Mister Freedom® CPO Shirt & Naval Chinos, limited “SAN PABLO” Liberty edition. Surplus collection mfsc Fall 2018. Made in Japan.
What we have here is our elusive 2009 blue shirt pattern, familiar to the MF® OGs, and its Naval Clothing Tailor khaki-legged friend, both given the GB denim treatment.
After an epic 2016 apparition in a smashing OMG-so-stiff-it-makes-my-body-ache 11.7 Oz. indigo canvas fabric, the ol’ MF® blue CPO and Chinos are indeed turning green this Fall.
Mustering-up our best one-trick-pony skills and cow-milking mastery, this 2018 iteration features an old mfsc flame, the olive green 10 Oz. selvedge denim twill inspired by 1940’s-50’s British military utility fabric. This green denim was initially introduced in 2016 via the Garrison shirt and twill pants combo, during our exciting and controversial 2015 Saigon Cowboy season and its fierce keyboard snipers.
The traditional “Liberty” treatment to US Navy dress blues and other garments is by now familiar to all heritage clothing aficionados. We have often respectfully ‘played’ with that concept of custom concealed style extravaganza.
See gallery below for a brief visual recap.
Old photo of the original “blue shirt” (2008)
MF® CPO shirt 189ac (2016)
MF® Naval Chinos type No.266ac (2016)
Well worn Garrison shirt (2016) and raw CPO, cut from the same GB denim.
This season, we decided to give a 1966 “The Sand Pebbles” classic movie twist to our fictional CPO and Chinos combo. For those interested in the historical background of Opium Wars, or intrigued by the sound of “… when U.S. warships patrolled China’s rivers…”, a condensed summary of the period can be found here.
So as to not get lost down the usual rabbit hole, we will leave authentic 1920’s stories of the U.S. Asiatic Fleet to military buffs, and refer you to Hollywood’s light version of things, for an excitement-filled evening with Jake Holman and the USS San Pablo patrolling the Yangtze in 1926.
You savvy?
The MF® CPO shirt and Naval Chinos “SAN PABLO” Liberty edition are designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co and the expert Toyo Enterprise team.
SPECS: FABRIC: “GB denim twill”: An olive green warp and natural weft 100% cotton twill, 10 Oz., orange color selvedge ID. Inspired by the fabric of 1940’s-50’s British military utility overalls and blouses. Milled in Japan.
MF® CPO shirt “SAN PABLO” Liberty edition: DETAILS: * Original mfsc shirt pattern initially released in 2008, freely inspired by period USN uniforms, 1930’s – 1940’s military shirting, naval custom tailoring and vintage “Chief Petty Officer” type shirts. * Limited 2018 “SAN PABLO” Liberty edition, featuring vintage-style ’Liberty cuffs’, inspired by traditional local tailor artwork and custom embroidery, popular amongst U.S. Asiatic Fleet sailors. * Concealed mfsc dragon embroidered patches on cuffs, 100% rayon. * Concealed rainbow-colored chainstitch on the inside, a common feature of Asia-made traditional embroidered souvenir-type garments (robes, tunics, “party” jackets, etc…) * Concealed chest passport/iPhone® pocket. * Original MF® inverted box-pleat arcuate single chest pocket design. * Chin strap. * Selvedge side gussets. * Vintage style button front placket, anodized black snap closure. * Waist closure and chin strap USN plastic anchor button. * Reinforcement shoulder yoke, vintage uniform style. * Arcuate back yoke. * OD popeline facing. * Curvy front and back shirt tails. * Tonal 100% cotton stitching. * Designed in USA, manufactured in Japan.
SIZING/FIT: The “San PABLO” CPO Shirt in GB denim comes raw/unwashed/loomstate. We recommend our usual method for raw denim garments: * 30-40mn cold soak with intermittent hand agitation, in washing machine or bath tub. * Spin dry cycle (if using a machine). * Hang dry. * As an optional step, wear the garment briefly while still damp, in order to shape it to your body and set your own creases. Hang and let fully dry (try to shape the gshirt on the hanger to look as if you are still wearing it.)
