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Mister Freedom® RAIDERS Fatigues, 2×1 “Army” denim & Two-Tone OD HBT. Those interested in our choice of moniker for those trousers, and its relevance to our FROGSVILLE SS2021 venture, can refer to Marine Raiders, OSS Maritime Units, early-days US combat swimmers aka frogmen, US Navy SEALs history… Our “RAIDERS” Fatigues are inspired by a pair of vintage M1941 utility trousers from our archives, a model issued to USMC personnel between 1942 and 1945 (source) and referred to as second pattern. Again, we’ll pass on all design credits to Uncle Sam’s Quartermaster Corps, as our creative input was merely to adjust the fit to our liking from the original US Gov-issued fatigues. As often, we played around with fabric options, and our RAIDERS come in two distinct versions: The first release is one of those “didn’t exist but could have” MF® approaches, and features a 10 Oz. blue denim developed by our friends at Buzz Rickson’s as vintage Mil-Specs “Army” denim. It is a lightweight 2×1 slubby indigo denim twill with a grayish weft, white/blue line selvedge ID. This fabric is reminiscent of early US Army denim dungarees and WW2 barracks bags. For the second option, we loved the look of our original beat-up USMC trousers a lot and couldn’t help going for a similar vibe, using a sturdy and crisp OD HBT (Olive Drab Herringbone Twill) ready for hard wear. The MF® Raiders Fatigues are designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co. SPECS: PATTERN: Inspired by a vintage pair USMC M1941 Utility Trousers. FABRIC OPTIONS: DETAILS: SIZING/FIT: Both models of the MF® RAIDERS Fatigues come unwashed and are cut so that the measurements match the labeling AFTER an initial cold soak/line dry. We recommend this usual protocol before wear:
I opted for a W30 in both models (5.7’’ / approx. 150 lbs), for a fitted top block and wide leg silhouette. CARE: Available from www.misterfreedom.com, our Los Angeles brick & mortar store, and fine retailers around the World. Christophe Loiron
Mister Freedom® ADVISOR Jacket, 2×1 “Army” denim & Gold Tiger Stripe camo. For the “Advisor” moniker background, please refer to the Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) briefly mentioned on this blog in 2014, while introducing the Mister Freedom® “Okinawa” Californians. In a nutshell, “Advisors” were US military-trained personnel sent to strategic foreign shores, in order to train, support, supervise and fund local military forces and indigenous groups that had (or could be convinced of having) the United States’ best interests at heart. My favorite reads at the time of our 2015 “Saigon Cowboy” venture were the captivating “A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam” (Neil Sheehan, 1988) – forget the TV drama and opt for the book instead- , and of course the must-read classic “Dispatches” (Michael Herr, 1977). Since I’m in the middle of reading it, some of the 875 pages of “About Face” written by one of America’s most decorated veterans, Colonel David H. Hackworth, offer a perspective of US Advisors realty in the field one might find interesting. The vintage militaria collector knows to refer to “Uniforms & Equipement of U.S. Military Advisors in Vietnam: 1957-1972” regarding history and gear. Period photography show US Advisors in Vietnam wearing all kinds of cammies and gear, Beo-Gam (leopard), WW2 Duck Hunter, spray-painted “Tiger” Stripes, …, US commercial and local-made custom patterns. As always, we were not going for a replica, so the design of the MF® “ADVISOR” is not about regulation field uniforms or authentic US Gov-issued period gear. Instead, we played around with the concept of a fictitious in-country tailor-made jacket that a US Advisor could have strut on R&R in Hong Kong, Thailand, or worn around the NCO Club while sipping a cold Bamiba, that fine local beer affectionally referred-to as “tiger p*ss” by ground forces and apparently brewed with formaldehyde according to several veteran accounts… The pattern of the MF® ADVISOR Jacket was actually adapted from an unidentified vintage local-made mid-60s civvy jacket cut from a late 60s US Army ERDL poncho liner, maybe commissioned at the time from a Saigon Tu Do Street tailor or other SE Asia local-made options?  