Mister Freedom® infos « CHRISTOPHELOIRON®

Mister Freedom® “MEDALIST” Crewneck Sweatshirt, “Freedom” Print Edition

Mister Freedom® MEDALIST Crewneck Sweatshirt, made in Japan.
Limited “Freedom” Print Edition, hand-silkscreened in USA.

First, a bit of R&D background on the Mister Freedom® MEDALIST, our take on the iconic American SWEATSHIRT, introduced sometime in 2021.

Like classic vintage sweatshirts (~ pre-1970s), our MEDALIST is cut from tubular fleeced jersey, meaning the sock-like cylinder body has no side seams.

With roots in the 1920s, modern tubular fleece has been produced since the 1950s on elaborate single-jersey circular knitting machines. Due to the cylinder shape and fixed circumference of the finished material, several machines and tedious set-ups are required to produce different sizes of the same tubular sweatshirt fabric.

Our waistband ribbing is also tubular, without the joining side seam typical of contemporary fashion sweatshirts. We opted for a special “5×1 needle-out” type of ribbing, a cool feature of certain rare and desirable vintage 1940s-50s specimen. Our friends at Toyo Enterprise sourced-out not only the perfect tubular fleece in Japan, but managed to mill the special needle-out tubular ribbing.

Construction wise, we scrutinized and dissected several vintage specimen collected over the years, studied classic proportions and cuts, found inspiration in period silhouettes from old photos and 1930s-1960s catalogs of athletic goods, tested prototypes with traditional stitching options… and basically came up with a very old-school looking winner, the MF® MEDALIST!

For our aesthetics, one of the key point was the “drop shoulder” look. Modern sweatshirts and even contemporary vintage replicas tend to prefer an updated non-slouching shoulder seam, for a “more tailored” look. The drop shoulder cut may be an acquired taste, like the leg twist on a pair of old Levi’s for instance, but we went for the “anti-fit” cut of authentic 1940s-50s vintage sweatshirts.

The double neck “V” insert design detail was initially intended as a stretch gusset on the neck band so that the pull-over warm-up shirt (made of wool in the early days) would fit over, say, a football helmet. Our MEDALIST 40s-style double Vs are of the “functioning” type, as they actually are double-layer stretchy ribbing inserts, and not just the decorative V-shaped flat lock stitching typical of later productions of sweatshirts. Many “V”s on contemporary sweats are also purely decorative.

Another feature of our MEDALIST are the underarm expansion gussets, an intricate construction challenge lifted from a rare 1950s vintage sweat from our archives.

Anyone familiar with vintage sweats knows of the common sleeves-are-too-short issue, the result of excessive shrinkage and improper shrink tests from the maker. This is one of the liberties we took with “authenticity”, as we carefully balanced the drop of the shoulder seam, calculated optimal sleeve length while considering the extra-long (foldable) ribbed cuffs, factored-in fabric shrinkage, adjusted sleeve width… to achieve a proper post-wash fit that will work for most.

As a touch of modern practicability, we mounted a back pocket to the sweatshirt rear panel, with an original flat-lock construction “sandwiched” in the waistband, a handy storage for a smart phone when cycling.

Now the graphic part!
As we recently resumed ops at our in-house silkscreening station, hand-printing a few MF® Shop Tees with our popular “Freedom” logo, we threw in a few white MEDALISTS in the mix. We may be working on other graphics and body colors in the future, but this is a limited batch, and so far the only water-based print available on the MEDALIST. Water-based prints, as opposed to more modern and even plastisol-type ink prints, are characterized by their soft hand, due to the ink penetrating the yarns, instead of a thicker layer clinging to the surface of the fabric.
We operate our silkscreening press by hand, so no two shirts will come out exactly alike, the finished look depending on the pressure applied to the squeegee, number of passes, stretch of the cotton jersey on the table, position of the shirt, outside temperature, ink mix, viscosity, curing time, etc.
Our water-based prints will fade overtime with normal wash/wear routine, just as classic vintage printed Ts and sweats.

For another vintage-style ornamentation method on our MEDALIST, using a completely different traditional technique, see our Japan-printed flock graphics here.

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® SWABBIES CUT-OFFS, OG-107 Cotton Sateen, SS2024 mfsc AREA 7161, made in Japan.

