1979-1983 High School Letterman's Jacket -- Familiar as an Old Friend

I opened my closet door, reached in to select clothes for the next day at the office, and noticed my high school Letterman's jacket hanging in the back of the closet -- covered with a plastic bag as if preserved for some future unveiling. I graduated in 1983 from Juneau-Douglas High School in Alaska and was a four-year Letterman (track and cross country running). I don't believe a day went by in my senior year when I didn't wear that jacket.

As I removed it from the dark depths of the closet and freed it from its plastic shield, I couldn't help but to remember wearing it in the high school hallways, while driving my '69 VW Bug, and for warmth in between track races. I slipped the jacket on and it felt like an old friend -- a familiar part of my past that seemed to hold within its stitching numerous stories from my high school days. It had been 37 years since I wore the jacket, so I decided to take a photo.

The first letterman jackets surfaced in 1865 when Harvard University baseball players decided to sport team jerseys that had a letter 'H' sewn on the back. That's how American letterman jackets came into being, and it's only grown in stature since then. At the time the jerseys they wore looked more like a thick knitted sweater, but it eventually evolved into a jacket. Schools and colleges across America started copying the Harvard University style and it didn't take long for letterman jackets to become very popular. Today, a high school sports participant needs to prove his or her abilities on the track, field, court or pool (or reach a certain level of performance) before he or she is "lettered" or awarded with a letter patch of the school's initials.

When I was in high school in the early 1980's, letterman jackets had widespread popularity. The jackets began to cross over to mainstream popular culture. During my senior year of high school, Michael Jackson famously wore a red letterman jacket with gold leather sleeves in his music video for "Thriller." Numerous sources have reported that over the past 10 years letterman jackets have decreased in popularity. Sales are not what they once were. Perhaps students are put off by the cost, since the jackets start at around $200 and the price increases rapidly depending on what you want. Why so expensive? Manufacturers say it's because of the high quality leather, limited edition type, and made in school colors. They also note the need for a sharp fit, to convey a certain look, and to make you stand out. Apparently, all of that adds to the cost.

I got my Letterman's jacket about 40 years ago and it's a nice keepsake from my teenage years. No, I won't be wearing it around at the age of 55 -- unless I'm invited to an 80's retro party!

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),

Paul J. Staso

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Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek

Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:

• United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
• Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
• Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
• Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
• The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
• Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
• Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
• Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
• Some Cycling Moments From The Past