Following this routine, the garment will be quite stiff when dry, due to the re-activated starch contained in the denim fibers. This is perfectly normal and expected for fabrics not processed with unnecessary softeners at the milling stage. This temporary stiffness will rapidly subside with normal wear. The tagged size corresponds to sizing after this soaking process. I am a Medium in most mfsc shirting and opted for a Medium in the “SAN PABLO” CPO shirt. No need to size up or down from your usual mfsc shirting size. The military-inspired and uniform-style cut emphasizes a broad shoulders and slim waist silhouette. Please refer to chart for soaked/line dry measurements, reflecting above soaking method.
CARE: Wash your shirt when necessary. We recommend turning the garment inside out to avoid marbling on the olive green denim warp side. Hand washing can be a good option for those concerned with specific wear patterns and high-contrast color fades. Otherwise, machine wash inside out with cold water, gentle cycle, eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry. Subtle patina will develop according to activities and frequency of wear. For a natural patina and attractive color contrasts, refrain from over-washing your denim shirt. Just enjoy the journey, and your ethically-made garment will age gracefully, without unnecessary prior factory-distressing process.
Available RAW/unwashed. SIZES: Small Medium Large X-Large XX-Large
MF® Naval Chinos “SAN PABLO” Liberty edition: DETAILS: * Pattern inspired by vintage 1940’s US Army chino trousers.
* Limited 2018 “SAN PABLO” Liberty edition, featuring a vintage-style ’Liberty’ patch, inspired by traditional local tailor artwork and custom embroidery, popular amongst U.S. Asiatic Fleet sailors.
* Concealed embroidered mfsc dragon 100% rayon patch on bottom leg, over-riding an un-marked military-style ID patch. * Concealed rainbow-colored chainstitch on the inside, a common feature of Asia-made traditional embroidered souvenir-type garments (robes, tunics, “party” jackets, etc…) * Stripe ticking 100% cotton pocketing and waistband facing. * Button fly, featuring brown corozo wood buttons. * Thin trousers-style belt-loops. * Arcuate decorative stitching on front slash pockets and back welt pockets, with concealed selvedge ID on pocket facing. * Watch pocket, with concealed selvedge ID. * Flat-felled leg seams. * Tonal 100% cotton hi-count stitching. * Woven mfsc “Surplus” rayon label on inside waistband. * Made in Japan, designed in USA.
SIZING/FIT: The “SAN PABLO” Naval Chinos in GD denim come raw/unwashed/loomstate. We recommend our usual method for raw denim garments: * 30-40mn cold soak with intermittent hand agitation, in washing machine or bath tub. * Spin dry cycle (if using a machine). * Hang dry.
Following this routine, the garment will be quite stiff when dry, due to the re-activated starch contained in the denim fibers. This is perfectly normal and expected for fabrics not processed with unnecessary softeners at the milling stage. This temporary stiffness will rapidly subside with normal wear. The tagged size corresponds to sizing after this soaking process. These are true-to-size, and I wear a comfortable Waist 32, my usual size in mfsc trousers. Please refer to chart for soaked/line dry measurements, reflecting above soaking method.
CARE: Wash your pants when necessary. We recommend turning the garment inside out to avoid marbling on the olive green denim warp side. Hand washing can be a good option for those concerned with specific wear patterns and high-contrast color fades. Otherwise, machine wash inside out with cold water, gentle cycle, eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry. Subtle patina will develop according to activities and frequency of wear. For a natural patina and attractive color contrasts, refrain from over-washing your denim shirt. Just enjoy the journey, and your ethically-made garment will age gracefully, without unnecessary prior factory-distressing process.
Available RAW/unwashed. Waist: 28, 30, 32, 34, 36 and 38.
Mister Freedom® Cowboy Jacket, “Okinawa 301” denim, “RODEO” Limited Edition & solid. FW2018 Sportsman catalog. Made in USA.