Mister Freedom® SWABBIES CUT-OFFS, OG-107 Cotton Sateen.
SS2024 mfsc AREA 7161 Collection.
Made in Japan.

The Mister Freedom® SWABBIES were initially released sometime in 2020 as full-legged bell-bottom denim trousers.

The pattern inspiration had come from a rare pair of 1940’s-50’s private-purchase naval dungarees from the “Portlite Uniform” maker, extensively documented here. If these conformed to the general silhouette and specs of traditional US Navy-issued denim dungarees — with authentic 1940’s-style navy bells and a traditional high waist —, they featured really fancy tailoring and intricate pattern work for a pair of utilitarian trousers. The apparently-inconspicuous two front pockets are actually a very clever combination of two types of pocket patterns, slash and patch, a construction tour-de-force on a wrap leg that only makes sense when studying the inside of the pants.

The SWABBIES CUT-OFFS, as the name implies, are simply a cropped version of the SWABBIES, bye-bye bells. We hemmed the inseam at about 6 inches, for a mid-thigh length.

A common practice in tropical Theater of Operations in the old days, salty Navy personnel would chop-off their faded dungarees and turn them into swim shorts or off-duty bermudas. Another common practice was to undo the top button, and wear the shorts with the waistband rolled-down, as was often the case with UDT Scuba Trunks.

UDT-5 (circa 1943)
Photo licensed from NAVY SEAL Museum.

Following their navy blue HBT debut release, the SWABBIES CUT-OFFS are now available in a classic 9 Oz. vintage Mil-Spec OG-107 cotton-back sateen fabric, in that timeless US military shade of Olive Green we all love. Milled in 2024 as close as it gets to its 1952 GI ancestor (unlike most contemporary overly-slubby commercial renditions), our OG-107 cotton sateen will age as gracefully as that of vintage fatigues.

Wear the SWABBIES CUT-OFFS at the original mid-thigh length, hem them shorter, roll them, or chop them and let the bottom fray (as I did with my navy blue HBT release), they are versatile short pants boasting a vintage pedigree, with a tough military/workwear classic vibe.

The mfsc SWABBIES CUT-OFFS are designed in California by Mister Freedom®, and manufactured in Japan in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.

SPECS:
FABRIC:
100% cotton, vintage Mil-Specs cotton-back sateen, OG-107 color (classic US military Olive Green), 9 Oz., milled in Japan.
DETAILS:
* An original mfsc pattern inspired by US Navy 1940’s-50’s private-purchase denim bell bottom trousers aka dungarees, cropped into short pants.
* Hemmed at mid-thigh, can be cropped to one’s preferred length.
* Wrap leg (no outseam.)
* Black 1940s-style laurel leaf starburst metal donut waist & fly buttons.
* Front pockets combining complex patch-type and slash-type pattern due to the challenge of the wrap leg. No open seams.
* Rear patch pockets cut using horizontal warp.
* Flat lock chainstitch construction.
* Tonal all-cotton stitching.
* Bar-tacked stress points.
* Woven rayon mfsc “AREA 7161” label on inside waistband.
* Made in Japan.

SIZING:
The SWABBIES CUT-OFFS come UN-WASHED and are cut so that the measurements match the labeling AFTER an initial cold soak/line dry.
We recommend the usual protocol before wearing:

Cold soak for about 30-40mn, with occasional hand agitation.
Spin dry and line dry.
Wear briefly before fully-dry to set creases, then hang until fully dry.

I had opted for a W31 in the Denim Swabbies bell-bottom trousers, for a fitted top block, comfortable thighs and period flares. I went with a W30 in the SWABBIES CUT-OFFS, for both OG-107 Cotton Sateen and navy blue HBT versions.

CARE:
Launder when needed, low maintenance.
Machine wash with cold water, gentle cycle, eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry.

Christophe Loiron
Mister Freedom®
©2024

Mister Freedom® WATERTOWN Shirt, selvedge indigo chambray, mfsc AREA 7161 SS2024. Made in Japan.

