Explore Black History

1980s

During the 1980s and the 1990s, Starter brand jackets were omnipresent fashion items within urban, African American communities. Starter was one of the mist high-profile non-sneaker sportswear brands. Because of the team’s success in the early 1980s, and because the team featured one of the few African American coaches, John Thompson II, who was an outspoken champion of using universities to create educational opportunities for African Americans, political positions espoused by their coach, John Thompson II, this team became one in which African Americans across the country adopted. These jackets became symbols of racial pride. At the time, many African Americans mistakenly identified Georgetown as an HBCU because it the team was a source of racial pride.

A navy, long-sleeve, padded Georgetown starter jacket. The jacket is made of a shiny navy nylon fabric and is lined with white nylon. The waistband, the cuffs on the sleeves, and the band around the neckline are made of a 2 1/2 inch thick navy, grey, and white striped rib-knit fabric. There is one (1) navy snap below the neckline, three (3) down the center of the jacket, and two (2) on the waistband. There are grey and white embroidered letters across the chest. [GEORG] on the proper right and [ETOWN] on the proper left. There is a 5 3/4 inch slanted no-flap pocket on either side of the jacket above the waistband.
There are two small, grey scuff marks on the proper right back of the jacket. The back of the jacket is solid navy.
There is a white label sewn inside the jacket below the neckline. The Starter logo is in blue. The words [STARTER / MADE IN U.S.A. / ADULT] are in red and the letters [XL] are in blue.
There is a second white label sewn inside the jacket on the proper left side above the waistband. The logo and the word [STARTER] are in blue. There is also the word [NAME] with a blank line [________] in blue. [SHELL & LINING: 100% NYLON] are written in red along with washing instructions.
The Starter logo, an [S] and a star are embroidered in navy and white on the proper left sleeve, just above the cuff.

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Clothing - Fashion and Historical

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

National Museum of African American History and Culture

2015.5

jackets

No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

nylon and metal

H x W x D (on form): 34 × 29 × 13 in. (86.4 × 73.7 × 33 cm)
H x W (flat): 26 1/2 × 26 in. (67.3 × 66 cm)

Object Name • Georgetown Starter jacket

nmaahc_2015.5

NMAAHC

GEORGETOWN STARTER JACKET

National Museum of African American History and Culture

CC0

1980s

Georgetown University • Starter

District of Columbia • United States • North and Central America • Georgetown • Washington

Education • Clothing and dress • Fashion • Basketball • Sports

Locale • Georgetown • City • Washington • State • District of Columbia • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America

Electronic resource • Images

No Known Copyright Restrictions