Mister Freedom® infos « CHRISTOPHELOIRON®

Mister Freedom® Chemise “MARINA”, Cotton Pique, SS2019 mfsc “Yucatán” Collection, made in Japan.

: MF® Chemise Marina also available in white.

: MF® Chemise Marina also available in black.

: MF® Chemise Marina also available in red.

: Mister Freedom® SS2019 Chemise “MARINA” chest logo R&D ©2019

Mister Freedom® Chemise “MARINA”.
SS2019 mfsc “YUCATÁN” collection.
Made in Japan.

Our “YUCATÁN” capsule collection concept was introduced with the Californian Lot.674 Piqué release.
The vibe of this SS2019 menswear venture is sporty, racy, with a touch of sixties-beachcomber-meets-desert-rat. It is a concise, full-throttle yet-unassuming contemporary collection for grown-ups who have a penchant for classic designs.

The MF® Chemise “MARINA” is our humble twist on the traditional “polo shirt” pattern, so called due to its initial association with the ancient sport of polo. The activity of polo, the “Sport of Kings”, was imported by the Brits in the mid 1800’s, from Manipur, India. Along came the buttoned-down collar style of shirts sported by the local teams of horsemen. This classic garment’s history gets confusing since the term “polo shirt” evolved over time to encompass differing styles.

In the 1890’s, Brooks Brothers introduced its own original so-called “Polo Shirt”, in oxford cotton. That formal design is known today as the “Button-Down” shirt, an office favorite. Brooks Brothers’ specimen, which used to be Made in USA, can be recognized by their embroidered Golden Fleece chest logo.

In the 1920’s, French tennis player René Lacoste thought of revamping the impractical attire of his own sport of choice, white slacks and starched white shirts. His original design was a pull-over shirt in cotton piqué knit, featuring short sleeves with ribbed cuffs molding to the biceps, a rib knit collar that could be flipped-up to protect from the sun, and a “tennis tail”, a longer back panel to prevent untucking while playing.
His sporty design became the “Chemise Lacoste”, establishing the traditional pattern of the tennis shirt, or “polo” style, as it is commonly referred-to today. It rapidly spread to other sports, from golf courses to marinas, becoming a staple of casual menswear.

In the early 1970’s, Ralph Lauren introduced his own “Polo shirt”, pitching its galloping player against the hissing crocodile, adding to the confusion with the “polo” vs. “Polo” terminology, but cementing the design into its contemporary preppy demeanor.

As a casual, sporty, comfortable yet elegant, versatile and time-tested garment, polos were adopted by many stylish men through the years. Period photos abound: a young Steve McQueen hanging, Sean Connery bonding, JFK yachting, Clint Eastwood parroting…

If Fedex® and Pizza Hut® also offer their own versions of chest-branded polos today, it is in the popular 1950’s and 1960’s styles that we found inspiration for the Mister Freedom® Chemise “MARINA”.
Our ribbed knit underarm expansion gusset is a familiar classic design detail lifted off vintage sportswear polos, but the choice of chest logo took a little longer to come-up with. We’d seen them all, embroideries or patches: the entire Noah’s Ark (from tigers to dragons), wreaths, golf bags, trophies, umbrellas, skulls, mounted knights, crowns, anchors, cartoon characters, monograms, plain DBA’s, … some more clever than others.
We were aiming for something unique yet classic, elegant yet somewhat witty, unpretentious yet enticing, maybe with a nautical flair?.. We definitely wanted to stay clear from pure in-your-face branding, and picking another animal from the zoo didn’t cut it.
So, after days at the drawing board, we eventually settled on a maritime signal flag gimmick! Diagonal white cross on blue background is international naval code for Mike, the letter “M”. Red diamond on white background is Foxtrot, “F”. Serendipitously, an hoisted Mike flag warns “our vessel is not moving”, and a Foxtrot flag signals “we are disabled”.
In other words, “#%@$! We’re stuck! HELP!”
The MF® Design Department was adamant that such semiotics would most effectively convey an earnest and reliable brand image.

The Chemise “MARINA” is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co.

