CHRISTOPHELOIRON®

Mister Freedom® FAIRWATER Duffle Coat, 30 Oz. Double-Cloth HBT Wool, mfsc FW2024 “SUBMARINER” (JP)

Mister Freedom® FAIRWATER Duffle Coat, Charcoal 30 Oz. Double-Cloth HBT Wool.
FW2024 mfsc SUBMARINER (JP)

“Formality did not flourish aboard submarines where performance counted more than appearance.”
David A. Jones “US Silent Service, Dolphins & Combat Insignia 1924-1945.”

The all-original pattern of the Mister Freedom® FAIRWATER Duffle Coat is another might-have-been hybrid, inspired by a combo of traditional vintage British duffle coats, 1940s Royal Navy-issued fearnaught duffle coats, and rare 1941 USN Submariner HBT wool jackets.

For this “Experimental Garment” our “Clothing & Textile Research Unit” took a vintage 1950s “Made in England” civvy duffle coat as a starting base, and blended it with a 1943 British Royal Navy duffle coat with its shorter hip length and rounded shawl collar pattern. The single layer collar can be turned up and secured by the large chinstrap — of civvy heritage — that can be left dangling or buttoned in the back of the collar.

The two patched hip pockets are complemented with two concealed chest pockets.

The rather simple construction and streamlined design are typical of vintage 1940s military duffle coats. We just cleaned up the seaming a bit, as period pieces often display some manufacturing “funkiness”, depending on the contractor’s QC.

The specific toggle-and-rope fastening system was lifted from the 1943 British duffle, with its characteristic one-sided twisted rope style.
The reinforcement twill tapes on the inside — securing the toggle-and-rope — are also typical of the period.

Semantically, our FAIRWATER Coat is not a “duffle” coat per se, as the term allegedly refers to the actual coarse wool fabric initially milled in the city of Duffel, Belgium. It is more of the “toggle type”, and definitely in a league of its own considering our jambalaya-style design process.
The Fairwater — aka “Conning Tower”, or “Sail” — of a submarine is the command room (or “brain center”), the small “tower” structure on top of the boat, mostly known to old war movie cinephiles as the place the periscope comes out of (“Up scope!!”), with the classic Hollywood scene of a tense radarman monitoring the green oscillating ping of enemy presence on a black screen, “watching the sound”!

Style-wise, the Mister Freedom® FAIRWATER is pretty versatile, depending on what one chooses to pair it with. It can carry its rugged military WW2 nautical heritage when styled with utilitarian pieces, add an elegant Old World touch to a rugged denim outfit, go 1960s British swinging Mod, vintage American Ivy, laid-back Beatnik style, preppy bon-chic-bon-genre etc…

The duffle coat design also just works as a functional, easy-to-throw-on winter coat that does the job. That classic “toggle coat” style is definitely not going out of fashion anytime soon, unlike fast-fashion disposables predestined for the landfills of the Atacama desert. But I digress.

Fabric-wise, we opted for a rare little-known vintage classic material, a dark charcoal-colored double-layer (double cloth) HBT wool, 30 Oz., a period-correct reproduction of the shell fabric of the short-lived 1941 USN Submariner HBT wool jacket. Our friends at Buzz Rickson’s had made a replica of that unicorn a few years ago, and we were lucky to secure left-over yardage for our FW2024 coat project. Just like the 1940s originals, the material’s wide-weave herringbone pattern — hardly noticeable at first — will gradually appear with extensive wear.

The Mister Freedom® FAIRWATER Duffle Coat is designed in California, USA, and produced in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co in Japan.

SPECS:
PATTERN: Inspired by an eclectic combo of vintage military and civvy duffle coats, blending WW2 British and US Navy winter coats with vintage Old World elegance and 1960s American Ivy style.
FABRIC:
Shell: 100% wool, double-layer (double cloth) textured HBT, 30 Oz., flecked dark charcoal grey color, milled in Japan.
Inside pocketing: 10 Oz. all-cotton indigo pincheck fabric, milled in Japan.
DETAILS:
* Hybrid design with classic hip-length cut.
* Unlined, simple period construction.
* Twisted cotton rope fastening, wooden toggles, triple bartacks.
* Single layer shawl collar, tapped hem with attached chin-strap.
* Two patched hip pockets.
* Two concealed chest pockets.
* Black cotton twill reinforcement tapes on inside.
* Buttoned wrist adjustment tabs, corozo wood buttons.
* “MFSC Naval clothing Tailor” woven rayon neck label.
* “Experimental Garment” cheesecloth printed label.
* Made in Japan.
SIZING/FIT:
The Mister Freedom® FAIRWATER Duffle Coat comes ready-to-wear, no shrinking protocol needed.
At 5’7 ~145 lbs and 40 chest, I opted for a Small, my current size in most MF® jackets and coats, with room for a thick Mariner type sweater.
CARE:
Dry-clean only, in your local eco-friendly cleaner.

