Mister Freedom® “Scuttler Cap”

Mister Freedom® original “Scuttler Cap”

After our Apache casquette, “La Deffe“, from our previous “Les Apaches” collections, here is another nod to bygone underworlds from across the pond. Not an apologia of violence or hooliganism by any means, just vintage pop culture inspiration.
I visited an exhibition in Paris a while back, featuring mugshots by French anthropometry photography pioneer Alphonse Bertillon, from the archives of the “Police Nationale” (from the 1880’s on). From a Costume History perspective, it was interesting to see outfits of the ‘everyday’ folks who had fallen on the wrong side of the Law. Snap shots of what they wore on the fatal day, caught in the act. Quite often a departure from silver screen wardrobe from period movies. There are a few interesting ‘mugshots’ books available today, from International origins.

While Paris of the Belle Époque had its ‘Apaches’, Manchester enjoyed the ‘Scuttlers’. While Paris of the Belle Époque had its ‘Apaches’, Manchester enjoyed the ‘Scuttlers’, all victims, misfits and drop-outs left by the wayside of the Second Industrial Revolution…
In “Teenage, Creation of Youth 1875-1945”, British writer Jon Savage describes their attire this way:

“…the “professional scuttler” wore “a puncher’s cap”, “narrow-go-wides” trousers, narrow-toed brass-tipped clogs, and heavy customized belts with designs, picked out in metal pins, that included serpents, stars, and pierced hearts. The “boy expert” Charles Russell observed that the Mancunian variant wore “a loose white scarf”, with hair “well plastered down upon his forehead”, “a peaked cap rather over one eye”, and trousers “cut – like a sailor’s – with ‘bell bottoms’”

More here or YouTube short doc here, for those interested.

Our version (again, nothing literal) of the “Scuttler Cap” is a eight panel ‘newsboy’ style hat, with an original Mister Freedom® pattern. It can be worn and shaped in several fashions, straight, tilted to the side or back, un-snapped, backwards, tilted to the front to hide a shiner…

Designed in California by Mister Freedom®, and hand made in small batches in our Los Angeles atelier.

SPECS:

* Assorted vintage selvedge New Old Stock fabrics, 100% cotton or cotton/linen métisse. Limited availability per styles. Textiles of assorted origins, 1930’s to 1960’s. See detailed fabric photos for plain weave indigo dyed, woven plaid, grey HBT, covert twill, woven stripes etc…
* Kangaroo leather inner headband.
* Matching fabric covered top buttons, hand made (yes, that was a task enough to be mentioned!)
* NOS cotton biased tape seam piecing.
* Snap brim (A-2 pockets type metal snaps, mil-specs)

SIZING:
Most caps have been cold soaked (to get that ‘torque’ fabric effect) and line dried. The head band will very lightly stretch back with repeat wear, and ‘mold’ to your head. Cap sizes are measured AFTER rinse, to the best of our abilities.
57cm (~ US 7 1/8)
58cm (~ US 7 1/4)
59cm (~ US 7 3/8)
60cm (~ US 7 1/2)
61cm (~ US 7 5/8)
62cm (~ US 7 3/4)

Professional cleaning when needed. Do NOT boil or machine wash.

Available rinsed or raw.
Retail $199.95

Call (323) 653-2014 or Email [email protected] to get yours while they last. We ship internationally. Thank you Lads for your support.