SPECS:
FABRIC:
Fine 100% cotton knit piqué, soft and light-weight, milled in Japan.
Three color options for SS2019:
a) White
b) Red
c) Black

DETAILS:
* An mfsc pattern inspired by classic 1950’s-1960’s “tennis” or “polo” type shirts.
* Piqué knit body.
* Original Mister Freedom® “MF 7161” maritime signal flag embroidered chest logo patch.
* Rib knit underarm expansion gusset.
* Versatile ribbed collar.
* Short sleeves with ribbed cuffs.
* Side slits with HBT tape reinforcement construction.
* Subtle “Tennis tail” (one inch difference between front and back length.)
* Genuine Nacre (Mother of Pearl) fancy buttons.
* Original Mister Freedom® mfsc “Chemise MARINA” rayon woven neck label.
* Made in Japan.

SIZING/FIT:
All color options of the Chemise “MARINA” come pre-rinsed and tumble-dried.
The shirts are therefore pre-shrunk and ready-to-wear. These feature more of a ‘vintage’ silhouette than your average contemporary polo shirts.

I went for a Medium with the Chemise “MARINA”, with a trim but comfortable fit. A Small was personally out of the question with this garment, to avoid the cropped-top look.
For info, I usually opt for Small in Mister Freedom® knitwear – Stanleys and Skivvies, Tricot Marin, GI Henley – due to a subjective preference for old-school silhouettes rather than contemporary streetwear vibes.
The cotton pique knit body has quite a mechanical stretch (the fabric naturally stretches if you pull on it), but will pretty much recover and retain its initial shape.

Please refer to sizing chart, reflecting fully-rinse and tumble-dried measurements. All shirts come pre-shrunk.

CARE:
Wash when necessary.
Hand-wash or machine wash with cold water, gentle cycle, eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry.
Consider the Chemise “MARINA” as a delicate garment, and do not launder with clothing containing sharp hardware (metal buttons, metal zippers, hooks,…) to avoid snagging the pique knit fabric and overall damage to the shirt.

Available rinsed/pre-shrunk.
Color options: White, Red or Black.
Sizes
Small (14-14½)
Medium (15-15½)
Large (16-16½)
X-Large (17-17½)
XX-Large (18-18½)

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®
©2019

Mister Freedom® “SECOYA” Double-Back Ventilated Work Shirt, Selvedge NCT Chambray, SS2019 mfsc SURPLUS catalog, made in Japan.

Mister Freedom® “SECOYA” Double-Panel Ventilated Work Shirt, selvedge “NTC” Chambray.
SS2019 mfsc Surplus Collection.
Made in Japan.

For this mouthful of a shirt, the “SECOYA” Double-Back Ventilated Work Shirt in selvedge “NTC” Chambray, we basically combined two classic vintage work shirt patterns lifted-off two specimen of the MF® archives, located at 7161 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036, USA, and open daily from 11:00PM to 06:00PM, unless we’re gone fishing, or getting our nails done next door.

Design-wise, we simply merged one rare and plain 1930’s pull-over chin-strapped no-name work chambray, with the tricked-out “Double-Panel” pattern of a vintage 1940’s STURDY OAK work chambray.
If the workwear division of Sears, Roebuck & Co under the STURDY OAK label produced the famous “Double-Back / Double-Shoulder Yoke / Double-Underarm” pattern, often complimented with “Ventilation Eyelets”, other mail-order catalog companies such as Montgomery Ward & Co, Spiegel or JCPenney also offered a version in the 1940’s -50’s. We have yet to see one in a pull-over pattern, but it probably existed.

For the moniker, secoya is Spanish for sequoia, an obvious woodsy reference to the rugged and manly “STURDY OAK” label. Other innocent candidates thrown about around the office at the time, such as “The Woody”, didn’t pass the MF® Censoring Dept.
So, SECOYA it is, a hard choice.

: 1940’s “Sturdy Oak” and 1930’s no-name vintage chambray shirts, inspiration of the Mister Freedom® “SECOYA”. (2019)

: 1940’s catalog courtesy of Mr Fukutomi, pattern maker extraordinaire.

As a design anecdote, the aforementioned vintage STURDY OAK chambray shirt from our archives was initially scored without buttons. We opted to attach a mixed bag of vintage tin-pressed type buttons on it, before sending the shirt to Sugar Cane Co for the next R&D stage. Mr. Fukutomi, Toyo’s one-and-only talented pattern maker, sourced-out replica of these exact same buttons, and managed to re-create the same effect on his first prototype. We decided to keep that ‘random’ miss-matched look for production. On period workwear pieces, with buttons falling-off and garments getting repaired instead of being discarded, finding a combination of contrasting buttons on one single garment is not uncommon.

