When I was in seventh grade, I was extremely excited to get a Charlotte Hornets Starter jacket. I loved the color most of all, and the big pocket in front made the whole thing feel extremely cozy. I remember making the case to my parents that the pullover style would keep me warm, even though I didn’t grow up anywhere particularly cold.
The problem? I’d never watched an entire basketball game in my life. I couldn’t name a single player on the Charlotte Hornets (still can’t, sorry), and the color of the jacket was actually the main appeal. I really only wanted it because everyone else in my class had one—some of whom were legitimate sports fans, sure, but others were probably jumping on the bandwagon like I was. When I was in middle school in the ‘90s, we called that “being a poseur.”
In my defense, at the time they didn’t make that style of half-zip, pullover anorak for the things I actually was interested in. I was an indoor kid who loved fantasy, dragons, and my 8-bit Nintendo, but Starter didn’t make a jacket that just said “The Shire.” Looking back, it’s pretty surprising that the style didn’t break out beyond the world of athletics, but back then fandom cosplay wasn’t as mainstream as it is today.
Which is why, more than three decades after I got my Charlotte Hornets starter jacket, my heart gets a little thrill when I see this style of jacket popping here and there—with themes other than sports teams.
The first Starter jacket I noticed that wasn’t fan merch for an IRL sports franchise was Pokémon-related, created for Target in conjunction with a celebrity Pokémon fan: Joe Jonas. It has the same bright colorblocking as the Starter jackets of my youth, only instead of a team name, it has the Pokémon region “Kanto” displayed across the front. Under the flap that covers the zipper pocket, there are embroidered Kanto badges, which is a fun little Easter egg. It’s available in Target stores starting May 2, and it’ll be online at Target.com on May 3. (And if it's like any of the other recent Target collabs, it’s going to go fast.)
The jacket is actually a part of a whole Pokémon x Target collection, done to celebrate Pokémon’s own 30th anniversary. The line has a lot of 30-year-old-trend throwbacks in it, including Trapper Keepers, Lip Smackers, Caboodles, and butterfly hair clips (actually Butterfree hair clips). Did I also have all of that stuff in the ‘90s? Mostly, but if anything it’s all much cuter now!
But Pokémon isn’t the only fandom to get the pullover-jacket treatment. BoxLunch (which, incidentally, has its own Pokémon pullover windbreaker), has one for Hello Kitty, who is wearing an adorable basketball uniform on the back. Somehow, she can wear both a sweatband and a bow at the same time—skills. This jacket is cropped, which makes it a little different from the boxier styles of the sports jackets.
And wherever there is a trend, there is a Star Wars item that conforms to it. Behold, the Boba Fett Throwback Pullover Jacket from RSVLTS (pronounced “Roosevelts,” not “results,” as I had been calling it until someone corrected me). The back has a Star Wars logo done in the same teal color as the sleeves. It’s on a galactic field, and the Millennium Falcon is zooming below it while Boba Fett, in full Mandalorian armor, soars above.
The brand notes it's their first-ever pullover anorak jacket, and the description contains a subtle nod to its style inspiration: “Dripping with teal, purple, and orange tones, this baller piece of outerwear will have you turning heads whether you’re off in a distant galaxy or chillin' closer to home—like in, say, Charlotte, N.C.” Wow, they have me dead to rights.
Of course, it was always possible to find anorak windbreakers, even ones with bold colorblocking, that have no agenda at all.
But where's the fun in that? I'm glad that now I can use the front pocket of these jackets to show off my true affiliation, which is to Team Nerd.