The inspiration behind Mister Freedom® “ADVISOR” Jacket, MF® vintage archives ©2021 We tweaked the pattern, details and fit to our liking, and opted for two distinct fabrics. First fabric is a sixties-inspired “Gold Tiger Stripe” twill we secured from Buzz Rickson’s, the famed vintage US mil-specs Japanese experts. This fabric was previously featured on our 2015 “Saigon Cowboy” Board Shorts. I believe this specific tiger pattern is referred to as TSP (Tadpole Sparse Pattern), although the whole camo classification and evolution tends to be quite confusing. The correct answer is inside Richard Denis Johnson’s “Tiger Patterns” (ISBN 0-7643-0756-8), for those interested in solving that mystery. Second fabric option is a lightweight 10 Oz. 2×1 selvedge denim, a replica of 1940s US Army dungarees fabric, again developed by our friend Buzz. We added two concealed iPhone/sunglasses pockets on the zip placket, cut from a contrast “signal yellow/emergency orange” twill. We figured we’d spice-up the tiger stripe edition with inside “rainbow” chainstitching, for an extra Liberty/shore leave vibe. All the above historical ramblings aside, our denim ADVISOR will look to most like a rather classic 60s windbreaker type jacket, and the tiger version more of a head-turning hybrid, vintage Saigon Cowboy style meets modern streetwear. The MF® ADVISOR Jacket is designed in California by Mister Freedom®, and manufactured in Japan in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co. SPECS: PATTERN: Original MFSC pattern, inspired by a 1960s zipper jacket, and the US military tradition of local-made custom garments. FABRIC: DETAILS: SIZING/FIT:
I opted for a 38 (Medium) for a comfortable fit (5.7’’ / approx. 150 lbs). Compare measurements with an unlined jacket of similar style you own and that fits you well to dial-in the size that will work best for you, according to your silhouette preference and layering habits. CARE: Available RAW/unwashed. Available from www.misterfreedom.com, our Los Angeles brick & mortar store, and fine retailers around the World. Christophe Loiron
 “The Frogmen” (1951) Courtesy of 20th Century Fox
Mister Freedom® “FROGMAN” Jacket, 100% cotton navy blue HBT. The pattern of our “FROGMAN” was inspired by a garment the US Army adopted in 1940, the short-lived P41 blue denim utility jacket. The iconic dungaree jacket/trousers utility set was quickly replaced by an updated pattern issued a more versatile olive drab HBT (herringbone twill), which could be worn both for chores and in the field. Surviving blue denim 1940-1941 specimen are quite sought-after today. Many went to outfit POWs.
Not much brain activity was required from the MF® Design Dept on this op, full credits going to Uncle Sam’s Quartermaster Corps. Starting with a vintage P41 denim jacket from our archives, we just added two chest pockets (one outside and one concealed for your smartphone), and adjusted the fit to our liking. This is a no-nonsense, streamlined, utilitarian chore jacket pattern. In regards to our choice of fabric, one may remember the Saigon Cowboy 2015 Utility Jacket, for which our design approach had been to use 2×1 denim with a 1940’s US Army jacket pattern (PDQ 45) initially-issued in olive drab HBT. Instead of the classic OD color associated with WW2 USMC or US Army fatigues, we opted for a non-military navy blue HBT, following our “didn’t exist but could have” usual approach. This dry 100% cotton HBT fabric is sulfur-dyed, a process quite in-vogue these days as it boasts low colorfastness resulting in quickly-fading garments. With a bit of normal wear and routine washes, the FROGMAN Jacket should get you that desirable ol’ salt look, without ever leaving port! Please note that the fast-fading quality of this HBT does not alter the fabric sturdiness, as “vintage” factory distressing (chemical or abrasion) does. The keen eye will also notice we played with the HBT fabric grain again (as we did on the Swabbies, one of my favorite pair of dungarees!), featuring horizontal warp on all the patch pockets, contrasting with the traditional vertical warp of the body. This subtle detail, in time, should lead to interesting puckering and patina contrasts. The MF® FROGMAN jacket is designed in California by Mister Freedom®, and manufactured in Japan in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co. SPECS: SIZING/FIT:
The relative stiffness of the fabric following this process is normal and expected, and is due to the starch added during milling stage. This temporary “crispiness” of the 100% cotton HBT will subside rapidly with normal wear. I opted for a 36 (Small) for a still comfortable fit (5.7’’ / approx. 150 lbs). The 38 (Medium) felt too roomy for the silhouette I was going for. You may want to consider sizing down with the FROGMAN Jacket See both 36 and 38 fit photos and refer to sizing chart for approximate raw/soaked measurements. Compare them with an unlined jacket of similar style you own and that fits you well to dial-in the size that will work best for you, according to your silhouette preference and layering habits. CARE: Available RAW/unwashed. Available from www.misterfreedom.com, our Los Angeles brick & mortar store, and fine retailers around the World. Christophe Loiron |