For the fabric of the ‘SECOYA”, another stroll down Memory Lane brought us to our earliest collaboration with Sugar Cane Co: the 2008 mfsc “Naval Clothing Tailor” collection. We decided to have another fresh batch of “NCT selvedge chambray” milled in Japan, to the exact same specs as our original 2008 “mfsc Nº645 Utility Chambray”, a shirt familiar to the MF® OG’s, back when exposing the selvedge on a garment sounded like a good idea.

For a conspicuous texture and color contrast irresistible touch, the facing of the button plackets/cuffs/chest pockets is cut from another mfsc old salt favorite, a fine indigo-dyed and tightly-woven cotton poplin with promising fading properties.

Due to the double layers, multiple stitched seams, contrasting poplin facing and overall high-count cotton stitching, subtle variation of shrinkage will result in attractive puckering and roping, giving the “SECOYA” a vintage garment look after just a few normal laundry cycles.

The “SECOYA” Double-Panel Ventilated Work Shirt is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co.

SPECS:

FABRIC:
Fine and lightweight 3 Oz. indigo yarn chambray with a white/red selvedge ID, milled in Japan.

DETAILS:
* An original mfsc pattern, inspired by vintage 1930’s-1940’s classic American fancy chambray work shirts.
* Pull-over style.
* “Double-Back / Double-Shoulder Yoke / Double-Underarm” pattern.
* Ventilation Eyelets on underarm and back panels.
* Selvedge side gussets.
* Chin-strap.
* Indigo poplin facing of the front button plackets/cuffs/chest pockets.
* Mismatch combination of vintage-style tin-pressed metal painted buttons.
* Double chest pocketing, buttoned pockets.
* High-count 100% cotton tonal stitching, chainstitch construction.
* Original MF® mfsc “Surplus” woven rayon label.

SIZING/FIT:
The “SECOYA” chambray Work Shirt comes raw/unwashed.
We recommend the usual initial 30mn cold soak/occasional hand agitation/spin dry/hang dry process. The tagged size reflects the size of the garment after going through this process.
The “SECOYA” is true-to-size. I opted for a MEDIUM, my usual size in mfsc shirting. The fit is quite trim, well-balanced between enough room to pull the shirt on and off without too much struggle, and a flattering a slim silhouette.

Please refer to chart for approximate raw/soaked measurements. This explains how we size our garments.
Soaked = 30mn cold soak, spin dry and line dry.

CARE:
Wash when necessary.
Machine wash with cold water, gentle cycle, eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry.

Available RAW/un-washed.

Sizes
Small
Medium
Large
X-Large
XX-Large

Christophe Loiron
Mister Freedom®
©2019

Mister Freedom® x Sun Surf “Rock’n’Roll” Shirt, SS2019 “YUCATÁN FIESTA” edition, made in Japan.

Mister Freedom® x Sun Surf “Rock & Roll” shirt, “YUCATÁN FIESTA” Edition.
mfsc Spring 2019.
Made in Japan.

This muy caliente garment is our latest collaboration with the legendary Sun Surf® label, a branch of Toyo Enterprise known around the world for its authentic and expertly-crafted Aloha shirts.
The family-owned Japanese company’s CEO, Mr. Ryoichi Kobayashi, is an avid collector of vintage Hawaiiana. His rare shirt collection has been featured in museum exhibits and in several books. Kobayashi San’s knowledge, demanding standards and team of textile and tailoring experts, all contribute to well-curated collections of replica 1930’s to 1950’s rayon and silk tropical shirts every year.
Check them out for all your “From Here to Eternity” urges, and refer to the “Land Of Aloha” book for the history behind the SUN SURF label, previously mentioned here.

We started our collaboration with SUN SURF back in 2015, introducing the first of our “Rock & Roll” shirt, the “Action Packed” model, released in a white, red and black blend of rayon-cotton. Followed the boppin’ “Rocket 88” edition released during Spring 2016, available in all-cotton ivory, dark navy blue and mint green, a tribute to Rock & Roll’s early fifties roots. Unexpectedly venturing to the burning Sahara sands, destination the French penal colonies of North Africa and their inked-up inmates, we then released the BIRIBI edition during Spring 2018.

