Denim Baseball Jacket vs Varsity Jacket: What Is the Difference?

Both jackets come from American sport. Both ended up in streetwear. But they are not the same garment, and the difference matters if you are deciding which one to buy.

The varsity jacket

A varsity - or letterman - jacket has a wool body, leather sleeves, ribbed collar, cuffs and hem, and usually a chenille letter on the chest. It is structured, warm, and unmistakably American college.

The baseball jacket

A baseball jacket takes its shape from the button-front baseball jersey rather than the college coat. Full button placket, no ribbing at the collar, straight or curved hem, and a looser cut through the body. Made in denim rather than wool, it becomes a three-season layer instead of a winter coat.

Which one should you buy?

Buy a varsity if you want warmth and a strong retro silhouette. Buy a denim baseball jacket if you want a layer that works from spring to late autumn, sits over a hoodie, and dresses up or down.

Where Contre Verci sits

Our denim baseball jackets take the baseball cut and rebuild it in panelled denim with raw-edge patchwork. Black and blue, sizes S to 2XL. There is a short-sleeve denim jersey for warmer months, and a kids version in the same denim.