One of One
1997 Chicago Bulls 5 Time NBA Champs Starter Tee Size X-Large
$75.00
Hand-graded, photographed, described.
Starter
29 pieces on the floor.
All pieces
One of One
90s Starter Golden State Warriors Baseball Jersey Size Large
$60.00
One of One
Vintage Starter Chicago Bulls Hat
$30.00
One of One
90s Starter Chicago Bulls The Dynasty NBA Champions Shirt Size Large
$70.00
One of One
Vintage Chalkline Magic Johnson Tank Top Shirt
$40.00
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About this collection
Starter
Starter jackets are the definition of 90s sports culture. The satin finish, the bold team logos, the heavyweight construction, nothing in modern sportswear comes close. This collection features over 110 vintage Starter pieces, from the iconic pullover half-zips to full-zip satins and parkas.
The Starter pullover jacket is arguably the most recognizable piece of 90s sportswear ever made. NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, every major league was represented, and wearing your team's Starter jacket was a statement. We carry these in various team colorways and conditions, all individually photographed.
Beyond jackets, our Starter collection includes snapback hats, t-shirts, and warm-up gear from the era when the brand was at its commercial peak. Starter hats with the star logo and team branding are highly collectible and complement any vintage jacket.
Condition varies with Starter jackets, some have the light wear you'd expect from a 30-year-old garment, while others look barely worn. We document everything honestly in photos and descriptions. Satin pulls, embroidery condition, zipper function, and any staining are all noted.
Visit our Las Vegas shop at Downtown Container Park on Fremont Street to try on Starter jackets in person, fit and feel matter with these pieces. Online shoppers get detailed photos and measurements with fast nationwide shipping.
Questions, answered
Questions about Starter
Starter is the anchor of 90s team outerwear. Diamond-tag pullovers, satin bombers, Pro Line zip-ups, the whole catalog across NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL licensing. This page answers the questions we get most on the floor and in the DMs: how to read the tag, how to spot a reissue, how the satin lining ages, and what fits what.
From our Starter inventory
Starter pieces on the floor
Vintage Starter pieces in the shop. Jerseys, parkas, jackets, satin pullovers. Original-licensee construction, period stitching, hand-graded.
- 90s Starter Golden State Warriors baseball jersey, Large. NBA-team-on-baseball-jersey-cut from the 90s licensing peak, snap-front Starter construction.
- 90s Starter windbreaker jacket, XL. Period Starter shell, original lining, the wind-shell silhouette that defined 90s sideline outerwear.
- 1991 UNLV Runnin Rebels Starter Fireman parka, XL. Tark-era UNLV Vegas-local NCAA piece, Starter Fireman silhouette, missing zipper noted in listing.
- 1980s Towncraft windbreaker jacket, Large. JCPenney house-brand windbreaker, the era when department-store outerwear competed directly with Starter on cut and material.
- 2003 Harley-Davidson Lincoln Nebraska sweater, XXL. Dealer-location Harley sweater in the same outerwear weight class as 90s Starter, period dealer-print graphic.
- 1988 Harley-Davidson Star A Rumble shirt. Late-80s Harley dealer event tee, period blank, narrow event-print run.
- 2003 Sturgis Black Hills Rally shirt. Dated Sturgis event tee, the rally-merch category that aligns with Starter-era event apparel collecting.
- 1970s Champion University of Notre Dame sweater, Large. Pre-Starter-era Champion-licensee NCAA piece, the licensing lineage Starter inherited in the 80s.
- 80s Nike Oregon USA track jacket. 80s Nike-cut track jacket, the silhouette competitor to Starter's 90s peak.
- 1960s reversible Ripon custom jacket, size 40. Pre-Starter reversible jacket lineage, the construction tradition Starter built on in the 80s.
Browse the full Starter collection for current floor pieces.
What is a diamond-tag Starter and why does everyone want one?
The blue-diamond neck tag (the one that says STARTER with the diamond outline around it) marks the 1988 to 1996 Starter run out of New Haven, Connecticut. That window is when Starter held the heavy-hitter pro-league licenses (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, college) at the same time, and construction was at its peak: heavyweight nylon shells, satin or tricot quilted linings, chain-stitch embroidery, reinforced snap plackets. A later square tag with a stacked STARTER word (post-1996) signals the licensing-loss era and a lighter build. Diamond tag is the era collectors chase.
Salem, Apex One, Logo Athletic, Chalk Line. Were those Starter?
No. Those were parallel licensees in the same era. Salem Sportswear held tee and novelty-apparel licenses and did the classic caricature tees. Apex One and Logo Athletic were the other two big jacket houses, with Apex leaning Pro Line NFL and Logo Athletic doing a ton of NBA and MLB satin work. Chalk Line owned the satin bomber format before Starter overtook it. We shelve all of them on this page because collectors shop the silhouette. The tags are different across houses and we call out which house made each piece in the listing.
Pullover, full-zip, or satin. What is the real difference?
Pullover (quarter-zip or half-zip) is the classic 1990 to 1994 Starter silhouette. Heavy nylon shell, big front pouch pocket, quilted lining, team logo chest-left and arch back. Full-zip jackets came in two families: the nylon shell zip-up (1992 and later, less recognizable on the street but warmer) and the hood-up nylon anorak. Satin is a totally different animal. Satin bombers were the Starter Pro Black Label run (MLB and NBA heavy), lighter weight, dressier, snap front, no hood, ribbed cuffs and hem. Satin reads street, pullover reads sideline.
Does NFL Starter differ from MLB or NBA Starter?
