<p>do we know it was his? that jackets would be at least 5 years old- my D would love to find an old jacket like that at a thrift store and wear it…maybe this was his “style”…or maybe its all he has…or maybe he really likes it…most don’t wear it, but no harm no foul</p>
<p>3 sports x 4 yrs = half of D’s clothing have numbers/HS logos on them (and that doesn’t even include Powderpuff). They are comfortable and she wears them all the time.</p>
<p>Total faux pas in college. We used to make fun of other fraternities based on how many of their pledges were still wearing letter jackets…</p>
<p>College alumni is an entirely different beast. Much more defining, much more visible. If you go out of state to college who is going to know/care that you went to East Bumsville High? If you go to a major Division I university, current sports events keeps your school visible and relevant for many people - even on the opposite side of the country.</p>
<p>I recently saw my 1978 (!) county lacrosse championship jacket hanging in a closet at my mother’s house. Have no idea why it’s still there – everything else was tossed long ago. Never worn – I always thought it would seem pretentious, though lots of the other girls wore theirs. </p>
<p>Some of those boys’ varsity jackets are really nice warm wool, though. I’d let it slide. Watching Project Runway makes me feel like I have some fashion credibility. Ha!</p>
<p>And like somemom, I have my late father’s old Wesleyan sweater from 1940-something. No moth holes, no pills, felt letters still perfect. Don’t know what to do with it but can’t bear to get rid of it either.</p>
<p>I recognize how expensive these jackets can be - we’ve bought two of them in this house in the last four years. They are now hanging in closets as neither college child would ever consider taking them to campus. D also has her dad’s in her closet; she used to wear it to school for kicks.</p>
<p>They are nice wool jackets. If the jacket IS going to college, at least take all the stuff off; the varsity letter, the names, the patches - don’t let it be a walking billboard for the old high school. Make it look as much like a regular jacket as possible.</p>
<p>And I’ve come to truly appreciate the North Face Denali. One of the most well used pieces of clothing my college age children own. And if a person shops around and pays attention, they can be found on sale. </p>
<p>I still think it’s “gauche” to wear the high school letter jacket to college.</p>
<p>You may not necessarily know the finances of everyone, though.</p>
<p>I dated the same young man through high school and the first part of college. We both went away to the same college in a colder part of the country compared to where we were from. His parents, for a variety of reasons, were simply too cheap to buy him appropriate gear for the winter climate, and he wound up wearing his hs letter jacket simply because he needed a coat. I know he was embarrassed by it. The same thing happened when it came to formal clothing for events – he just had to make do with what he had, as his parents never bought him a proper suit to have on hand. Just be careful when judging …</p>
<p>You’re quite right, Pizzagirl. At the state U I attended, I was considered one of the “spoiled” ones because I didn’t work during the school year. There were plenty of kids who waitressed or tended bar 4 pm-midnight to be able to stay in school. A very common look on campus (in a very cold climate) was a hoodie under a light jacket (wth the hood out). Thinking back, I know it was because a lot of the kids didn’t have a proper winter coat, but it became quite fashionable. I’m pretty sure that among the lower middle class kids at my school, wearing a HS jacket would be no big deal-it was a warm jacket!</p>
<p>And once again I am reminded why I rarely post. A question was posted with a range of opinions given in reply. Honestly, no “judgment” was being passed. A bit flippant on my part with the North Face comment, but no harm intended. My experience is that NF is pretty standard attire at a lot of colleges. I recognize that they can be pricey and not everyone cares to or can even afford to buy one. That really isn’t the point.</p>
<p>Good grief. Wear the letter jacket - whatever. But considering the cost of those letter jackets - I’d question the purchase of such a jacket in the first place if finances are an issue.</p>
<p>I got mine sophomore year and wore it a lot throughout HS. I wouldn’t consider taking it with me to college though. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone on campus wear one either.</p>
<p>Never got a class ring, but I have seen those around. And I wear HS t-shirts to work out in or if I’m late to class, and that’s what everyone generally does around here. No one seems to want to be that associated with their school, and this comes despite a general lack of school spirit here.</p>
<p>vulture - no worries, most of us got your meaning. NF is actually a very good investment. Since my husband went to college in Colorado, parkas (what we called them back then…lol) and hiking boots were a necessity. You quickly learn if you buy quality gear, you can get years, even decades, out of them. </p>
<p>hmmmm…in faaaaact, I think his old 70’s era red, white and blue color-block parka is still up there in the closet next to the Heidelberg jacket.</p>
<p>My family dislikes wearing clothing with any logos. My S who earned letters in HS and Penn does not own any school related clothing that he had to purchase. So, no letter jackets and of course, no rings.</p>
<p>I would vote for no HS letter jackets at college.</p>
<p>MomOFour, fortunately for some reason ours weren’t that much. I think about $75 for the basic version… .lots more for the huge patches but if you did’t want them you could still get a jacket pretty cheap. I wonder about the suppliers and if some schools/states get a better deal.
Maybe we should start a new thread: What did your kid’s letter jacket cost? What kids got them, what patches did they have to buy?
