Vintage Leather Letterman Jacket, Est 1987

Vintage Leather Letterman Jacket, Est. 1987

Most of our jackets leave the storytelling to you. This one arrives with its yearbook already filled in. The black top grain cowhide body carries a chenille “J” over the chest — real looped-pile chenille on a felt base, stitched down the way award companies have made varsity letters since the letter meant something — with “EST. 1987” embroidered opposite like a graduation date. Crisp white cowhide sleeves take over at striped shoulder inserts, and round crest patches mark each arm.

Turn it around and the back panel becomes a map: the continental United States embroidered in fine white outline, all fifty borders traced, one state picked out in red like a pin in a road atlas. The letter on a letterman jacket traditionally marks a varsity athlete's school initial — here the “J” wears that tradition as a design signature instead, so nobody has to earn it but everybody reads it. Silver snaps, white-piped welt pockets, and black-and-white striped ribbing finish a jacket that already looks inherited, in the best way.

Specifications

Fit & Sizing

Old-school letterman blocking — confident shoulders squared by the striped inserts, honest room through the body, ribbed knit gathering everything at the hip.

Model reference: Shown on a 6'1" (185 cm), 170 lb (77 kg) model in size Medium.

Go with your everyday jacket size to match the photos; add one if you run layers under leather. Line the size chart up against a jacket you trust before ordering — finished measurements never lie, and this isn't a piece you want to send back and forth.

Why This Jacket

• Real chenille lettering — the “J” is looped-pile chenille stitched to a felt base, the same construction as authentic award letters, not a printed imitation
• Embroidered map back — a full USA outline turns the traditional blank panel into ready-made Americana that reads across a room
• Two-tone cowhide build — black body, white sleeves, all genuine top grain hide that breaks in instead of wearing out
• Striped shoulder inserts — twin bands bridging body and sleeve, a vintage detail most reproductions skip
• The story comes standard — patch, date, and crests give it instant history; no waiting years for it to feel like yours

Care Instructions

This one carries embroidery, so treat it gently: leather-specialist cleaning only, and keep conditioner on the hide, off the chenille and stitched artwork. Blot spills before they set, let damp leather dry away from heat, and rest it on a broad hanger with space around it — crushed pile on a chenille patch never fully stands back up.