Who says a top five list is only for hip-hop? Top 5 is a list that ranks the best of any and all.
Today, children of the 1990s are in a state of euphoria when surfing the worldwide web. 90s culture is tight again. Blog posts and click bait lists are loaded with our memories of Nickelodeon cartoons, Super Nintendo/SEGA Genesis games and the unhealthy snacks our parents gave us before anyone
Reliving Doug, Donkey Kong and Dunkaroos is fun, but this post is dedicated to the greatest 90s throwback of them all, one that united all- sports fans and artsy types, slobs and fashionistas, suburbanites and city dwellers with a single product- the Starter jacket.
A Brief History of Starter
After its start in 1971, Starter established itself as a major player in sports apparel during the 1980s. After releasing their first major success, satin Major League Baseball team jackets, the company expanded its portfolio to include in-game tops and outerwear for the NBA and NFL. Once people saw flashy gear on their favorite teams and players consumer demand for Starter merchandise grew. The company was now as much of a fashion symbol as it was an athletic manufacturer, with the needle shifting rapidly towards the former.
By the 90s it was clear- Starter was a hot brand. Its midweight button-up jackets gave way to the iconic hoody starter, a half-zip pullover hooded coat with outrageous patterns and script that accented oversized primary team logos stitched across the back. They were absolutely dope.
Anyone under 21 will likely laugh at the notion of Starter ever having more cache in the streets than Nike, but their jackets and snapbacks put them in that exact position. They had celebrity endorsements from rappers that, in a pre-Twitter/Instagram world, was the best stamp of approval any company selling street wear could hope to receive.
Alas, the reality is that, like most trendy labels, Starter's time at the top had an expiration date. By 2000 the company was quickly losing steam. After being bought out- twice- Starter received the ultimate kiss of death when they started selling their stuff in Wal-Mart. Getting sold alongside Wranglers and school uniforms made their brand uncool. After netting hundreds of millions in profit and serving as the official clothing supplier of over a dozen NFL teams, Starter was effectively dead. Nevertheless, happy days would return.
A couple of years ago Starter was revived by the 90s nostalgia kick we're all still riding. It re-released the beloved hoody jackets in Footlocker stores and through online retailers. The people rejoiced.
There's easy access to facsimiles of old Starter favorites, but the originals still remain popular. A quick eBay search will bring up hundreds of listings for both worn and unworn gear. It's not 1996 anymore, but Starter lives.
We're all blessed to stand a couple of clicks away from the greatness of yesteryear. This is a celebration of that time, a lifetime achievement award of sorts for the first run hoody Starters. In celebration of the upcoming NFL season and in remembrance of years gone by, I present my Top 5 NFL Starter Jackets.
Honorable mentions:
Packers green
This was the first one I owned for more than a week (more on that shortly). My dad bought it from Walter's around the time Brett Favre and Reggie White lead Green Bay to two straight Super Bowls. It gets bonus points for being the team apparel of choice for Cee-Lo Green and Goodie Mob.
Falcons black
Before tired slogans (I'm sorry but "Rise Up" is played out) defined the team's marketing, my Falcons relied on intangibles to move the needle. One was the presence of MC Hammer, rocking a purple suit, on the team's sidelines. The Falcons were also aided by being an early adopter of black as a primary team color. This was a trend that other teams would follow throughout the 90s. The man to thank for that one? Head coach Jerry Glanville- a middle aged white guy whose thirst for dark colors matched the tastes of N.W.A. and other hardcore rappers of the day.
Dolphins white
My personal all-time favorite was stolen from me a week after I got it. I didn't get jacked for my hoody starter like Big Boi rapped about but it would have made for a more interesting story than what really happened. I left it unattended while shooting hoops after school. Came back and that thing was long gone. R.I.P. my time as the coolest kid in kindergarten.
5. Raiders, black
By the time the hoody Starter was released the national appeal of Raider gear was waning due in part partially to the breakup of N.W.A. Still, respect was due to anyone rocking colors of the squad that started the licensed team apparel phenomenon of the 90s.
4. 49ers, red
A perfect storm of timeliness and general fashion sense made the 49ers hoody Starter a classic look for those who couldn't make a choice between dozens of options. Looking at it simplistically, red is an easy color to pull off and is easy to match with sneakers. That would have been enough to generate strong sales. However, the Niners' on-field success put this jacket over the top. San Francisco earned the best record in the league during the 90s, a run that included a blowout win in Super Bowl XXIX. This jacket reached peak coolness during that season because of the SB victory and Deion Sanders, whose one year in San Francisco made the team cool by proxy.
3. Chiefs, red
A sneaky good add to any Starter collection that typically only happened if the 49ers version had sold out. The Chiefs similarly were sneaky good in the 90s, amassing the fourth best record in the NFL. I love the pop and contrast in their red/yellow scheme. Plus, the "KC arrow" logo is timeless. Best when paired with a Joe Montana or Derrick Thomas jersey.
2. Panthers/Jags, black/teal
Count me in the number of those who sported one of these. Well, kind of- I had a similar style jacket in a different brand that popped up and tried to jack Starter's swag. Panthers/Jags jackets were most relevant during the '96-97 season when each team made a deep playoff run out of nowhere.
1. Cowboys, blue
This one belongs in the conversation of greatest Starter jacket of all time with the NBA's Magic, Bulls and Hornets. Head and shoulders above the rest of the NFL. The Cowboys Starter was at the top not because of its visual appeal. The team's colors weren't flashy and neither were the patterns Starter used for most of their merchandise (save for this one). However, three Super Bowl wins and the instant-cool touch of Deion Sanders (again) allowed the Cowboys brand to represent excellence. Stamping their "Big star" logo on a hot product was essentially printing money. Owning one of these made you that dude or ,more accurately, a front runner. But hey- the Starter you wore had nothing to do with who was actually your favorite team. The Cowboys Starter achieved all-time dope status because everyone loves a winner.
