Varsity and team jackets with the occasional tee. Starter's best known for licensed gridiron and basketball outerwear, and jackets are the bulk of what reaches us: satin and wool varsity styles in club colours.
A Starter jacket is an outerwear buy, so condition matters more than it does on a tee. Ribbed cuffs and collars lose their stretch, snap fastenings wear loose before zips do, and satin linings can be marked while the outside still looks great. We check all of it and photograph anything worth knowing. Sizing's generous, since these were made to go over a jumper.
For outerwear from every brand, see vintage jackets, and for team graphics on cotton have a look at vintage t-shirts. For more sportswear from the same period, browse vintage Nike.
Common questions
How should a Starter varsity jacket fit?
Loose. They were cut to go over a jumper, so the labelled size sits roomier than a modern jacket would. If you want it closer to the body, size down and check the chest measurement we've listed.
What wears out first on one of these?
The ribbed cuffs and collar, then the snap fastenings. We check all three before a jacket's listed, and any slackened rib or loose snap gets described and photographed.
Can a satin varsity jacket be washed?
Not in a machine, no. Satin and wool varsity jackets want spot cleaning or a trip to the dry cleaner, because a hot wash will mark the shell and shrink the ribbing for good.
