DIY Varsity Jacket

One of the all-time favorite back-to-school looks is going to be hitting the hallways this fall.  And that is the varsity look.

I love this.  It means that the sheer and ratty 70's trend is finally starting to fade away with the cheap dyes that they came in the department stores with.

I mean-- did you notice that too?  I totally cannot see in paying $10 for a kid's t-shirt that is practically threadbare and looks like it was sitting in an old coffee can in my grandparents' toolshed!  Hopefully the varsity trend will welcome back quality-- something that I would gladly pay for-- for a cheap price!

With that being said, A has been noticing the trend too, and has been telling me how she would love to go back to school with a varsity jacket.

Mind you-- it's going to be 90 degrees today, so it's not like I've been sharing her enthusiasm!

I looked online, and it seems that varsity jackets either cost upwards of $100 or they only come in toddler sizes.  I don't know.  Maybe they'll start showing up when stores start bringing in their fall/winter stock.

However, I did manage to find a cheap fix to suffice my always not-so-hard-to-please daughter.  (I totally lucked out with her!)

I came across this varsity style fleece sweatshirt jacket from Old Navy.  It comes in a vintage maroon or black.  And of course, all of the black ones were sold out in the stores within a 50-mile radius, so I ordered one online.

And at first, it kind of looks plain, but when you go to a craft store (and make sure you go to your favorite store's website to print off a coupon), you can pick up one of these iron-on varsity-style letters:

(The pic's kinda crummy, but it's a raised letter with satin puff stitching on a white felt background.)

They're really cheap.  I picked this one up for just $1.99, and when I printed off my coupon, it ended up being just 99 cents.

And so, this is what I did to bring the jacket up a couple notches:

First, you place the jacket on the ironing board and position the letter on an area of the jacket.  (Make sure you keep it straight, so that it doesn't end up being crooked after you iron it on.)

And then, you find a piece of cotton fabric (which is this chevron piece) to cover and protect the letter while you are ironing it on.  Don't use anything else than cotton, because it might run the risk of melting itself onto what you are ironing.)  After ironing the top side, flip the jacket over and place the cotton fabric over the inside and iron as well.  **WARNING  Sometimes metal snaps have a plastic disc that is inserted between the snap and the fabric (to prevent puckering, etc. and to give it a nice, tailored look.  I figured this out while I was going over it with my iron from the inside, thus melting the plastic disc a little bit.  Although no significant damage can be seen-- just be careful not to iron over the snaps like I did!)

And when you make a 99 cent purchase like this, you  might notice that the decal doesn't fasten onto the fabric a full 100%.  Don't worry-- it's a decal.  They're supposed to make you mad!  If they didn't, then it would mean they were professionally fastened by the manufacturer in the first place!  But since it's done at home, you can always go back over it with a sewing machine to make it look nice and prevent it from peeling off.  (Be sure to ask if any additional supplies are needed-- depending on the fabric you're using.  It slips my mind at the moment, but you know how shirts with embroidered decals will have that scratchy bonding paper on the inside of the fabric behind the decal?  (Interfacing?)  It's the stuff that's used to make sure the fabric doesn't get warped and puckered during the sewing process.)

Anyways...

So when you are done, it will end up looking like this:

It's not a really big deal.  Just a cheap fix to update the look a little more.  A laundering tip~  don't throw the jacket/sweatshirt into the dryer after washing, because if you do, you will end up with pilling around the felt, where it will end up looking dingy and eventually fall apart.  My kiddo is really pleased about it, and it's something lightweight that will work when she goes back to school this fall.

Hope this inspires you!