl would regain populartiy (but it eventually did!).

Further Reading: Rare Dirndl who I have purchased dirndl blouses from in the past and has a fantastic blog (and dresses) on this topic. Please take a moment to read, ‘Dirndl Color Meanings and History‘ to learn more about the history of this dress.