For Spring 2019, and to compliment the Mister Freedom® x Sugar Cane “YUCATÁN” mfsc collection (story here), we decided to take our seasonal collaboration with the SUN SURF label South of the Border, down Mexico way…

We worked on an all original MF® graphic inspired by vintage Mexican decorative textile crafts, emulating 1950’s-60’s local-made souvenirs popular with American tourists eager to bring home a fun slice of their tequila-infused vacation. Such textile crafts often featured hand-cut stencil or block print graphics, typical ‘naive’ brush strokes coloring, and recurring motifs of bad hombres siesting under their sombreros, head-carrying señoritas and singing caballeros, colorful serapes, hard-working burros under the blazing sun, old mission sceneries… and other bygone Mexico-related decorative stereotypes and clichés. These motifs will be familiar to the vintage tropicana collector, partial to the vibrant primary colors of Mexican hand-painted cotton skirts and other tablecloths oldies.

So we woke the MF® Graphic Department from its customary torpor, and commissioned the “Yucatán Fiesta” shirt graphic. After doodling old-school Mexico-inspired characters on a stencil board, the outlines were cut-out. The artwork was then sprayed-on a white board with black spray-paint. Several hand-coloring versions where then made, using ‘random’ brush paint strokes of mixed media, the most satisfying ones using some old Dr. Ph. Martin’s watercolors we had laying around.
¡Órale!

We then happily passed that hot tamale to the Sun Surf specialists, for the Japanese textile experts to turn paper artwork into fabric print, in two distinct color options. No small feat considering the amount of prototypes that ensued…

For this SS2019 edition of the Rock’n’Roll shirt, we opted for 100% rayon fabric – for that breezy, cool feeling and fine drape – and selected one of Sun Surf®’s time-tested classic body pattern, a typical 1940’s rayon Aloha shirt model with the traditional loop open collar. Same choices than for our popular Biribi Shirt.

The MF® “YUCATÁN FIESTA” Rock & Roll shirt is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan by Sun Surf® and Sugar Cane Co, both divisions of Toyo Enterprise.

SPECS:
FABRIC:
100% rayon fabric, woven and printed in Japan with traditional techniques.
Two color options, white or “faded” black.

DETAILS:
* Limited edition collaboration with the Sun Surf® label.
* Body pattern inspired by classic vintage 1940’s-50’s Aloha shirts.
* Original MF® ‘novelty print’ fabric inspired by vintage Mexico-related textile local-made souvenirs.
* 1940’s-style open ‘loop’ collar.
* Matching-pattern chest pockets.
* Tonal corozo wood buttons.
* MF® x Sun Surf® “Rock & Roll” shirt woven rayon label and “Yucatán” double labeling.
* Packaged is a fancy re-usable cardboard shirting box, featuring original MF® artwork inspired by vintage LP covers.
* Made in Japan.

SIZING/FIT:
Both white and black “Rock & Roll” YUCATÁN FIESTA shirts come ready-to-wear. Do not soak.
We adopted the time-tested sizing of Sun Surf®’s Aloha shirts for this garment. I wear a Medium in most mfsc shirting, and opted for a very comfortable Medium in the YUCATÁN FIESTA shirt. True to size, not intended to be worn tight, or tucked-in.
See sizing chart for approximate measurements, measured straight out of the packaging box.

CARE:
Professional DRY CLEAN ONLY, in your local eco-friendly facility.

Available raw/unwashed.
Sizes
Small (14-14½)
Medium (15-15½)
Large (16-16½)
X-Large (17-17½)
XX-Large (18-18½)

Christophe Loiron
Mister Freedom®
©2019

Mister Freedom® “CALIFORNIAN” Lot.674, Selvedge Pique Edition, mfsc SS2019 Sportsman catalog, Made in USA.

Mister Freedom® “CALIFORNIAN” Lot.674, Selvedge Piqué Edition.
SS2019 Sportsman Catalog.
Made in USA.

Our theme-based capsule collection for Spring/Summer 2019 is entitled “YUCATÁN”.

