Phoenix Lettering started in 1957 doing embroidery, Chenille awards and letterman sweaters. The sweaters were all wool then and came in school colors, usually with contrasting varsity stripes on the left sleeve. One stripe for each year that a person lettered for a maximum of four stripes. That meant that the letterman would have to estimate how many years they might earn letters. The stripes were knit into the sleeve at the time the sweater was made. Any stripes not yet earned were covered with a piece of sweater material and removed when a person earned their next year's letter. This remained the norm for Phoenix Letterman until around the late '60s or early '70s around when the letterman jackets began to replace the letterman sweater. The placement of Chenille items on letterman's jackets (in Phoenix) has remained unchanged from the old sweater days. The student's name on the left pocket, year of graduation on the right pocket, on the right sleeve the sport or activity that was earned by the student (i.e. band or ROTC), school mascot on the left sleeve, and the varsity letter on the left chest, over the heart, to show loyalty. -Jack Castelletti Phoenix Lettering Phoenix, Arizona

Last updated: October 10th, 1999

Jamie Richardson jerichar@fas.harvard.edu http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~jerichar/sleeves/