November 07, 2022
by Victoria Watkins
The 251 Varsity Jacket pattern is fun, iconic, and currently very on trend. In order to help you figure out how to style your jacket, here's a collection of fabric suggestions I thought of that would be perfect for this jacket, whether you are wanting a traditional look or something modern. This jacket is great because it doesn't take a huge amount of fabric - and the pattern pieces are not large. Molly made the jacket above with scraps of left over cashmere (and silk for lining) scraps. Keep note that when you are looking at the yardage chart, we have the yardage for the sleeves and body separate in case you want to make the sleeves from different fabric than the body. This is traditionally in case you want to make the sleeves from leather (and body from wool), but you could also use different color combos of the same type fabric, or just make it all from the same fabric.
Keep an eye out for a second blog with lining and notion suggestions!
The 251 Varsity Jacket is perfect for fall and winter weather, and my immediate thought is to make it out of wool. Our Italian Wool in Camel is a terrific base fabric to sew this jacket with. This lux wool would be warm, and lined with a silk charmeuse would be so very nice!
I personally love to sew Autumn and Winter projects in flannel. This cotton flannel from Hart's combines fashion with practicality for chillier weather. You could also work the pattern to have the checks in different directions for different pattern pieces.
Floral brocade bomber-style jackets are quite in fashion at the moment, and the varsity jacket is perfect as a base to build your stylish take on the trend. This gorgeous brocade from Mood Fabrics is just one of many endless options for a modern twist on the jacket. Again, use a silk charmeuse for the lining and you will have an amazing jacket!