As one might have gathered from the MF® Fall-Winter 2018 lookbook, we decided to play around with ‘branding’ this season, taking pointers from old school chainstitch embroidery jobs we’ve seen on vintage clothing through years of collecting. Inspired by classic collegiate award jackets, 1950’s rodeo events promo outfits, old custom-branded work uniforms, we are releasing several limited edition MF®-branded pieces this Fall.
We translated some of our favorite T-shirt graphics into rayon embroidery, picking a few traditional garment patterns as candidates for “walking billboards”, following Henry Ford’s good words of advice, “A man who stops advertising to save money is like a man who stops a clock to save time.”
An obvious choice was the MF® Cowboy Jacket, a classic “trucker” style denim jacket we introduced during Fall 2015. Several iterations have included a 12.5 Oz. dark indigo denim version, a 13 Oz. “Malibu” denim lagoon-blue rendition, a wheat denim Cone Mills issue, and the most recent black-coated denim SS2018 release.
Unless you have already decided to adorn the rear panel of your “Cowboy” jacket with vintage AC/DC patches, or opted for hand-stitched artwork customization (see our friend John B‘s impressive MF® Ranch Blouse), there hasn’t been any good reason yet to get photographed from behind… until this release. Forget elevator selfies, you’re gonna need a friend to capture this baby!
The Fall 2018 Cowboy jacket features the popular sugarcane fiber/cotton denim blend developed by the R&D lab at Sugar Cane Co (did you know they now have an official IG account!?), an old mfsc favorite known as “Okinawa 301”, this time milled in a whooping special weight of 16.25 Oz.! The “Okinawa” denim is notorious for its desirable patina potential, and has been featured many times in Mister Freedom® x Sugar Cane mfsc collaborations throughout the past 12 years.
The jacket is available full-on Rodeo style for the bad hombre, or plain-back, without embroidery. An alternative is to just go nuts and customize your own. See below leather appliqué prototype, a one-of-a-kind hippy job done in-house, while the boss was playing badminton. It features an original free-hand “creation”, a California desert scene with a flying UFO (or sombrero, according to your level of sun exposure), made from left-over veg-tan leather scraps from the MF® Campus jacket production. Have at it.
One-of-a-kind customized MF® “Cowboy” jacket, raw, rinsed, and tanned in the California sun. (Not for sale)
Raw, freshly customized.
Rinsed.
Tanned.
The mfsc COWBOY Jacket in “Okinawa 301” denim is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in the USA in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co. The limited-edition RODEO version is chainstitched in Japan, using Toyo Enterprise’s expert craftsmanship and experience with traditional Americana-style embroidery.
SPECS: FABRIC: “Okinawa 301” denim, a sturdy and hairy 16.25 Oz. left-hand twill indigo denim, white with green line selvedge ID. Milled in Japan on narrow shuttle looms, from a blend of 20% Okinawan recycled sugar cane fibers and 80% cotton. This fabric is exclusive to Toyo Enterprises.
DETAILS: * Fairly trim silhouette, sixties vibe. * Special RODEO version: all original MF® artwork on rear panel, 100% rayon thread traditional chainstitch embroidery. * Original MF® slanted flap chest pockets. * Original MF® cast ‘silver’ shank buttons. * MF® yellow “M” stitching on pockets. * Orange and yellow combination stitching. * NOS woven plaid fabric accents on pocket flap facing. * Buttoned cinch-waist side tabs. * Copper rivet reinforcements backed by leather washers for pockets and sleeve placket. * Natural veg-tan debossed leather MF® original patch. * All cotton thread chainstitch construction. * Made in USA, embroidered in Japan.
SIZING/FIT: The “Okinawa 301” Cowboy Jacket 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 indigo denim garments: * 30-40mn cold soak with intermittent hand agitation, in washing machine or bath tub. * Spin dry cycle (if using a machine). * Hang dry. * As an optional step, wear the garment briefly while still damp, in order to shape it to your body and set your own creases. Hang and let fully dry (try to shape the jacket on the hanger to look as if you are still wearing it.) Following this routine, the garment will be quite stiff when dry, due to the re-activated starch contained in the denim fibers. This is perfectly normal and expected for fabrics not processed with unnecessary softeners at the milling stage. This temporary stiffness will rapidly subside with normal wear.
