My obsession with varsity jackets began in the summer of 2014 while on a trip to Los Angeles. I popped into a Roots boutique and was beckoned to by a rack of them. When a salesperson mentioned a personalization service, I knew I had to have one. But I wasn’t ready to commit to a design yet. I wanted it to be perfect — and to perfectly reflect me. And, as Roots co-founder Michael Budman recently explained, “If you can show your personality on the jacket, you’ve crushed it.”
I resumed my pursuit last fall at the new Roots shop in Nolita. The store manager, Cory McGown, walked me through the process to custom-build a jacket, starting with the body. I wear white and pale colors, so I immediately settled on a soft pink. For the sleeves, I chose a classic white leather.
On to the personalization: I always wanted one of those little license-plate key chains, but as someone with a unique name, the search was always fruitless. “Can you spell ‘Anahita’ in a powder blue?” I asked. Cory nodded, then offered to add white piping to make my name pop.
On the front, I initially wanted an “A.” But in the true spirit of the varsity jacket, you represent your team on the front and your name on the back, so I chose an “M” for Moussavian, with the idea that each of my three sisters would follow suit and also acquire one of these beauties.
Then Cory asked if I wanted my Instagram handle anywhere on the jacket. “Are people doing that?” I asked. He pointed to the inside lining, and I agreed — it was the perfect place for this subtle stamp.
Three weeks later, my $494 jacket arrived. It was beyond perfect: I slipped it on and felt like a shiny new member of a very cool club.
I wore it everywhere — and everyone noticed: Whether it was the guy buying Lotto tickets at my local deli or friends who approach fashion purely as function, the jacket and its throwback sensibility commanded serious attention and compliments. It also became my travel companion: Easy to pack and designed to match my wardrobe, it has seen views from the top of the Duomo in Milan to the front row at Paris fashion week — where a fellow showgoer asked, “Did you order that from the Roots store in New York? I saw it hanging there and thought it was the coolest. It’s so sweet!”
Having owned the jacket for only eight months, I’ve already noticed the endless ways in which it’s become my signature wardrobe staple. Mission: crushed. My next task? Making sure the rest of the Moussavian sisters place their orders, because #squadgoals.