Mister Freedom® WATERTOWN Shirt, selvedge indigo chambray.
mfsc SS2024 AREA 7161
Made in Japan

The Mister Freedom® WATERTOWN Shirt gets its pattern DNA from our 2015 TAHITI Shirt, an original garment fully documented here, anecdotally dear to me as it has roots in my expat family history.
The streamline design was a take on classic 1950s-60s vintage French casual sportswear shirts: straight shirttail tuck-out style, period-typical “shark fin” collar (“col requin” in French, sometimes referred-to as “Capri” collar), side seam slits, in a long-sleeve pattern. Our Tahiti shirts were cut from printed bark-cloth type cotton fabrics featuring a splendid vintage monstera motif, in both Moana blue and Ura red color options, inspired by a set of original pareos my dad was issued during a stint at the Club Med in 1957.

The WATERTOWN Shirt is basically a short-sleeve version of our TAHITI Shirt, but also a completely different fabric treatment and concept.

For our Area 7161 story, we twisted the design and opted for a fancy cotton/linen indigo chambray fabric, an old MF® favorite previously featured on the Naval Chinos Type No.266ic, the Breezer Type II, and the Riviera Continental Sportcoat & Trousers set.

This premium indigo selvedge 6.5 Oz. chambray is a slubby, tightly-woven blend of 85% cotton and 15% linen, plain weave dark indigo warp with unbleached weft yarns, a dry and crisp fabric flashing a white/red stripe selvedge ID, exclusively milled in Japan for mfsc. It is much darker than typical workwear chambrays (or vintage-style USN workshirts), with a deep indigo hue and reddish sheen. This chambray fabric is guaranteed to age gracefully with normal wash/wear routine, developing overtime a beautiful indigo patina exposing the woven texture and ring.

For the Watertown, we decided to visually spice things up by using an orange/yellow contrast stitch construction, a nod to our Californian Blue Jeans and their classic denim two-tone stitching. A purely cosmetic design choice today — time-consuming and costly manufacturing wise —, the origin of mixing similarly-colored threads in garment construction dates back to 1940s-50s crunch time in factories, when everything on hand was used to meet production deadlines.
The fabric selvedge is displayed in both the front panels button placket and the chest pocket fold.
The sleeves are a period 1950s-style length, cut shorter than contemporary short-sleeve shirts. The amber-colored corrozo wood buttons compliment the orange/yellow chainstitch accents.

For those who wonder, our shirt gets its moniker from the classified Top-Secret and highly-restricted legendary AREA 51, a remote air strip on natural salt flats located in Groom Lake, Nevada, initially utilized during WW2 as gunnery range by USAAF pilots. Later codenamed Watertown in internal convo — also referred to as “Paradise Ranch” or “The Ranch” amongst other dreamy nicknames — , the area was secretly reactivated in 1955 as a R&D facility for covert projects. In this hard-to-access isolated high desert location, the CIA, USAF pilots (referred to as “drivers”, for anonymity), Lockheed “Skunk Works” engineers, mechanics, …, helped develop and test U-2 spy planes. More on our Mister Freedom® stylistic twist on this historical background here.

More simply, the MF® Watertown Shirt is a cool 1950s-style casual short-sleeve shirt, loaded with subtle details, blending period sportswear with workwear, diverting chambray fabric from its routine utilitarian garment role.

The MF® WATERTOWN Shirt is designed in California, USA, by Mister Freedom®, and produced in Japan in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.

SPECS:
FABRIC:
Premium indigo selvedge chambray, 6.5 Oz., slubby, 85% cotton — 15% linen tightly-woven blend, plain weave dark indigo warp with unbleached weft yarns, dry-hand, white/red stripe selvedge ID, milled in Japan.

DETAILS:
* An original mfsc shirt pattern, inspired by French 1950s vintage casual shirts, blending sportswear and workwear vibes.
* Short sleeves, period cut.
* Straight shirttail tuck-out style, side slits.
* French style “col requin” (shark fin collar), with 1950s-style collar loop.
* Contrast Californian-style yellow & orange combo stitching, high count, 100% cotton.
* Fabric selvedge displayed on front panels button placket and chest pocket fold.
* Single piece back, no shoulder yoke.
* Narrow folder chainstitch construction.
* Made in Japan.

SIZING/FIT:
The WATERTOWN Shirt in indigo chambray comes unwashed and is cut so that the measurements match the labeling AFTER an initial cold soak/line dry. We recommend this straight-forward easy protocol before wearing:

Rinse in cold water, machine setting on delicate, full cycle.
Line dry, no heat dryer.

