The varsity letterman vest was worn by students in 1865, who had sewn a large H to their thick grey flannel team pullovers as part of the baseball team at Harvard University in America. The practice of stitching the symbolic letter to your clothes to denote your team affiliation took hold, and soon college clubs across the country began to adopt the same practice. The knitted vest was worn as a variation of the letter sweater. Interested in the vest as a form of early American sportswear, Takahashi took inspiration from a 1930s vintage V-neck vest sourced in California, U.S.A. Referencing the hand-knitted chunky texture and deep V-neck, the Varsity Letterman Vest is made using an alpaca and wool blend, creating a double-sided brushed finish, dyed using natural plants mud dyeing techniques and featuring a wide ribbed waistband.