Available from www.misterfreedom.com, our Los Angeles brick & mortar store, and fine retailers around the World.
Email sales@misterfreedom.com or call 323-653-2014 with any questions unanswered above.
Thank you for your support.

Christophe Loiron
Mister Freedom®
©2024

Mister Freedom® BRIDGE Sweater, Indigo Yarn-Dyed Cotton Ribber Knit, mfsc FW2024 “SUBMARINER” (JP)

Mister Freedom® BRIDGE Sweater, indigo yarn-dyed cotton ribbed knit.
FW2024 mfsc SUBMARINER (JP)

The Mister Freedom® BRIDGE Sweater is our spin on the classic “USN Deck Sweater” issued to Navy personnel in the 1960s, a garment sometimes referred to as “watch sweater”.

Our moniker is also a nautical reference: the “Bridge” part of a submarine is the top of the Fairwater/Conning Tower, where the boat is controlled when on the surface.

We revisited the pattern of a vintage government-issued original (No. DSA-1-6978-T-65) with its typical high-neck style, extended the waistband and cuffs, adjusted the fit, and more-essentially substituted the regulation navy blue worsted wool yarn with a soft indigo yarn-dyed 100% cotton yarn.

Just like our LOOKOUT Watch Cap, the warmth properties of the cotton knit we opted for is obviously not comparable to that of wool, but this makes our sweater a bit more all-season for us Californians, and other clement-climate dwellers. The indigo-dyed ribbed knit will make for a beautiful patina overtime.

Construction wise, our sweater constitutes of a 1×1 “fisherman” ribbed knit body, 3×3 ribbing seamless waistband, and attached high-neck collar and foldable ribbed knit cuffs.

We kept the vintage close-to-the-body cut of the originals, making our BRIDGE Sweater perfect for layering, under a BUBBLEHEAD CPO Shirt, SKIPJACK Overshirt, MAR-SUB Work Jacket, CRACKERJACK CPO etc… It has more of a vintage cotton fleece sweatshirt silhouette/fit than a bulky Aran wool sweater vibe.

The Mister freedom® BRIDGE Sweater is a vintage US Military classic design reimagined in California, USA, and produced in Japan in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.

SPECS:
PATTERN: Inspired by vintage 1960s “USN Deck Sweater”, an original revisited design.
FABRIC: 100% cotton indigo yarn-dyed cotton ribbed knit, milled in Japan.

DETAILS:
* Continuous (seamless) knit pattern body (1×1 “fisherman” ribbed knit) & waistband (3×3 ribbing.)
* Soft all-cotton ribbed knit, indigo yarn-dyed.
* Trim period silhouette.
* 1950s-style wide waistband.
* Attached ribbing knit high-neck collar.
* Attached ribbing knit foldable wide cuffs.
* Woven rayon mfsc “Naval Clothing Tailor” neck label.
* Made in Japan.

SIZING/FIT:
The Mister Freedom® BRIDGE Sweater comes ready to wear, no shrinking protocol needed.
At 5’7 ~145 lbs, I opted for a Small, my current size in most MF® sweaters (and sweatshirts), for a period trim fit with a Skivvy undershirt. This shorter vintage cut pairs well with high-waisted pants.
NOTE: In order to keep the high-neck ribbing knit collar snug, the neck opening may feel tight for some with larger hat size (62+) at first. When putting the sweater on, please slowly stretch the opening and pull collar over the head gently, to avoid breaking the construction all-cotton stitching.

CARE:
Hand wash when needed. Turn sweater inside out, cold water, mild eco-friendly detergent. Lay flat on (dark) towel to dry.
NOTE: some indigo color may rub-off on light-colored under garment from wear, or lining of a top jacket.

Christophe Loiron
Mister Freedom®
©2024

Mister Freedom® BARRACUDA Sub Jacket, Woolen Double-Weave, “LIBERTY” Edition, mfsc FW2024 “SUBMARINER” (JP)

Mister Freedom® BARRACUDA Sub Jacket, woolen double-weave cloth.
FW2024 mfsc SUBMARINER.
Made in Japan.

Our BARRACUDA is inspired by a vintage sportswear zip-up jacket from our archives, label unknown — maybe from “Sportclad” (JC Penney)? —, showing a classic 1930s “White Stag” ski-wear influence.
Unlined, clean taped seams inside, 1930s workwear/outdoors vibe, swing-back, rear cinch tabs, clever pocketing and streamlined design… perfect candidate for a Mister Freedom® makeover.