My first 2 were handed them free (!) at the first band practice Junior year. The district paid for all until about 8 years ago. ONe good thing; everyone was happy with the basic jacket - no real leather sleeves or hoods or fancy stuff. Whatever the sweetheart deal was then, it was over by the time the third one was in high school.</p>
<p>My husband still wears his high school class ring. I never thought anything negative about it. It’s a nice ring. Both boys expect to always wear theirs as well, I guess based on H’s attitude. I particularly like the younger one’s ring with his football number on it. No letter jackets in the house, though if they had one would probably wear it until it disintegrated as that seems to be the mode for most clothes. H still has clothes from high school he likes, although we have finally broken him of wearing his short shorts.</p>
<p>Many years ago the true sin was to wear your jacket after you graduated with the letter still on it. I took my letter off and it is still in the drawer with the pins on it identifying the sport. </p>
<p>Our jackets had no other identifyers, so it became a wool-shell, leather sleeve jacket…no name on the back and no other stickers. Plus ours were all black with gold trim–not so obtrusive. </p>
<p>What I cannot recall is how often I wore it. May have only been infrequently. </p>
<p>More recently, I’ve seen other ancient grads who still live in their town return to big hs football games like homecoming wearing their jackets, letters and all. If you become old enough and can still get into it, it is not a faux pas on such special occasions.</p>
<p>I think ever since girls started wearing them after title IX in the 70’s, they became demasculated, thus becoming “not cool” (by some people) (not me). Much like being in the military has lost some of its bravado. However, if you look good in it, who cares.
What you must remember (this will sound cliche) is that cynical people have low self esteem (criticising what they like or feel threatened by), you can’t worry about what the F%$* they think. Being a man is not worrying about what women think about you wearing a F$#@<em>&^ coat. Moreover if a girl was talking smack about the guy wearing the letter coat, they most likely liked it.
He got the females attention, and most likely, deep down they wanted to do alot more than talk about him. During HS and college at times I found myself having $#</em> in mine, occasionally I still do (yes it was good, try it). I have had girls talk smack at first but it turned my G-Freind in College on. Besides do you really want to cater to somone who doesn’t like what you like wearing anyway? Hell no. F<em>&^ em.
Bottom line; it’s not a big deal, wear it or don’t wear it. I choose to wear mine. (note for you HS guys, Girls do like them even if they talk smack) I can still hear Mallory my x- girl freind’s freind back in HS when we picked my wrestling team mate up, she says as he gets in the car “Nice T Jacket” (she was being sarcastic, on the first date) 4 hrs later her and him %&^%$</em>. Ahh, getting old rules.</p>
<p>I didn’t know they still had “letter jackets.” My boys got the felt letters and the pins and all that stuff but I didn’t even know you could get the coats. I do remember they were worm even with the leather sleeves. My H found one form his high school in his hometown Goodwill and it had “his” year still on it. He laughed and wondered “whose” it was since his high school was small. They were expensive in the 70s I can’t imagine what they cost now. Maybe they don’t have “real leather” anymore.</p>
<p>The fall and winter sports teams all have coats as part of the uniform. The coats, duffles, and gear all gets turned in at the end of the season so perhaps that’s why the jackets just aren’t as popular anymore.</p>
<p>I started wearing my letter jacket again recently on jeans day at work. As I leave in the morning one day, one of my older sisters freinds (who I end up close with) observes the patch on the sleve of my Varsity HS jacket reading 02. She says, “2002 that is kind of a long time ago”. So I google the issue and found this site, I registar and reply to “Is it utterly gauche to wear your high school letter jacket at college?” You all can fire away at me. Read my reply to “Is it utterly gauche to wear your high school letter jacket at college?”</p>
<p>It’s probably “utterly gauche” to even own a high school letter jacket.</p>
<p>This- but who cares?
My younger daughter wears tees & sweatshirts, from her elementary, middle &high schools & college. ( in fact she even wears sweatshirts from her sisters schools)
At her high school however- you dont see anyone wearing letter jackets- people know who are on the sports teams & the music departments are more acclaimed in general.-( neither one of my kids has asked for a high school/college ring- I dont think it is that common in our area)</p>
<p>Yea, when I was in HS I bought mine in the September of my Junior year it was $175, This was back in 2000. Yea, they weren’t super popular back then or in my school either, but me and my freinds wore them. At first, I didn’t know what to do with my letters until my team mate who got his jacket from his parents freshaman year 1998, one month before school even stated told me. The Letter Goes on the right chest, the number patch (the year you are expected to graduate from HS) goes on the upper left sleeve and the pins go on the letter. Note that some schools have patches instead of pins, they go on the left sleeve as well I beleive, below the year. Furthermore, the pins (or in some schools patches) just indicate what sport you played. One last thing some schools give something they call varsity stripes (I think) which indicate how many years they were of varsity status, they go on the left sleeve below the year they look something like this >, except rotate it counter clock wise. However, if your son’s school has patches for sports he participates in instead of pins; think the > go on the right sleeve since the patches indicating sport’s played would populate the left sleeve below the year. Anyway, good luck; and if you haven’t got your son a letter jacket you need to get on it, don’t be like my parents, and wait until junior year.</p>