Not just a straightforward allusion to the famous Mexican state on the peninsula notorious for the Mayan ruins and beach resorts, but a reference to the title of a lesser-known unreleased movie project famed actor Steve McQueen worked on in the late 1960’s.
The unfinished but thoroughly-researched project sat in a basement until one fine day of 1996, when Chad McQueen allegedly dusted-off two old leather trunks… packed with leather binders containing a 1,700 page-long scripted storyboard!

The dusty “Yucatan” lost classic treasure… (Photo montage courtesy of biographer Marshall Terrill, Warner Bros, Team Downey.)

Having personally crafted the story, Steve McQueen had carved a perfect role for himself. “Yucatán” apparently recounted the action-packed tropical adventures of a former US Navy diver turned treasure hunter in Southeast Mexico. Motorcycle chases in the desert, ruthless archeological site looters, dune buggy racing, scuba diving in cenotes… Promising stuff! Somewhat of the ultimate wild ride from the Gulf of Mexico to the Caribbean Sea, an “Indiana Jones” type saga with Mayan culture as the backdrop, and the cooler king as the rider.
Unfortunately for adventure-action movie fans, the project was eventually abandoned, after “Le Mans” emptied McQueen’s Solar Production‘s coffers.

The ‘treasure’ trunks containing the storyboard ended-up in an auction in Santa Monica, CA, in 2013. Surprisingly, no takers…
“Yucatán” is today property of Warner Bros, and it has been reported that Hollywood star Robert Downey Jr. – and his “Team Downey” – have been hard at work trying to turn the original McQueen’s story into a silver screen blockbuster.
As of 2015, the Yucatán project was still at the developing stage… Considering Mr. Downey’s talent and ressources, I am personally quite looking forward to the film release, if this ‘lost classic’ ever materializes.

More on that story here and there. Official updates on the movie project seem to be posted here…

Back to our own line of work, the schmata.
Drawing inspiration from a movie you have yet to see might sound a bit challenging, but this is actually quite along the lines of our “might-have-been” design approach that keeps us clear of straight-up replicas and creatively-repetitive work.

The vibe of our SS2019 “YUCATÁN” fashion venture is sporty, racy, with a touch of sixties beachcomber meets desert rat. This concise, full-throttle yet unassuming collection for grown-ups includes the DUNE BUGGY Jacket, the MARINA Polo, the “Yucatán” Rock’n’Roll Fiesta Shirt, and is complimented by two Sportsman catalog pieces, the COWBOY Jacket and CALIFORNIAN Lot.674 in Piqué.

If the Piqué Cowboy Jacket landed early in the season, its bottom-half Lot.674 companion is just fresh-off the small and busy SoCal factory that proudly and painstakingly produces a large portion of the Mister Freedom® mfsc Sportsman catalog, and all of the Californian family jeans and jackets.

As far as style, piqué jeans with matching jackets became popular with young adults in the early 1960’s, as a casual alternative to blue denim, with Levi’s® leading the trend with its 911 series released in a palette of subtle earth tone colors.
“Color jeans” in general, of assorted woven patterns and from several makers, made their way to American campuses, city streets and film sets. Lee Riders® was popular for its sateen “Westerner” models, Levi’s® for its pique and twills, and Wrangler® for its twill and light blue denim versions. Style icons like Steve McQueen or Paul Newman adopted their own favorites on and off screen, unwillingly promoting the style, contributing to its cool easygoing sixties fashion vibe today.

Our 100% cotton 12.05 Oz. piqué fabric features fine raised vertical cords on the face, with a contrasting waffle-like texture on the reverse. We are releasing it in two distinct color options: natural ‘wheat’ and a specific shade of ’vintage’ sage green. On close inspection, the wheat version features attractive minuscule brown flakes, as the yarn is unbleached.

We introduced our Californian Lot.674 pattern back in 2017, featuring the top block of the Lot.64 combined with tapered leg of the Lot.74, and a button fly. The Lot.674 is our slimmest leg, although not by contemporary fashion standards that have raised the “slim fit” bar to breathtaking (literally) levels, but according to our own classic menswear aesthetics. Refer to this timeline for a summary of the Mister Freedom® five-pocket jeans fits and various fabric releases.

The mfsc CALIFORNIAN Piqué Edition is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in the USA in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.

SPECS:
FABRIC:
100% cotton 12.05 Oz. piqué fabric, selvedge, milled in Japan.
Two color options:
a) Sage green
b) Wheat (unbleached natural color)

Pocket bags: Fancy NOS woven stripe canvas, 100% cotton.