As I did with all previous versions of the MF® Cowboy Jacket, I opted to size down to a Small (36) in this “Okinawa 301” edition. I am usually in between sizes (36 and 38) and went for the slimmer/shorter silhouette for this jacket. As with all denim twills, but even more so with this particular ‘Okinawa’ sugarcane fiber denim, shrinkage and stretching will occur for a while and will depend on the wearer’s body, activities and initial fit. Please refer to sizing chart for approximate raw/soaked measurements. Soaked = 30mn cold soak, spin dry and line dry.
(Please note that the debossed graphic on the veg-tan MF® leather patch will naturally ‘flatten out’ when soaked in water.)
CARE: Wash when necessary. We recommend turning the jacket inside out to avoid marbling on the indigo side. Hand washing can be a good option for those concerned with specific wear patterns and high-contrast color fades. Otherwise, machine wash inside out with cold water, gentle cycle, eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry.
Patina will develop according to activities and frequency of wear. For a natural patina and attractive indigo contrasts, refrain from over-washing your denim jacket. Just enjoy the journey and your ethically-made garment will age gracefully!
Available RAW/unwashed, plain-back or “Rodeo” limited edition. SIZES: X-Small (34) Small (36) Medium (38) Large (40) X-Large (42) XX-Large (44)
Fall 2018 Berkeley shirts, and a well-worn MF® Cowboy jacket in Malibu denim.
Indigo-dyed corozo wood buttons.
Raw Berkeley vs. full wash and tumbled dry.
Well-worn Sportsman shirt (SS2013) and rinsed Berkeley shirt, cut from the same NOS hickory stripe ticking.
NOS stripe ticking fabric, well-worn vs. one rinse.
Mister Freedom® “BERKELEY” Pull-over Shirt. New Old Stock fabrics: Stripe Ticking Twill & Cacao Chambray. Spring 2018 mfsc “The SPORTSMAN” catalog. Made in USA.
Introduced during Spring 2018 and initially released in two smashing indigo “bleeding” madras options, the “BERKELEY” shirt pattern is part of our on-going production of all made-in-USA originals, regrouped under the Mister Freedom® “Sportsman” catalog.
The MF® “Berkeley” is a no-frills pull-over type shirt with a vintage preppy vibe, a nod to 1960’s American campuses attire, California old-school collegial wear and casual Ivy-League style. The moniker is an obvious reference to UC Berkeley, and its rich history.
For Fall 2018, we are introducing a long-sleeve version of our Berkeley, but the shirt features the same specs as its Spring predecessor. The fabrics we opted for are very distinct: an indigo/white stripe twill, for the 1967 “Beach Boys” fan, and a brown chambray, for the instant patina aficionado.
The product photos feature a side-by-side with a worn and faded Sportsman Shirt made of the same NOS ticking twill batch, for evo reference.
As we had painstakingly done with the MF® x Sun Surf® “Biribi” shirt, we decided to adorn the Berkeley with a set of indigo-dyed corozo wood buttons, for that subtle splash of irresistible dazzling blues. The buttons vary in hues and were hand-dyed right at home in our back lot, in between ping-pong tournament breaks.
The MF® BERKELEY shirt is designed and made in California by Mister Freedom® in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co, from New Old Stock fabrics.
SPECS: FABRICS: a) NOS Cacao Chambray (brown warp & white weft), 100% cotton plain weave fabric, about 9 Oz. (heavier weight than the average shirting chambray material), milled in Italy. This fabric is not colorfast and a full wash will result in noticeable color loss, and an almost instant “vintage look”. b)NOS Hickory Stripe Twill, 100% cotton New Old Stock lightweight vintage fabric, selvedge, origin USA.
