On a letterman jacket, each type of patch has its own area. Your name and an academic letter go on the right front panel, while a sport or activity letter goes over the heart on the left front panel, with matching pins pushed through its chenille. Your graduation year and small award patches sit on the right sleeve, sports patches on the left sleeve, and your jersey number on the right sleeve with any chevron bars stacked beneath it. Large mascot and team-name patches are reserved for the back.
These are traditional conventions rather than strict rules, and some jackets arrive with school initials or a name already applied, so placement can vary from school to school.
- Right front panel. Name or nickname across from the second snap, with an academic letter beneath it.
- Left front panel. A sport or extracurricular letter over the heart; earned pins pushed through the chenille of that letter.
- Right sleeve. Graduation year just under the shoulder, plus small activity, academic, or commemorative patches; your jersey number sits here too, with chevron bars stacked below it.
- Left sleeve. Sports patches, and any smaller patches that overflow from the right sleeve.
- Back. Large patches showing your school mascot and team name, along with oversized activity patches.
The sections below walk through each area in detail, along with how to attach your patches once they are placed.
To put patches on a letterman jacket, secure each one in its designated spot using either needle and thread or a no-sew fabric adhesive. Sewing by hand is the traditional and most durable method: position the patch, pin it in place, and stitch around the edge so it lies flat. If you prefer not to sew, a specialty fabric glue made for chenille and wool will hold patches without stitching. Pins for a corresponding letter are simply pushed through the chenille rather than sewn or glued.