At 5’7 ~145 lbs, I opted for a SMALL for a comfortable fit. We recommend getting your usual size in MF® shirts.
Please refer to sizing chart for approximate soaked/rinsed measurements, and reach out to sales@misterfredom.com for further sizing advice.

CARE:
Machine wash on DELICATE, cold water, mild eco-friendly detergent. Line dry.
Do not use the washer’s heavy-duty cycle. Heat dryer is also not recommended and may result in excessive and irreversible shrinkage.

Christophe Loiron
Mister Freedom®
©2024

Mister Freedom® CALIFORNIAN Lot.64MD “OUTLAW” model, 16 Oz. indigo MIDNIGHT selvedge denim, mfsc FW2022. Made in USA.

“Won’t bind your legs.”

Mister Freedom® Californian Lot64MD “OUTLAW”, 16 Oz. indigo “Midnight” selvedge denim.
mfsc FW2022 Sportsman Catalog
Made in USA

The Californian “OUTLAW” has been a member of our classic Californian Blue Jeans Family since we introduced the original modified pattern in 2021.

We basically took the cut of our popular Lot64 – slightly tapered leg, mid rise, traditional 1950s-60s silhouette – and spiced things up a bit by introducing a western-wear modification to a classic five-pocket style: “frogmouth” type front pocket openings, sometimes referred-to as western pockets, a detail often seen on early riding apparel.
We have played around with this pocketing style in the past, with mfsc oldies such as the MF® Vaqueros, Buckaroos, Conductor Slacks, and the Deputy Britches. From the latter, we directly borrowed and adapted the pocket opening design for the OUTLAW.
This vintage-style western tailoring touch is subtle, but adds a cool twist to a classic pair of five-pocket jeans, setting them apart from the herd.

The Californian Lot64 OUTLAW model is available in several fabrics, a traditional blue denim NOS Cone 14 Oz., a black sulfur-dyed 13 Oz. denim, and now in our mighty “Midnight denim”, a sturdy 16 Oz. selvedge denim twill milled for us in Japan, featuring a dark indigo warp x black weft.

For those into denim fades (from natural wear) nothing short of spectacular, this two-legged horse is a good one to bet on!

The Californian Lot64MD OUTLAW are designed in California by Mister Freedom®, and produced in USA in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co, cut from premium selvedge denim milled in Japan.

SPECS:

PATTERN:
* Original Mister Freedom® classic vintage five-pocket blue jeans pattern.
* Our popular Lot64 cut (slightly tapered leg, mid rise, traditional 1950s-60s silhouette.)
* Western-style “Frogmouth” front pocket opening pattern.
* Button fly, combination of brass/silver original MF® branded metal cast waist/fly tack buttons.
* Selvedge leg outseam.
* NOS fabric pocket bags, vintage French workwear type black/grey woven stripe.
* MF® original “M” branding stitch design on rear pockets, tonal.
* MF® branded black tea-core leather patch on rear pocket.
* Black tonal stitching, 100% cotton thread, gauge combination.
* Coin pocket with concealed selvedge.
* Selvedge button hole fly placket.
* Hidden back pocket reinforcement rivets, with top pocket reinforcement bar tack stitching.
* Unmarked copper riveting for pocket opening reinforcement.
* Original MF® paper pocket flasher (dark navy)
* Made in USA

SIZING/FIT:
The Californian Lot64MD OUTLAW Midnight jeans come UN-WASHED, and are cut so that the measurements match the labeling AFTER an initial cold soak/line dry. A tagged W32 x L34 will shrink to approximately 32 inches x 34 inches after a soak/dry process.
We recommend the usual protocol before wearing:

Cold soak for about 30-40mn, with occasional hand agitation.
Machine spin dry cycle, and/or line dry.
Optionally, wear briefly while still damp to set creases, then hang until fully dry.

The size that will work best for you depends on how you like your jeans to fit. I opted for a W30 with this model (my current waist size in MF® Californians), for a classic silhouette with a snug waist, comfortable top block and straight leg. I’m about 5’7 – 145 lbs.
As with all denim twills, shrinkage and stretching will occur for a while and will depend on the wearer’s body, activities and initial fit.
DENIM CARE:
Treat this Midnight denim twill as you would premium indigo-dyed denim.
Launder your denim jeans when needed, according to frequency of wear and activities. Machine wash or hand wash, turn garment inside out to avoid marbling. Cold water, gentle cycle, eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry. Wash separately from light-colored garments.
Patina will develop according to activities and frequency of wear.

