Varsity Jackets / Blouson Teddy

I touched on this once before in an older post. It's a bit off-topic, but, I like to bring these jackets up from time to time. I'm talking about letter (or varsity) style jackets. I read once on a style forum that (to paraphrase) there are certain jackets every man should own: A leather A-2, a navy peacoat, and a varsity jacket. I couldn't agree more!

For my international readers, they have an iconic look about them, a "jock" style that hits something sexual with a lot of guys. While their appeal tends to be American-centric, I have seen them pop up in Europe, for example France where the the style is referred to as "blouson Teddy." I imagine this is in reference to the "Teddy boy" subculture of the U.K., though I can't be sure. (For some good European sources, visit Cuir-city.com, and La Canadienne)

I've also seen hockey players and university students in Canada wearing them, where they're often called "awards jackets." The Canadian leather company Roots always seems to have a version or two out.

Anyway, I can't get enough of them; I own a few myself, though I think adult men should avoid patches, numbers etc. - leave those things for your high school memories. My favorite is a plain yet classic black jacket with both black wool and black leather sleeves (similar to the picture below, yet without the patches on the arms). I have been thinking of getting a new one. How about my readers?