12 Too-Cool-for-School Varsity Jackets to Wear This Fall

You ever notice how the antagonist in any given big-picture, high-school bildungsroman tends to wear one thing and one thing only? (Three guesses what it is.) Fun fact: The varsity jacket isn't just for jocks anymore, and you definitely don't have to be a broad-shouldered, floppy-haired paragon of toxic masculinity about to get his comeuppance to rock one. Bonus points, in fact, if you're not.

That character might read more than a bit passé at this point, but the jacket itself has aged beautifully. A properly fitting version should be cropped and sit a touch higher on the body than you're used to, but not so slim that you can't comfortably fit a heavy layer—or a few!—underneath it.

More recently, the style's evolved beyond the tried-and-true bomber silhouette, though the iconic wool body/leather sleeves variation remains the most enduring expression of the form. Capital-D designers like Raf Simons have long since made the distinctive chenille letter patches associated with the look a mainstay of their collections, and throwing one on, in any form, over your favorite fall fit is the easiest way to signal your allegiance to a team you never played for (or, hell, one that doesn't even exist).

So to help you finally live out your high school fantasies in style, we combed through the best of the varsity-inspired silhouettes available right now so you, too, can look like the type of dude who would've shoved you in a locker when he passed you in the hall the day of the big game. What can I say, man? Making dreams come true is just another part of the job here.