The Letterman Sweater has been a pillar of American style since the early 1900s. Earned through achievement in athletics and activities, each sweater tells the story of its wearer with patches, pins and sleeve stripes.

Every High School across the country had their own traditions of recognition, but the Letterman award was one that many adopted by the early 20th century. Students earned their school’s letter through achievements in athletics, music and activities. That school letter was then sewn onto a wool cardigan in the school’s primary colors. Often bold and bright, these sweaters were meant to stand out in a crowd. 

Each sweater was further personalized with patches, pins and stripes, telling the story of the person who wore it. Each stripe on the left sleeve indicated a year that student earned a letter. One Stripe = One Year. Three stripes were the most common to see because most schools didn’t allow freshmen on their Varsity teams. There were always exceptions to the rule so you may see 1, 2 and even 4 stripes on a sweater. Again, each school had it’s own traditions.  

Many of those early Dehen sweaters still exist today, passed down through generations, and the quality remains. The cardigan sweaters we continue to make today are nearly identical to those from the 1920s and 1930s. Knit, cut and sewn with the same care that we’ve put into every sweater for over 100 years.

When you wear a Dehen cardigan, you’re not just putting on a sweater… you’re wearing a piece of history.