During R&D we modified the pointy collar to a rounded type (early naval vibe), adapted the fit, added a leather chin-strap, sourced an ideal shell fabric and period-plausible trims, …, and settled on calling it the BARRACUDA, a reference to a class of post-WW2 submarines.

The jacket is cut from a winter-weight 26 Oz. double-weave woolen material — blend of 90% wool and 10% nylon —, with a brushed soft hand. Not as hefty as our Hudson jacket 36 Oz. melton wool (the weight of vintage USN peacoats), but typical of period civvy outdoor garments and heavy CPO shirts, with good cold/wind resistant qualities. With its 90/10 yarn content blend, this fabric will develop an attractive heathered flecks patina over time, with normal wear and repeat exposure to the elements.

Matching the recent LOOKOUT Watch Cap twist, we also included a nod to an old US Navy tradition: non-regulation (but tolerated if kept concealed) customized crackerjacks with “liberty cuffs”, the naval heritage of tailor-made and personalized uniforms, briefly mentioned here, and at length here.
Concealed behind the cuffs of the BARRACUDA is a set of original MF® vintage-inspired rayon “Liberty cuffs.” These “Octopus vs. Mermaid” embroidered morale patches — initially designed for the 2016 Liberty CPO Shirt — were described by an irreverent writer at the time as:

“…featuring a groping octopus sporting a bachi (the French Navy cover with its famous red pompon) chasing an attractive mermaid in her birthday suit. Flash the Splash at your own discretion.
For the adventurous type, these cuff linings do have a purpose and can be used as concealed storage for an emergency sawbuck folded in four. While bar-hoping with the ship’s finest on exotic shores, and after noticing your wallet’s gone MIA at Suzy’s Red Dragon Den, this is a nice touch.”

For those paying attention to details as much as our Design Dept. is, the right and left cuffs are mirrored, with each mermaid sporting distinct hair/scales color combo, i.e. two different patches.

To add to practicality and complement the slash hand-warmer front pockets, we mounted two concealed chest pockets for minimal storage (smart phone & passport size), cut from a contrast all-cotton 10 Oz. pincheck material inspired by the lining of a pair of vintage 1920s USN broadfall Undress Blues trousers. Some may remember this classic fabric as that of our FW2010 “Off Duty” CPO Shirt. It is also utilized as collar/cuffs facing, nicely complimenting the brushed double-weave wool, in both color and texture.
The side cinch leather tabs are typical of short 1930s~40s waist-length jackets, a style designed at the time to be paired with higher-waisted trousers, highlighting one’s natural waistline.

: 1940’s USN sailor (MF® vintage photos archives ©2016 private collection)

: Early sketch for “Octopus vs. Mermaid” Liberty cuffs ©2016

: Lining from a pair of 1920s USN Broadfall Undress Blues ©2010

: MF® 2010 “Off-Duty” CPO

: Vintage inspiration for the MF® Barracuda ©2024

The MF® BARRACUDA Sub Jacket is a versatile zip-up garment with definite vintage DNA and a period silhouette, best paired with traditional jeans, chinos, and classic-cut trousers.

Designed in California by Mister Freedom®, and manufactured in Japan in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.

SPECS:
PATTERN: Inspired by a vintage 1930s sportswear zip-up jacket with a workwear/outdoors vibe, reimagined.

FABRIC:
Shell: 26 Oz. double-weave woolen material — blend of 90% wool and 10% nylon —, a soft hand and warm cloth, milled in Japan.
Facing accents: 10 Oz. all-cotton pincheck fabric, 1920s-inspired, milled in Japan.

DETAILS:
* Fully unlined, with elegant 1930s-style clean taped inside seams, narrow cotton tape.
* Early nautical vibe rounded collar.
* Removable tea-core leather chin strap (don’t lose it at Suzy’s Red Dragon Den!)
* Gusseted shoulder back, action-swing style for ease of movement.
* Vintage style brass zipper, cotton tape.
* Waist cinch tabs on rear panel, tea-core leather.
* Slash hand-warmer hip pockets.
* Concealed double chest pockets, smartphone & passport size.
* Contrast pincheck fabric accents on cuff/collar facing and inside pockets.
* Adjustable cuffs.
* Concealed Liberty-style mfsc risqué “Octopus vs. Mermaid” cuffs, storage for a folded bill, to flash with retenue.
* Woven rayon Mister Freedom® “mfsc NAVAL CLOTHING TAILOR” neck label.
* Made in Japan.

SIZING:
The Mister Freedom® BARRACUDA Sub jacket comes ready to wear straight out of the box, no shrinking protocol required.
At 5’7 ~145 Lbs, I opted for a SMALL — my current usual size for mfsc coats/jackets — for a trim fit with enough room for a thick Mariner Sweater, or Medalist Sweatshirt.

CARE:
Professional dry-clean only.

