Dehen 1920 x Göteborg Manufaktur - Athletic Champs Varsity Cardigan Patches

Where it’s made: Made in Portland, Oregon, USA
What it’s made from: 100% wool with USA-made chenille patches
Fit description: Classic varsity cardigan fit with a comfortable, slightly relaxed silhouette

The Dehen 1920 x Göteborg Manufaktur Athletic Champs Varsity Cardigan is a very limited edition created for our 10-year anniversary and part of the Athletic Champs collection. For us, it is particularly special to make our own version of such an iconic American garment together with Dehen – a legendary Portland manufacturer that we have proudly worked with since 2017.

Dehen’s connection to this style goes all the way back to the 1920s, when the company began knitting varsity and collegiate sweaters for student athletes. Letterman sweaters became a defining part of American collegiate culture, decorated with chenille letters, numbers, patches and sleeve stripes representing the school, team and achievements of the person wearing them.

Our version pays homage to the mid-century American college and varsity sweaters, with traditional stripes on the left sleeve in Forster Red and Old Gold. Historically, stripes on varsity sweaters could represent the number of years an athlete had earned their varsity letter – a small detail that gives the design a genuine connection to its collegiate roots.

Two USA-made chenille patches complete the cardigan: an Old Gold “16”, representing the year Göteborg Manufaktur opened its doors, and our tiger, recreated in chenille with the chunky texture and slightly imperfect character of vintage American varsity patches.

On this version, the patches have been sewn on by us in classic varsity placement, giving the cardigan the complete traditional letterman look straight from the start.

Produced in very limited numbers for our tenth anniversary.

Jonas is 183 cm / 75 kg and wears size Large.