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Mister Freedom® DUDE RANCHER Snap Shirt, “101” selvedge denim edition. Riding shotgun with the Rubber Duck for Fall 2020 is our DUDE RANCHER in a new skin, a nice and dry indigo denim twill. We are calling it “101” in reference to the famous U.S. Route 101 – or 101 freeway as it is called in So Cal – and as a nod to the bygone Montgomery Ward “101” Powerhouse workwear brand. Our DUDE RANCHER pattern, previously released in black and white broadcloth (cotton poplin), printed shadow plaid, light indigo vat-dye chambray, and “Joan” woven plaid, is a Mister Freedom® spin on the traditional “western snap” shirt. The design features the expected western-style front and back curved yokes and arcuate panels. The playful “M” branding on the chest pockets is disguised as decorative stitching. The tricked-out forearm pattern and intricate one-piece elbow/cuff reinforcement diamond-shaped placket is quite a garment construction tour de force, for anyone who knows his/her way around a sewing machine. The shirts buttons are painted metal snaps, reminiscent of 50’s Ranchcraft or Blue Bell shirts, initially featured on the 2013 MF® Sportsman printed flannel Camp Shirts. If pearl snap buttons are more-commonly associated with traditional western shirts, these metal snaps are a bit more subdued and utilitarian. The DUDE RANCHER western snap shirt “101” denim is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co. FABRIC: SPECS: SIZING/FIT:
I personally opted for a SMALL, for a trim, traditional western “cowboy” shirt fit, sizing down from my usual Medium in mfsc shirting. I am 5.7’’ approx. 150 Lbs. Note that this denim version of the DUDE RANCHER features slightly longer tails and arms than previous versions. CHART CARE: Available RAW (unwashed) Available from www.misterfreedom.com, our Los Angeles brick & mortar store, and fine retailers around the World. Christophe Loiron
Mister Freedom® DUDE RANCHER Snap Shirt, “Joan” plaid flannel edition. Head over to Sesame Street, and get your ears on, Bubba! Imagine this CB convo: A: “Breaker one-nine this here’s the Rubber Duck for that WATER HOLE capsule out of Shaky City. Put an eyeball on it good buddy! You gotta copy on me, C’mon?” B: “That’s a 10-4 Rubber Duck, affirmative. Mercy sakes alive she’s a looker! A: “10-4 Bubba. Threes and eights. Keep the shiny side up. Over out.” As a Four-Wheeler (a non-trucker) you probably missed a bit of the above exchange… But we’ve all watched Convoy and had the soundtrack as an ear worm at some point, and maybe made a few attempts at going full-on Rachet Jaw at karaoke? To brush-up on your 1970s Citizens Band (CB) radio lingo, here are a few clues to decode that convo: Sesame Street: Channel 19, the “trucker channel” on CB radio. Got a copy, good buddy? Check out the “Over The Road” podcast and particularly this episode about the Trucking Industry history in the US, its place in American life, clarifying the concept of Wildcatters (aka independent trucker, owner operator, “gypsy”, scale-dodging outlaws with CB handles like “Bandit”, “Lone Ranger” etc) vs. Teamsters (Union drivers, more likely to be wearing company uniforms than western duds). The world of truckers – drivers as they refer to themselves, considered by some as the last of the cowboys – has also greatly contributed to American pop culture through the years, blessing us with no less than three volumes of Smokey and the Bandit, and other silver screen gems. Now, about our shirt… The DUDE RANCHER pattern is our spin on the traditional “western snap” shirt. It features the expected western-style front and back curved yokes and arcuate panels. The playful “M” branding on the chest pockets is disguised as decorative stitching. The tricked-out forearm pattern and intricate one-piece elbow/cuff reinforcement diamond-shaped placket is quite a garment construction tour de force, for anyone who knows his/her way around a sewing machine. Our shirt features painted metal snaps, reminiscent of 50’s Ranchcraft or Blue Bell shirts, initially featured on the 2013 MF® Sportsman printed flannel Camp Shirts. If pearl snap buttons are more-commonly associated with traditional western shirts, these metal snaps are a bit more subdued and utilitarian. The MF® Dude Rancher is already available in fine black and white broadcloth (cotton poplin), in a vibrant printed shadow plaid, and a light indigo vat-dye chambray. We are introducing a new fabric this fall, an original plaid milled exclusively for us in Japan, and inspired by a beautiful 1950s Levi’s longhorn western shirt, belonging to a “Joan Saxe”, obviously a woman with exquisite tastes.  