One of the proudest days of a young athlete’s life is the day he or she first pulls on their high school varsity jacket. This wool and leather garment is often a symbol of years of effort in the athlete’s chosen sport and bestows a certain status on campus.
The effort and the status have not changed much over the last 20 years, but according to Valerie Amador, owner of Power Stitch in Alamo, the jackets have undergone a metamorphous since she first began sewing and stitching for local athletes in 1995.
“Jackets are much more creative and more reflective of the individual now,” said Amador, who primarily works with athletes from Monte Vista, San Ramon, Dougherty Valley, Las Lomas, and De La Salle high schools.
“When I began the whole process was far easier. I would just stitch on the athlete’s name and sport, sew on the letter and they would have it within a few days. Now, the varsity jacket has become the story of their high school athletic experience and takes weeks to construct. We add things like playoff appearances, all league recognition, and even academic accomplishments.
“It’s almost like a woman’s charm bracelet. Athletes, both boys and girls, customize their jackets. When I started it was very uniform. Now they customize the trim, the colors, the collars, almost everything. For example, until very recently the traditional Monte Vista jacket was a black wool body and black leather sleeves, that is still a popular choice, but seven of the last 10 Monte Vista jackets I’ve produced have red wool bodies with black or gray leather sleeves.”
For those of us who attended high school in the seventies or eighties the differences are striking. Schools used to have strict style guidelines, names were rarely added to the jacket, and the only patches were for league, regional or state championships. Cheerleaders did not get the same jackets as football players, and the idea of a varsity letterman’s jacket for band or academics would have been blasphemous.
Now, according to Amador, there are no guidelines. “De La Salle was the last to have strict standards and those went away several years ago. I’ve put bible verses on the back of jackets with praying hands, I’ve celebrated the virtues of football linemen with stitched phrases, and I’ve reworked school mascots to the specification of the athlete. Individualizing the jackets is a trend across all campuses, with the only real guidelines good taste and appropriate messaging.”
The trend towards customization even extends to parents. “About six years ago I was working with a mom and her son on a San Ramon jacket,” Amador remembered. “It turns out the dad had also been a varsity athlete at San Ramon but his family could not afford the jacket. The wife brought me his letter and patches and we were able to make up a custom jacket for the dad similar to his son’s that became a 40th birthday gift and a family treasure.”
Surprisingly, according to Amador, the one thing that has not changed much is the price. She says a jacket can be completed for $300-$400 out the door, depending on the level of customization. “That’s pretty consistent with the price when I started,” Amador said. “I have more flexibility now with upgrades and discounts, and I pass that on to the athletes and their families.”
Amador will also make special arrangements to meet with groups from any school in the region and will offer discounts on upgrades to everyone in the group. “I’ll even go to a player’s home for a school like Foothill or Livermore, where I don’t work much, and take care of several players on the team and offer a healthy price break.”
Fall is her busy season, especially after the local football banquets with large rosters and several first-time letter winners. “I work 80 hours a week in November because a lot of fall sports families make the jackets Christmas gifts.” If Amador gets too backed up she’ll loan the family a sample and place a card in the box to be redeemed after the holidays.
Once an athlete earns his or her varsity letter it’s much more than just getting it sewn on a standard jacket and transitioning to the new BMOC status. Like seemingly many things today, it is an involved process and a bold statement about the individual and his or her accomplishments.
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