DETAILS:
* Classic vintage five-pocket pattern.
* Button fly.
* Selvedge leg outseam.
* NOS fabric pocket bags, fancy woven striped cotton canvas.
* MF® original tonal “M” stitch arcuate design on rear pockets.
* Debossed natural veg-tan cowhide leather MF® patch on rear pocket. Will tan an age nicely overtime.
* 100% cotton thread tonal construction, combining several gauge of thread.
* Coin pocket with concealed selvedge.
* Hidden back pocket reinforcement rivets, with top pocket reinforcement zig-zag stitching.
* Unlined rear pockets.
* Combination of silver-color ‘oxidized’ MF® metal cast fly buttons, and MF® brass tack waist button.
* Unmarked copper riveting for reinforcement.
* Original MF® paper pocket flasher (chocolate brown).
* Made in USA

SIZING/FIT:
The Piqué CALIFORNIAN Lot.674 comes UN-WASHED (i.e. raw/loomstate) and is cut so that the measurements match the labeling after an initial cold soak/line dry.

We recommend our usual method for raw cotton garments:
* 30-40mn cold soak with intermittent hand agitation, in washing machine or bath tub.
* Spin dry cycle (if using a machine).
* Hang dry.

The Californian Lot.674 Piqué are true-to-size, with the usual “vanity sizing” standard in the industry.
A tagged W32 will most-likely be the right size for an individual with an approximate measured waist of +/- 32 inches, and with average body proportions. (Note that your natural waist is a bit bellow the belly button, not bellow the hips.)

I opted for a W31 in the Lot.674 Californian Piqué, which tends to be my size of choice for the MF® style of 1960’s slim jeans patterns, such as our popular Speedways, Malibu’s, Lot.74 and Lot.674 models. When playing around with period “flood length” à-la McQueen, rather than rolled cuffs or modern unsightly stacking, the Lot.674 has a definite sixties vibe silhouette.

Note that unlike most denim fabrics, this piqué fabric will not stretch with wear.
Please refer to sizing chart for approximate raw/soaked measurements. Soaked = 30mn cold soak, spin dry and line dry.

CARE:
Wash when necessary.
Machine wash with cold water, gentle cycle, eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry.

Available RAW/unwashed.
Sage green or Wheat.
Sizes
W 28
W 30
W 32
W 34
W 36
W 38

Mister Freedom® “McKARSTEN” Trousers, indigo métis & HBT denim, SS2019 mfsc SURPLUS catalog, made in Japan.

Mister Freedom® “McKARSTEN” Trousers, indigo métis & HBT denim.
SS2019 mfsc SURPLUS catalog.
Made in Japan.

We are adding another set of “might-have-beens” to the Mister Freedom® x Sugar Cane Co mfsc Surplus catalog, our on-going collection of made-in Japan classics á la MF®. Matching companion to the recently-released McKarsten Jacket, here are the “McKARSTEN” TROUSERS.

The moniker is a reference to our beloved Peter Karsten, and workwear label Lakin & McKey‘s early days (founded in 1908, known today as Key Apparel.)

The vintage garment that inspired our McKarsten Trousers pattern is an original pair of work dungarees produced by “Lakin & McKey” in the 1930’s. This vintage goodie was purchased by Peter on behalf of the MF® archives. The pants were scored with a 1930’s “Test” jacket, and came as a workwear extravaganza top & bottom denim highly-collectible set. This “suit” initially belonged to a railroad worker, who lived somewhere in the American Midwest… Both of these specimen of workwear history can be seen at the MF® HQ, hanging as rag-hunting trophies amongst other bygone eye candy that inspire us.

Vintage TEST railroad jacket with Lakin McKey dungarees, courtesy of the outstanding MF® Store IG account.

Inevitably, these old denim pants featured a dreadful period fit, even for our “Heritage Style” esthetics. We thoroughly tweaked the pattern and turned them into a contemporary wearable, yet keeping the early workwear full leg-high rise style. Our interpretation is otherwise fairly literal to the original’s period details: utilitarian dungaree pattern without back yoke, early tailoring split waistband open back gusset, buckle-back, branded tack brass buttons, full top front pockets with fancy stitching, utilitarian “carpenter” style rear patch pockets… We removed the side tool pocket to tone down the contractor vibe.

