Varsity jackets are back — here are the best ones to buy right now

With a powerful storm headed to the East Coast this weekend and February about to begin, your hardcore winter gear should already be locked down. Now is the perfect time to start looking ahead to spring, not just to keep your head up in these dark and cold days, but to have your wardrobe set as soon as the temps begin to rise again.

Once the ‘tween weather hits, you can expect to see a rise in varsity jackets amongst the most stylish set. The collegiate staple has already begun having a moment in the fall, and we’re fully expecting the preppy look to continue rising this year. Tyler, the Creator was ahead of the curb by wearing his Golf Le Fleur x Lacoste varsity back in 2019 at the Fashion Awards and has since gone on to release several more stellar versions through his brand Golf Wang. Friend and fellow style icon A$AP Rocky also pulled an Avril Lavigne by repping a random New Jersey Catholic school earlier this year and made a good case to do some digging to find your own rando treasure.

If you don’t want to hit the thrift shops to take advantage of someone moving on from their high school glory years, there are plenty of brand-new varsity jackets on the market worth picking up. The silhouette is great for casual settings but still looks a tad more handsome than streetwear as another example of why prep is beginning to take hold again. To help get you sorted, we’ve gathered a few of our favorites that you’ll be able to toss on with nearly everything.

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This tonal varsity from English brand MKI checks multiple boxes with its mix of light browns and is a budget option that should by no means be considered cheap.

Van Jacket was a seminal brand for bringing American style to Japan in the ‘60s, and its varsity jackets were once one of the hottest items in the country. Getting one stateside will require a proxy service, but it’s worth the effort to show you know your history.

Louis Vuitton has been a huge force in the varsity resurgence through Virgil Abloh’s designs, but good luck finding one even if you can spend six racks on a jacket. Picking one up from Off-White instead is hardly a step down, and we love the skeleton patch reminiscent of Birdhouse’s graphics.

Comparing Human Made to BAPE today shows just how indispensable Nigo’s hand is, and the quality on this varsity is every bit as good as the neon-like graphics.

You can leave the blank slate from Korea’s Thisisneverthat as is or add your own patches for a personal touch. Either way, you can’t go wrong with this quintessential throwback.

Billionaire Boy’s Club is over the top more times than not, but this design out of Europe pares things down with a chenille astronaut as the only flair needed up front.

The shoulder blocking carries over quite a bit more than your standard varsity jacket, which only helps it stand out more with its bold color and killer skull embroidery.