The vintage inspiration behind the fabric of the MF® Dude Rancher “Joan” plaid flannel. Our interpretation of that vintage textile is a selvedge 8.25 Oz. woven plaid cotton flannel, with red and white dominant tones, and featuring actual indigo-dyed yarns in the weave. Our fabric, quite heavy and with a crisp dry hand, will over time fade to the tones of the vintage specimen. The DUDE RANCHER western snap shirt “Joan” plaid flannel is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co. FABRIC: SPECS: SIZING/FIT:
I opted for a SMALL, for a trim, traditional western “cowboy” shirt fit (5.7’’ approx. 150 Lbs), sizing down from my usual Medium in mfsc shirting.
CARE: Available RAW (unwashed) Available from www.misterfreedom.com, our Los Angeles brick & mortar store, and fine retailers around the World. Christophe Loiron  Mister Freedom® MF51 Field Shirt, navy blue melton wool ©2020
 Mister Freedom® MF51 Field Shirt, indigo Melton wool (left) and navy blue melton wool (right) ©2020  Mister Freedom® MF51 Field Shirt, indigo Melton wool (left) and navy blue melton wool (right) ©2020  Mister Freedom® MF51 Field Shirt, indigo Melton wool (left) and navy blue melton wool (right) ©2020  Mister Freedom® MF51 Field Shirt, indigo Melton wool (left) and navy blue melton wool (right) ©2020  Mister Freedom® MF51 Field Shirt, indigo Melton wool (left) and navy blue melton wool (right) ©2020  Mister Freedom® MF51 Field Shirt, indigo melton wool ©2020
Mister Freedom® MF51 Field Shirt, melton wool. The main inspiration behind the MF51 is the Government-Issued “SHIRTS, MAN’S, FIELD, WOOL/NY” (DA-36-030-QM-8549), a Korean War era US military cold weather staple. We combined the classic OD wool overshirt pattern with the vibe of vintage USN and civvy CPO shirts.  Vintage US Army Field Shirt, 1954 pattern, issued in 1956.  US Army M-1951 Cold-Wet/Dry Clothing System. What stands out of the original design is the angled shoulder yoke pattern with its characteristic “X” rear panels intricate construction, and the two utilitarian large chest pockets matched with the wide open collar. If the originals were issued in an olive green shade #108 wool/nylon blend, we opted instead for a soft-hand navy blue melton wool, blending with our “Waterfront Surplus” theme and its many nautical-related garments. We are also releasing an indigo-dyed melton wool version of the MF51, which looks very similar to its navy blue mate, but with the added appeal of future indigo fading and natural evolution from wear. We played around with the milspecs/instructions triple military labeling. The MF51 harbors our new 2020 original “MFSC Naval Clothing Tailor” woven rayon label (the two nautical pennants representing Mike and Foxtrot, and not the flag of Scotland), along with two white quartermaster-style cheesecloth tags, a branding combo visible on the outside from the unusual uninterrupted stitch. The two darts of the lower back panel were initially intended to be easily unstitched by the wearer to add width to the shirt. If we kept this detail and the broad shoulder cut, we adjusted the fit to a more contemporary silhouette, as the vintage specimen are quite ill-fitting. Still, our MF51s are considered overshirts and are cut accordingly to accommodate layering. The Mister Freedom® mfsc MF51 FIELD SHIRT is designed in California by Mister Freedom®, and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co. FABRIC: SPECS: SIZING: Please refer to sizing chart and compare measurement with a similar garment that fits you well to chose the proper size.
