Placement
There is no single official rule for letterman jacket patch placement — every school and club has its own traditions. But the same layout turns up again and again, and following it keeps a jacket looking balanced as it fills up over four years.
Short answer. The varsity letter goes on the left chest, over the heart. The right chest takes your name or a mascot. Sleeves carry the graduation year and activity or sport emblems, and the back carries the school name or mascot. Check your school’s own rules first; many have a set layout.
The common letterman jacket layout
| Position | What usually goes there | Typical size |
|---|---|---|
| Left chest | The varsity letter (the school initial), with sport pins or bars attached to it | 5–6 in tall |
| Right chest | Your name (embroidered script or a name patch) or the school mascot | 3–4 in |
| Left sleeve | Graduation year, or activity emblems | 3–4 in numbers |
| Right sleeve | Sport, band, academic and achievement emblems, stacked downward from the shoulder | 3–5 in each |
| Back | School name arched across the shoulders, mascot below | 8–12 in |
| Lower front | Extra awards, captain patches or state and championship emblems | 2–4 in |
Left and right are as worn, not as you look at the jacket.
Rules of thumb as the jacket fills up
- Start at the top. Put the first sleeve emblem just below the shoulder seam and add each new one underneath.
- Keep a column. Line sleeve emblems up down the centre of the sleeve rather than scattering them.
- Mind the leather. Letterman sleeves are often leather, and every stitch hole in leather is permanent — plan the layout before sewing anything.
- Leave space for later years. Most students add patches over three or four years; do not fill the front in year one.
- Pins go on the letter. Sport and achievement pins are traditionally pinned onto the chenille letter, not the jacket.
Attaching the patches
Chenille letters and emblems are heavy, so they are sewn on rather than ironed. Wool does not hold heat-seal adhesive well, and heat can mark leather sleeves. Stitch just inside the chain-stitch outline with thread matching the felt edge. The full method is in how to sew on a patch.
Common questions
Which side does the letter go on a letterman jacket?
The left chest, over the heart, as worn. It is the most consistent convention of all.
Where do you put the graduation year on a letterman jacket?
On a sleeve, usually near the top. Some schools use the left sleeve and some the right; if your school has a standard layout, follow it.
Where do sports patches go?
On the sleeves, stacked from the shoulder down, or as pins on the letter itself.
Can I iron patches onto a letterman jacket?
It is not recommended. Wool bodies do not hold iron-on adhesive well under heavy chenille, and leather sleeves can scorch. Sew them.
Have these made
Need patches made?
We make embroidered, chenille, woven, leather and PVC patches to order — from $0.75 a patch, with a free digital proof before production and any backing you need.