Christophe Loiron
Mister Freedom®
©2024

Mister Freedom® LOOKOUT Watch Cap, Indigo-Dyed Cotton Ribbed Knit, “LIBERTY” Edition, mfsc FW2024 “SUBMARINER” (JP)

Mister Freedom® LOOKOUT Watch Cap, 100% cotton ribbed knit, indigo-dyed.
mfsc FW2024 SUBMARINER
Made in Japan

The LOOKOUT Watch Cap is a Mister Freedom® spin on the vintage 1940s US Navy “Enlisted Man’s Watch Cap” pattern, with the usual liberties we take with our military-inspired pieces.

First, we opted for 100% cotton yarn, as opposed to the worsted wool of the originals. The warmth properties of the cotton knit is obviously not comparable to that of wool, but this makes our cap a bit more all-season for us Californians. Then we went for indigo-dyed rather than the traditional navy blue color, for a beautiful patina overtime.

The construction is a combination of three continuous knit patterns: two distinct ribbed knit sections finished by a “purl knit” bottom band at the cuff. The hat features a six-dart 1×1 ribbed knit crown.
We revisited the silhouette for a rather shallow profile, staying clear of the “ski cap” vibe of contemporary beanies with pointy/high crowns, aiming for more of a vintage seaman style.

We’re not big on obnoxious outside branding in general, but our old school “MFSC Naval Clothing Tailor” woven rayon label is stitched to the visible side of the cuff, in all its glory! We’re proud of what we make at MF® — or what we don’t make, and where we make it — so, once in a while, we flash our little brand’s name. That label looks pretty cool when worn on the side or back of the head.

The “liberty” mermaid patch on the other side of the cuff is a nod to the salty tradition of liberty cuffs in the US Navy, a customized uniform detail we’ve often played with. That rayon patch is stitched on 3 sides, so feel free to slide a folded sawbuck in there as emergency fund, when you really need that hipster cappuccino but left your wallet at home, and the phone battery gave up on you after prolonged exposure to the vast wasteland of TikTok.
And when the dude standing in line behind you for his cup of joe enquires about the flag of Scotland on your lid, go salty and mention that those are actually is maritime signal flags: diagonal white cross on blue background is international naval code for Mike, the letter “M”. Red diamond on white background is Foxtrot, “F”. He’ll reply Tango Mike.

Anyways, “Lookouts to the bridge!” (sub lingo here) calls the conning tower CPO to the three bubbleheads (port/starboard/stern) on watch… “Dive, Dive, Dive!” into our FW2024 SUBMARINER story here, and check out the whole line-up here.

The Mister freedom® LOOKOUT Watch Cap design is reimagined in California, USA, and produced in Japan in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.

SPECS:
PATTERN: Inspired by vintage 1930s~40s US Navy watch caps, revisited.
FABRIC: 100% cotton ribbed knit, indigo-dyed.
DETAILS:
* Three continuous knit patterns, two ribbed knit sections finished by a “purl knit” bottom band.
* Traditional six-dart 1×1 ribbed knit crown.
* Shallow profile, designed for single wide fold/cuff.
* Woven mfsc rayon label exposed on cuff, backed with concealed old style USN mermaid “Liberty” patch.
* One size.
* Made in Japan.
SIZING/FIT:
The Mister Freedom® LOOKOUT Watch Cap comes ready to wear, no shrinking protocol.
Due to the cotton knit stretch, this is a “one-size-fits-all” type cover.
Style it your way, new school or old school, cocked to the side, slung in the back of the skull, pulled over the ears with a narrower cuff…
CARE:
Hand wash when needed, lay flat to dry on (dark) towel.

Mister Freedom® SKIVVY T-Shirt, all cotton tubular knit, new “DESERT SAND” color, Made in USA.

Mister Freedom® SKIVVY T-Shirt, all cotton tubular knit, new “Desert Sand” color!
Made in USA

We are introducing a new fantastic color for our very popular Skivvy T-Shirt!
Call it beige, natural white, cream, écru, … , we named it “Desert Sand” ’cause we’re fancy like that.

The color is similar to that of unbleached cotton yarn, and was inspired by the specific shade of an old vintage henley undershirt from our archives.

The “Desert Sand” now joins our growing Skivvy family of classic T-Shirts introduced in 2013: white, black, navy blue, jungle green, sage green, brown 436, along with an heather grey edition.
Same US Military-inspired “Quarter Sleeve Undershirt” cut, same old school flatlock seam construction, same vintage silhouette, and same all-American provenance.

Please refer to the original MF® blog posts for specificities of both Skivvy and Stanley T-shirts, specs/sizing/fit/care instructions. Find the skinny on Skivvy vs. Stanley here. It’s like a Coke® vs. Pepsi® decision, but better for you.