DETAILS: * An original MF® shirt pattern inspired by vintage 1960’s Ivy League style and American campuses attire. * Pull-over type. * Long sleeve edition. * Button-down collar. * Indigo-dyed corozo wood “Cat-Eyes” buttons. * Two inverted-pleat chest pockets. * Side gussets. * Tailored-style sleeve setting. * Chain-stitch construction, featuring “Sportsman” green thread accent on inside. * MF® woven “Sportsman” rayon label. * Designed and made in USA from New Old Stock fabrics.
SIZING/FIT: Both options of the Mister Freedom® FW2018 BERKELEY shirt come raw/unwashed and will shrink to the same tagged size after an initial 30mn cold soak, spin dry and line dry.
I wear a Medium (15-15½) in most mfsc button-down shirts and I opted for a comfortable yet trim Medium in both the ticking twill and cacao chambray BERKELEY shirts, the same size choice I made for the madras versions. We recommend getting your usual mfsc shirt size. Please refer to sizing chart for approximate raw/soaked measurements. Soaked = 30mn cold soak, spin dry and line dry. Further shrinkage can be expected with a full wash and heat dryer cycle.
CARE: The MF® BERKELEY shirt can be machine-washed on delicate cycle, cold water, minimal eco-friendly detergent. Line dry. Wash separately to avoid potential color transfer to light-colored garments. a)NOS Cacao Chambray “Berkeley” shirt: a full wash will result in noticeable color loss. Please note that this may be a desirable feature for one into interesting fabric patina, but a potential disappointment for the colorfast garment advocate. b)NOS Hickory Stripe Twill “Berkeley” shirt: some light indigo blue transfer to the white yarns might occur with the first wash and/or when tumbled dry. This is normal and will subside over time and subsequent wash cycles.
Available raw/unwashed. Sizes Small (14-14½) Medium (15-15½) Large (16-16½) X-Large (17-17½) XX-Large (18-18½)
Mister Freedom® mfsc BUCKAROOS Waist Overalls, “Okinawa 301” denim edition. FW2018Sportsman Catalog. Made in USA.
The term ‘buckaroo’ has its commonly agreed-on origin in the late 1800s days of the American Frontier, when Spanish settlers and bad hombres referred to cowboys and ranch hands as vaqueros, vaca meaning cow in the Spanish language, with the v pronounced close to a b. The anglicized version and phonetic spelling caught on.
Sometime in 2012, we introduced a new blue jeans pattern, the Mister Freedom® x Sugar Cane mfsc “BUCKAROOS” Waist Overalls, initially issued in two distinct NOS denim twills.
These dungarees were a departure from the average five-pocket jeans, and featured an intricate rear cinch strap pattern. This ‘buckle-back’ style was not lifted from any vintage sample, but came out of the drawing table of our Los Angeles atelier, and trial & error prototype making. (Someone did mention having seen a similar pattern on a vintage catalog that I’m not aware of. That wouldn’t be surprising as nihil novi sub sole seems to apply to clothing design.)
We matched our original back yoke/strap construction with a ‘western’ type front pockets pattern. The folded flap buttons up to the pocket yoke, a feature that could come in handy when horseback riding or sitting on a bouncy old truck bench seat, to prevent the content of pockets from spilling out. There are many examples of this type of front pocket construction on western slacks, although it is uncommon on denim dungarees besides a rare iconic model made by HeadLight in the 30’s~40’s.
By popular demand, the MF® Bucks’ are making a comeback for Fall 2018. We raided Sugar Cane Co’s vault of exclusive denim twills, and secured an old mfsc favorite, the mighty “Okinawa 301”, a ‘hairy’ 16.25 Oz. left-hand twill indigo denim, blend of 20% sugarcane fibers and 80% cotton, with a white/green line selvedge ID.
This “Okinawa” denim has enviable fading potential and will progressively develop a desirable patina overtime, with normal wear/wash cycles.