Our trousers’ hardware features fancy mfsc original workwear-style brass tack buttons, a new toy for us this Spring 2019, a design introduced with the McKarsten Jacket. These metal buttons will naturally age and acquire an attractive patina overtime.

We are releasing the McKartsen Trousers in two distinctive fabrics.
The first one is a 10 Oz. HBT indigo denim. This fabric is what happens when you weave the components of traditional denim fabric (indigo-dyed warp yarns and natural color weft yarns) into an Herringbone Twill (HBT) pattern. If the fabric face only subtly displays the HBT pattern, the geometric eye-dazzling weave is very obvious on the reverse. The HBT pattern should yield interesting fading specifics. For the Jailhouse Rock look, we opted for contrast stitching on this fabric.

The second fabric option is a 7 Oz. blend of 75% linen and 25% cotton (referred to as métis in French), plain weave, indigo and black yarns. This fabric was inspired by a 1920’s pair of French work pants, and milled with similar specs. Our version is very “breathy” and not tightly-woven, making it a great summer-weight fabric, with a somewhat see-through quality not uncommon on vintage tropical garb. Tonal stitching conveys elegance making this option less workwear-ish. The fabric drape and wrinkly dry hand is typical of high-content linen métis.

The mfsc “McKARSTEN” TROUSERS are designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co.

FABRIC:
Two distinct fabric options:
a) A sturdy 10 Oz. HBT dark indigo denim, 100% cotton, milled in Japan. (Option featuring contrast stitching.)
b) An elegant 7 Oz. plain weave dark indigo métis, blend of 75% linen and 25% cotton, indigo warp and black weft yarns, solid white selvedge ID, milled in Japan. (Option featuring tonal stitching.)

Pocket bags: cut from mfsc double-sided calico print twills, “NOS” from the Trade Shirt and Nixon Shirt.

SPECS:
* An original mfsc pattern, inspired by 1920’s-1940’s work dungarees.
* Vintage 1930’s silhouette, full leg/trim high waisted top block.
* Early tailoring split waistband, open back gusset.
* Cinch back, no back yoke pattern.
* MF® mfsc branded tack brass buttons.
* Fancy full top front pocket design and stitching (with selvedge facing for the indigo métis fabric option)
* Utilitarian “carpenter” style rear patch pockets.
* Brass donut fly buttons.
* Thin & wide belt loops (accommodates 2’’ wide belts)
* Coin/watch pocket.
* Pocket bags cut from mfsc “NOS” double-sided calico print twills.
* Felled seam leg chainstitch construction.
* Contrast stitching for the HBT denim option, tonal stitching for the indigo métis.
* Single needle bottom hem.
* Original mfsc SURPLUS woven label.
* Made in Japan.

SIZING/FIT:
Both options come raw/unwashed.
We recommend the usual initial 30mn cold soak/occasional hand agitation/spin dry/hang dry process. The tagged size reflects the size of the garment after going through this process.

Although the drape of each fabric is very distinct, both fit the same, and the same sizing advice applies to HBT denim and indigo métis.
Our target image was a vintage 1930’s silhouette, full leg/trim high waisted top block. These trousers feature a wide leg and high rise, an acquired taste by today’s menswear fashion standards.
Due to the split-waistband pattern, the waist is quite generous and the open gusset allows about one inch play. I could fit a snug Waist 30 but opted for a very comfortable Waist 32, and cinched the waist with the back strap.

The original bottom hem is single needle, an easy alteration, with enough length to accommodate all types of cuffing preferences for most.

Please refer to chart for approximate raw/soaked measurements. This explains how we size our garments.
Soaked = 30mn cold soak, spin dry and line dry.

CARE:
When needed, machine wash the MF® McKARSTEN Trousers on DELICATE, cold water, mild eco-friendly detergent. Hang dry.
Wash separately to avoid color transfer to light-color garments. Turn the pants inside-out to avoid potential marbling of the indigo fabric. Using hot water wash will result in unnecessary color loss and excessive shrinkage.
Full wash cycle and heat dryer are not recommended and could damage the garment.

Available RAW/unwashed.
Sizes
W 28
W 30
W 32
W 34
W 36
W 38