Yes, and the tags prove it. NFL Starter pieces in the Pro Line era carry a secondary NFL Pro Line tag on the inside seam next to the Starter tag. MLB pieces carry the Genuine Merchandise diamond hologram or sewn tag. NBA pieces through 1996 carry the NBA Authentics tag. Hockey pieces from that era carry the NHL Center Ice tag. If the league sub-tag is missing on a piece that should have one, that is a flag worth asking about, and we will tell you in the listing when something is a blank-body Starter with no league sub-tag.
Replica vs authentic Starter. How do I know which I am buying?
Starter built both. Authentics were the on-field or on-court weight: heavier shell, chain-stitch embroidered graphics, sewn twill letters and numbers, satin quilted liner, pro-cut fit. Replicas were the retail-weight version: lighter shell, screen-printed or direct-embroidered graphics, nylon taffeta liner, boxier civilian cut. Neither is fake. Replica Starter is still real Starter from the era. Our listings call the build out explicitly (pro-cut vs replica-cut, chain-stitch vs screen-print) so you know what you are paying for.
Modern Ebbets-era reissue or real 90s original. How do I spot the difference?
Four tells. One: the neck tag. Real 90s diamond tag is blue-on-white woven with a New Haven CT RN. Reissues carry a modern RN and often a co-brand tag (Mitchell and Ness, Ebbets, or a boutique flip). Two: the weight. Originals feel dense in the hand, modern reissues run lighter on the shell. Three: the liner. Original satin quilted liners yellow and soften with age. Crisp bright-white liner on a piece claimed as 1992 is a red flag. Four: the snap tape. Original snaps are heavier and patina. Every piece we list includes the tag photo so you can verify before buying.
The satin lining looks flaky or split. Is that normal?
Yes, and it is the single biggest condition issue on 30-year-old Starter satin. The acetate satin Starter used for linings degrades by hydrolysis as it ages. You will see shredding along the shoulder seams, flaking near the hem, or a dry crumble at the cuffs. We grade every piece on liner condition and photograph the inside. Clean liner = Grade A. Light wear = Grade B. Visible flaking or shredding = called out in the listing with photos. A fully shredded liner is not automatically a dealbreaker (the jackets still wear), but it should be priced accordingly and it will be.
Chain-stitch embroidery vs screen-print. What does that tell me about the era?
Chain-stitch embroidered front logos and sewn tackle-twill back letters are the pro-weight 1990 to 1995 signal. Direct-embroidered (flat, machine-satin-stitch) logos show up on replica-weight pieces across the whole era. Heat-transfer or screen-printed graphics on a Starter shell usually mean late-era (1996 and after) or a kids / women's cut. None of those is a fake. They just sit at different price points, and we note the construction in every listing.
How does 90s Starter sizing compare to modern outerwear?
Run one full size down from modern. A 90s Starter Large typically measures 24 to 26 inches pit-to-pit and 29 to 31 inches long, which fits like a modern XL through the body with a shorter, boxier cut. Sleeves are cut roomy. If you want an oversized streetwear fit, buy your tag size. If you want a trim or fitted look, these are not that jacket. Every listing shows pit-to-pit, length, and sleeve measurements. When the listing does not, email us and we will pull them.
How do I clean a Starter jacket?
Dry clean only on the satin linings and quilted pieces. Do not machine-wash a 90s Starter. The acetate satin lining will shred and the nylon shell will pill against the drum. Spot-clean the shell with a damp cloth and mild soap for surface grime. If you need a full clean, take it to a dry cleaner who knows vintage nylon and ask them to skip pressing. We do a light dry pre-sale when a piece comes in smelling closet-y, and we will tell you in the listing if we have.
How do jackets ship? Heavier pieces, so what is the packaging?
USPS Priority Mail in a flat-rate box for most jackets. Heavier satin-quilted pieces or puffy NFL parkas go in larger Priority boxes or Ground Advantage depending on the dimensional weight. Every jacket ships inside a poly bag inside the box so the outer shell does not rub in transit. Shipping is calculated at checkout based on weight and ZIP, not flat-rate. Domestic orders go out within 2 business days of clearing payment, with tracking on every order.
I am looking for a specific team or year. Can you source it?
Yes. Send us the team, the year window, and the silhouette you want (pullover vs full-zip vs satin bomber) and we will keep an eye on it. Ray is in the field weekly. DM us on Instagram at @keepitclassiclv, email info@keepitclassiclv.com, or call the shop at (702) 605-3332. No deposit needed for a sourcing ask. If we find it, we photograph it and send it over for approval before we buy or list it.
How do I tell what era a Starter jacket is from?
Four signals, in order of reliability. First, the neck tag: 80s Starter tags read STARTER in a white or yellow block with PROLINE or NFL PROLINE woven in; early 90s tags add a holographic NFL or MLB license patch; late 90s tags move to a smaller rectangular woven label. Second, the license: NFL Proline ran 1982 to 1995, then Logo Athletic and Pro Player took share, then Starter reacquired NFL in 1998 before losing it in 2000. Third, the satin weight: 80s satin is heavier and drapes; 90s satin is lighter and crinklier. Fourth, the player name font: block serif points to 80s, sans-serif points to 90s.
Every piece in this collection earned its spot through hands-on sourcing, condition grading, and a lot of late nights. We pull from estate sales, dead-stock attics, and the occasional miracle. If it is here, we trust it.
One of one.Ships from Las Vegas.One of one.Ships from Las Vegas.One of one.Ships from Las Vegas.