For more ramblings relating to design tidbits, hot-branding the leather patch and b/w photography, refer to the original buckaroos post, as we’re making ‘em just the way we used to.
The MF® BUCKAROOS Waist Overalls are designed in California by Mister Freedom®, and manufactured in USA in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co., from selvedge denim fabric milled in Japan.
SPECS: PATTERN: An original MFSC pattern, inspired by western slacks, vintage denim dungarees and old imagery. FABRIC: “Okinawa 301”, 16.25 Oz. left-hand twill indigo denim, white with green line selvedge ID. Milled in Japan on narrow shuttle looms, from a blend of 20% Okinawan recycled sugar cane fibers and 80% cotton. This fabric is exclusive to Toyo Enterprises. Pocket bags: Vintage NOS cotton twill, navy blue color, sturdy workwear fabric, origin France.
DETAILS: * ‘Old West’ silhouette, revisited. * Original front pocket style with folding buttoned flap. Reinforcement un-marked copper riveting. * Original MFSC upper curved cinch back strap, sandwiched in the back yoke, riveted. * Wider rear belt loops (to slide the cinch on top or under the belt loop.) * Original MF® “Californian” shank metal buttons, ‘old stock’ silver finish. * Concealed rivets on back pockets with original “M” stitch and slightly curved opening. * Original double labeling. One printed cloth label with original artwork mounted during construction, partially superimposed by a leather patch with “MF” hot branding. * All 100% cotton color thread. We are using an original MFSC combination of 12 types of gauge/color thread per pair. Main colors are Orange/Yellow/White, non colorfast. * Sturdy 100% cotton vintage New Old Stock navy blue twill pocket bags. * Made in USA.
SIZING/FIT: The“Okinawa” BUCKAROOS 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 cold-soak/hang-dry process.
We recommend the usual protocol: * Cold soak for about one hour, with occasional hand agitation, spin dry. * Hang dry for a few hours, and wear briefly while still damp to set creases. * Line dry until fully dry. * The resulting stiffness of the garment is due to the reactivated starch in the fibers, and will rapidly subside with wear.
The size that will work for you depends on how you like your jeans to fit. The BUCKAROOS are designed with somewhat of a generous vintage silhouette in mind, and not intended to be worn tight. The leg is similar to our old Californian Lot.54 pattern. See the various silhouettes of the MF® Californians referenced in the family photo below.
I usually wear W32 in our Californian blue jeans but decided to go for a W31 in the BUCKAROOS, just personal preference with this particular model. The BUCKAROOS are still considered true-to-size, and whether you size down or go for your usual size is up to your desired silhouette. As with all denim twills, but even more so with this particular ‘Okinawa’ sugarcane fiber denim, shrinkage and stretching will occur for a while and will depend on the wearer’s body, activities and initial fit. Please refer to sizing chart for approximate raw/soaked measurements: Soaked = 60mn cold soak, spin dry and line dry (ie. minimal shrinkage.) Please note that the awkward fit pic features a pair of BUCKAROOS straight-off the soak/dry process, unaltered and briefly worn just for the occasion.
DENIM CARE: Wash denim jeans when needed. Hand-wash or machine wash 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. For a natural patina and attractive indigo contrasts, refrain from over-washing your jeans. Just enjoy the journey and your ethically-made garment will age gracefully!
Available RAW/unwashed ONLY. Sizes W28 x L32 W29 x L32 W30 x L32 W31 x L32 W32 x L34 W33 x L34 W34 x L34 W36 x L36 W38 x L36
MF® CONDUCTOR Jacket, “cachou” Duck Canvas. Sportsman Catalog, Fall 2018 Made in USA.
The MF® CONDUCTOR pattern, a fancy denim jacket style for the caboose-inclined and vintage iron horse connoisseur, was originally added to our ever-growing Mister Freedom® Sportsman catalog in the Spring of 2017.