Available from www.misterfreedom.com, our Los Angeles red brick HQ, 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,

Mister Freedom® SPORTSMAN Shirt, NOS IceBlu denim edition, mfsc SS2024, made in USA.

Enter the Loiron

Mister Freedom® SPORTSMAN Shirt, NOS 2×1 ICEBLU Selvedge Denim.
SS2024 Sportsman Catalog.
Made in USA.

We introduced the MF® Sportsman Shirt pattern sometime in 2013, and have since released it in a wide range of new original or vintage NOS fabrics.
This simple vintage utilitarian style is our spin on classic 1930s-1950s work shirts, with the expected early workwear details such as chin strap and side gussets, and the less-common shoulder yoke dart construction. This latter detail is the main difference between the Mister Freedom® Sportsman Shirt and its Ranger Shirt compadre.

We scored some fine NOS yardage of 2×1 selvedge denim last year, a lightweight 7.25 Oz. twill in a very desirable lighter indigo shade, and decided to do a small run with it. Like previous lighter indigo denims we’ve worked with — from the Maverick to the Ranch Blouse — we’re calling this hue “IceBlu” (at times spelled Ice Blue, IceBlue, Ice-blu etc) because we’re cool like that.
Side note, this killer fabric (of probable USA origin, if not Japan) was definitely not a wise choice for cutting shirts with… It is milled on narrow shuttle loom, and, at a width of 29¼’’, is hardly the optimal candidate for a high yielding shirting fabric! Due to pattern cutting technicalities, fabrics with a 29”~32” width are usually ideal for making selvedge jeans, not shirts. Because you need almost double the amount of yardage to produce one garment, obviously driving the cost up.
But, like desert dweller Edward “take the other” Abbey suggested, this was the less-travelled road we opted for again. So there it is.

To spice things up, we opted for contrast yellow and orange stitching (the vintage-inspired color combo we use on our Californian blue jeans), a nod to period workwear production when consistency took second place over using-up everything on hand at factory level, fabric, trims, lining, and thread.

Additionally, a front row of fancy French milky-white glass buttons (authentic New Old Stock from the 1920s-30s) should make you feel very special, and probably aggravated should you accidentally smash one. Just don’t stomp on your shirt wearing clogs. If you do, forget Amazon, but this place may have replacements.

The MF® SPORTSMAN Shirt “IceBlu” Denim is designed and made in California, USA, by Mister Freedom® in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.

SPECS:
PATTERN:
Original MFSC pattern, inspired by classic 1930s-50s workwear shirting and vintage menswear fashion.
FABRIC:
New Old Stock 2×1 selvedge denim, lightweight 7.25 Oz. twill, lighter indigo “IceBlu” shade, white line selvedge ID. Probable USA mill origin.
DETAILS:
* Relaxed silhouette and fit.
* Original inverted box-pleat double chest pockets.
* Narrow chin strap.
* Authentic 1920s-30s French NOS glass buttons.
* White cotton poplin button facing strip.
* Double front & back expansion pleats on shoulder yoke, for ease of movement.
* One piece cuff gussets.
* 100% cotton thread, high stitch count, contrast yellow and orange combo.
* Flat felled seams, with inside green chain-stitch MF® signature.
* Side gussets displaying fabric selvedge.
* Original “The SPORTSMAN” woven rayon label.
* Limited production.
* Made in USA.

SIZING/FIT:

The SPORTSMAN Shirt, IceBlu Denim edition, comes unwashed and is cut so that the measurements match the labeling AFTER an initial cold soak/line dry. We recommend this straight-forward easy protocol:

Rinse in cold water, machine setting on delicate, full cycle.
Line dry, no heat dryer.

At 5’7 ~145 lbs, I opted for a SMALL for a trim yet comfortable fit, personal preference. We recommend getting your usual size in MF® shirts.
Please refer to sizing chart for approximate soaked/rinsed measurements, and reach out to sales@misterfredom.com for further sizing advice.

Note: 1920s-30s vintage glass buttons are sturdy but obviously more fragile than contemporary plastic/wood buttons, please handle accordingly.