Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Starter Jacket

Well here’s a jacket I never thought would be retroed; Starter windbreakers.  I first fell in love with them on the playground back in grade school.  They were cool to wear, however provided little warmth during the harsh Canadian winters.  Yet, kids wore them because they came in popular sports team colorways, such as the Bulls, Magic, Mighty Ducks, Cowboys, Raiders, and Yankees to name a few.
A few years ago I tired looking for a Bulls jacket on E-Bay, however I became disappointed when I realized how expensive the asking price was.  They were also used, since deadstock jackets were difficult to come by, which made it even more difficult to purchase because I don’t like wearing used clothing.  Then suddenly one day, I walked into my local Champs store and noticed that they were selling retro Starter windbreakers.  I couldn’t believe it, the one piece of nostalgia from my childhood that I had been looking for, for a long time was suddenly before my eyes.
The teams they had at Champs were of the Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago Bulls in a black colorway, while Footlocker had a red version of the Bulls and also the Brooklyn Nets in black.  Though I’m a fan of the Jays (my home town), my favorite jacket was the Chicago Bulls in black.  The retail price for the jacket was $180 Canadian, but since I’m frugal, I decided to pass and wait until they went on sale.  Unfortunately by the time they went on sale my size was sold out, but I was lucky enough to be able to special order my size from another store in Montreal (extra $8 for store transfer).
This 2013 retro is very similar to the original jackets from the early 90’s.   They’re made with all the same materials, stitching and embroidery as the originals.  Although a complete comparison is difficult because they made so many styles of the originals to give a side-by-side comparison.  The most important thing is that they’re true to the style and fit of the original windbreakers.  Keeping true to the original also means that they have the same quality, which means they won’t keep you warm.  But that’s okay with me because these jackets are meant to be shown off.  As for fit, they are very slim, so I suggest you go up a size if you do prefer more room.   And in case you’re wondering if you’re too old to wear this jacket I would say that if you love to wear jerseys, you’ll also love to wear this jacket (I was surprised at how good it looked on me).  Trust me, this is one jacket you won’t regret showing off in.

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