During the early days of R&D, our aim was a work jacket design standing out from other traditional chore coats, engineer jacket, railroad jackets, farmer jackets of the same family. We grabbed a few pointers from our 1920’s-inspired Loco Jacket (“Viva La Revolución”, Spring 2013), and built the CONDUCTOR from scratch, with all original pocket designs and details. Blending elegant tailoring touches with vintage workwear functional ruggedness, we cooked-up a garment with both rugged trainman and gentleman passenger in mind. Our Conductor Jacket makes it easy to switch from shoveling coal to sipping a libation at the plush red velvet wagon-bar, with the usual MF® grain of salt.
For this third iteration, we developed a brown cotton duck canvas inspired by vintage specimens ofFrench 1930’s – 1950’s outdoor and military garments. Similar yet distinct from early US duck canvases typical of classic American hunting gear (and definitely different from the average modern duck canvas), our fabric features a crispy selvedge canvas dyed in the classic French “cachou” color.
“Cachou” is a vegetable extract that the French are found of, particularly in the form of licorice candies. In Southern France, locals often reach an emotional climax when managing to share one of these little black mints with a tourist keen on fully embracing the culture. The immediate gagging grimace on the first-timer is a prized reward for the Frenchman. Cachou mints are an acquired taste. For our local patrons, free cachou tasting at the MF® HQ, 11-6 daily.
Rich in tanins and pigments, the cachou extract has been traditionally used for dyeing ship sails and other textiles since the 1830’s. As a pigment, it produces a range of rich and warm reddish brown hue, a particular color familiar to the collector of French vintage military accoutrements, old forest ranger workwear, traditional hunting gear, etc…
With the invaluable help of our friends and textile experts at Toyo Enterprises, we managed to replicate this cachou color, along with its beautiful fading quality. The base fabric is a dry hand tightly-woven 100% cotton selvedge canvas, milled and dyed in Japan.
We paired our duck conductor with a classic corduroy collar, same corduroy grade used as pocket warmer on vintage USN peacoats. For a handsome concealed contrast, we selected an indigo/white NOS woven check twill for pocket facing, visible on the inside chest pocket and as pocket lining.
The Conductor Jacket is designed by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in California in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.
SPECS:
FABRIC: Body: Sturdy and crispy 100% cotton duck canvas, selvedge, brown ‘cachou’ color, milled and dyed in Japan. Collar Facing: Amber brown wide whale cotton corduroy. Pocket Facing: NOS indigo/white woven check twill
DETAILS: * An all original mfsc pattern inspired by early American workwear and European tailoring, vintage 1920’s-30’s chore coats and denim engineer jackets. * Four original MF® pocket-shape designs. * Elegant front panel cut-away design. * Double duty chest pocketing, with watch compartment on left side. * Pockets lined/half-lined with NOS indigo/white woven check twill. * Inside iPhone chest pocket. * Original Mister Freedom® oxidized brass shank buttons. * Collar chin strap secured with oxidized black donut button. * Split back panel, displaying selvedge ID. * Selvedge front panel facing, cuffs and watch pocket opening slit. * Side cinch straps, French NOS metal buckles. * Copper riveted cuff openings. * Contrasting green chainstitch, bar-tacks and button holes. * Made in USA.
SIZING/FIT: The MF® Conductor Jacket comes UN-WASHED (=raw) 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 minimally-filled washing machine or bath tub. * Spin dry cycle (if using a machine). * Hang dry. Following this initial routine, the garment will stiffen when dry, due to the re-activated fabric starch contained in the cotton yarns. This is normal and the ‘crispiness’ will subside with normal wear.
I opted for a size 38 (Medium), for a relaxed fit. I could fit a size 36 but preferred having the option to layer in colder weather. 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 garment inside out to avoid marbling, cold water, gentle cycle, eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry.
Due to the specific nature of the garment dye, the cachou canvas will gradually fade overtime with normal wear and repeat washing. For a natural patina, do not try to overwash but enjoy instead wearing your garment.
Available RAW/unwashed SIZES: Small (36) Medium (38) Large (40) X-Large (42) XX-Large (44)