CHART CARE: SIZES: S, M, L, XL, XXL Available from www.misterfreedom.com, our Los Angeles brick & mortar store, and fine retailers around the World. Christophe Loiron
 The happy Mister Freedom® BALOO family. Mister Freedom® Black “BALOO” TWO-TONE Jacket, black veg-tan ’Tea-Core” cowhide leather & sheepskin. The MF® BALOO Jacket pattern is our take of the famous vintage “Grizzly” style, a popular garment of 1930’s working America, combining mouton fur and leather in one handsome waist-length fashionable coat. Originally designed with ease of movement in mind for outdoor activities in cold temperatures, the Grizzly style soon replaced the more cumbersome full-fur coats of the late 1800’s – early 1900’s. The Mister freedom® BALOO is not a straight-up replica of these early outdoor jackets, rather the morphing of a MF® Campus into a “Bear Jacket”, as Grizzlys are sometimes referred-to. The resulting garment is a contemporary piece, easier to pull-off these days than a buffalo coat, yet retaining its vintage appeal. Sometime in 2017, we released our first BALOO model, in natural veg-tan leather with brown cognac sheepskin panels. A solid black BALOO followed in 2019, featuring black tea-core veg-tan leather (initially-developed for our popular “STALLION”) matched with tonal sheepskin panels. This Fall 2020 edition features contrasting cognac brown sheepskin panels. Regarding “tea-core” leather, as previously discussed, the term refers to an old-school tannery dyeing method, distinct from the more common dip-dyed method. “Tea-core” dyeing results in the skin side color being different from the flesh side color. Traditionally, to achieve this, hides are first dip-dyed in a light brown color. This is followed by spraying the skin side with a darker color top-coating. Japanese industry experts refer to this type of leather as Cha-Shin (茶芯), Cha meaning brown, and Shin meaning core. It is a sought-after characteristic of vintage engineer boots and older leather jackets. Starting with our MF® signature natural ‘pink’ veg-tan cowhide introduced in 2013 with the 1930’s style “Campus Jacket”, we worked with a tannery willing and patient enough to comply with our demands and high expectations, and added our twist on black tea-core leather. The idea was simply to combine the patina potential of veg-tan natural leather (a sun-tanning/wearing/conditioning journey mastered and well-documented by our good friend USMC MGySgt John “VEB”) with a solid black appearance. The BALOO being fully lined, the “tea-core” is initially only noticeable to the keen eye, on the edges of the side cinch straps, key-hole button holes, and arrow-head pocket stops. As the Black BALOO gets some mileage and naturally ages, normal abrasion of the thin black topcoat from wear will reveal the natural ‘pink’ underside, in turn evolving into a rich golden tone. With patience, regular wear, with the expected nicks, scratches, water spills, natural sun-exposure and occasional conditioning with products such as Pecard Leather Dressing, an attractive patina is likely to develop. The MF® Black “BALOO” TWO-TONE Jacket in black veg-tan ’Tea-core” cowhide leather and contrasting cognac brown sheepskin panels is designed and made in California by Mister Freedom®. SPECS: LEATHER: Lining: 100% cotton brushed flannel with a 1940’s-50’s-inspired vibrant plaid pattern, discharge-printed. Fabric milled in Japan. NOTE: The Mister Freedom® Black BALOO TWO-TONE Jacket is made of genuine leather, not pleather. We use full-grain, and not top-grain leather (aka corrected or buffed leather, sanded to level surface inconsistencies). No two hides are alike and each panel may feature variations in texture along with natural imperfections. DETAILS: SIZING: Refer to sizing chart below for approximate measurements. Please consider the thickness of the sheepskin when trying to match your chest measurements and the jacket’s measurements. Please contact sales@misterfreedom.com if in doubt about sizing.
CARE: Available Sizes: Available from www.misterfreedom.com, our Los Angeles brick & mortar store, and fine retailers around the World. Christophe Loiron |
