How Do Letter Jackets Work? Patches, Chenille, and Fit

Earned a varsity letter this year? Here is how the jacket, the patches, and the fitting work.

What is a letter jacket?

A letter jacket, also called a letterman jacket or varsity jacket, is a school jacket that shows off a student's earned athletic or activity awards. The centerpiece is the chenille varsity letter, usually the school's initial, worn on the chest. Around it a student adds sport patches, pins, and bars that mark each year and each activity. The jacket started as a college tradition and traces back to the 1865 Harvard baseball team, which received the first athletic letters in American sports.

How do you earn a varsity letter?

You earn a varsity letter by meeting your school's published standard for a sport or activity. Each school and coach sets the bar, so it varies. Common measures are appearing in a set number of games, reaching a minimum amount of playing time, or getting a coach's recommendation. Many activities beyond sports letter too, including band, debate, and academic teams. In Wisconsin, high school sports run under the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA), while the letter criteria themselves come from the individual school's athletic department.

What is a chenille letter?

A chenille letter is the raised, fuzzy patch that spells out the school initial on the jacket. Chenille is a soft yarn that creates a three-dimensional texture, which is why the letters have that plush feel. Most schools give the first-time letter winner the chenille letter as the award, and the student then has it sewn onto a jacket. Pins, bars, and chevrons added around it record extra years and extra sports.

What are letter jackets made of?

The traditional letter jacket has a melton wool body with contrasting sleeves, either genuine leather or a knit sleeve, plus a ribbed knit collar, cuffs, and waistband and a snap front. Wool holds the shape and the school color, and the sleeves add contrast and durability. Schools set their own official colors and jacket style, which is why a placement guide matters when you customize one.

How do you order and customize a letter jacket?

At Burghardt Sporting Goods the letter jacket process is an in-store, walk-in service handled at the custom counter. The five steps are straightforward.

• Bring your patches: bring the chenille letter and any sport patches, pins, or bars you already have.
• Place the order: work with a retail employee to start the order.
• Get fitted: a staff member fits the jacket to the student in person.
• Pick the jacket: choose your school's stock jacket or a custom jacket.
• Map the placement: decide where each patch goes. Burghardt keeps school placement guides on hand.

If you have a design idea or need artwork help before you come in, the Burghardt team can point you to design templates and artwork guidance.

How much does letter jacket customization cost?

The jacket itself is priced by style and by whether you take the stock school jacket or a custom build, so ask for a quote at the counter. The decoration work has set in-house pricing at Burghardt. The table lists the common add-ons.

How long does a letter jacket take?

Plan on about 2 to 8 weeks from order to pickup at Burghardt. The range depends on the jacket style, the amount of decoration, and the time of year, since fall and awards-banquet season are busier. If the jacket is meant for a specific senior night, banquet, or holiday, start early so the timeline has room.

Where can you get a letter jacket customized near Milwaukee?

You can order and customize a letter jacket at Burghardt Sporting Goods, 15333 W National Avenue in New Berlin, about 15 miles west of downtown Milwaukee. The in-house team handles the fitting, the patch sewing, and the embroidery on site. You can also add to an existing jacket later, so a student can bring it back each season to sew on new patches, pins, and bars.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to earn a letter before I can get a jacket?

No. Anyone can buy and wear a jacket. The varsity letter is the award piece, given by the school when a student meets its standard. If your student has not lettered yet, you can still order a blank jacket now and sew the chenille letter on once it is earned.

Where do the patches come from?

The school's athletic or activities department gives out the chenille letter and, in many programs, the sport pins and bars. You bring those to Burghardt, and the in-house team sews them onto the jacket in the placement your school uses.

Can I add patches to a jacket I already own?

Yes. Bring the jacket and the new patches to the custom counter. Sewing runs $8 per patch or numeral, so a student can build the jacket up across multiple seasons and sports.

How do I know where each patch is supposed to go?

Many schools have a standard layout for the letter, sport patches, and year bars. Burghardt keeps school placement guides at the counter, so staff can map it out with you before anything is sewn on.

Can adults or alumni order a letter jacket?

Yes. Letter jackets are made in adult sizes, and alumni often rebuild or replace an old jacket. Bring whatever original patches you have, or ask about options for a name and school backpatch if the originals are gone.

Varsity-letter requirements are set by each school's athletic or activities department and vary by program. In Wisconsin, high school sports are governed by the WIAA. Confirm your school's specific lettering standards and jacket style before ordering. Service pricing is current as of publication and subject to change.