Rock-A-Upa-Upa-Baby. Featuring the “Malibu Sea Denim” and a pair of PF-Flyers (Center Hi model, made in USA)
Warming up…
The “Upa Upa” Shirt Reverse print bark cloth Skipper Spring 2016
Throughout History, public display of gyrating hips has often been frowned upon by the righteous pious elite.
In 1957, a 22 year-old Rock’n’Roll singer had to be filmed above the waist, to accommodate the Church Lady and her friends. Elvis’ third TV appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show was apparently a threat to morality and order at the time, and the cameras stayed away from questionable lower-body activity. It is not known whether Colonel Parker set it all up to boost record sales, or whether Ms Enid Strict‘s ancestors had actively participated in the banning of the Upa Upa dance some 150 years earlier in Tahiti, but this raises one question… Today, could a well-organized public twerking event suffice to inflict massive cardiac arrests in the ranks of isis?
Let’s leave this one to psywar specialists and stay on course, as we introduce the latest addition to our peaceful Skipper collection.
It is well documented that the Age of Discovery saw many a missionaries anxious to spread the Gospel in the New World. After concertation, a zealous bunch decided to go cruising in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean, destination the pristine sandy beaches of the Society Islands. On March 05, 1797, upon arrival in Tahiti at Pointe Vénus, fine men of the cloth noticed a-hunka-hunka-burning-love type of dance, and concluded that the half-naked locals could definitely use some retenue in the entertainment department. The Upa Upa dance was 86’d, and the depraved suggestive moves that had originally lured whalers and mutineers were relegated to the rank of savage activities, unfit for civilized people. The pernicious concept of Sin, a powerful control tool introduced by early missionaries, did wonders with the islanders’ joie de vivre and frivolous traditions. Interestingly, the English word taboo is borrowed from the Tongan word tabū (or tapū), meaning sacred/forbiden…
With a bit of convincing, Mother Hubbard dresses eventually replaced tapa cloth skirts, and most of the estimated 40,000 heathen souls populating Tahiti at the time European invaders first landed, were saved. These desperate descendants of Taiwanese migrants had been trapped in a sun-drenched and turquoise-lagooned purgatory for generations, and those who had not succumbed to eighteenth century VD imported by colonizers could finally enjoy the bliss of salvation. Alleluia and Maururu.
If Elvis ultimately generated millions of dollars from the savant swiveling of his pelvis, the original Upa Upa dance has somewhat fallen into oblivion. Still, its modern legacy lives in the ‘ote’a, and other Heiva activities connecting Polynesians with their original ancestors’ culture.
For the anthropology-inclined, glimpses of Upa Upa influences can also be spotted on the occasional dance instruction video clips we share, concerned as we are in perpetuating the Art of both body expression and living-room rug-cutting.
Disclaimer:I trust that the acute reader accustomed to these posts, who has just wasted five minutes of an otherwise fine day reading the above, will assume that it is not my intent to make light of anyone’s religious inclination, nor to promote atheism or a specific faith. To me, everyone’s wild guess on what to spiritually believe in is respectable, but, at times, some might benefit from others’ conviction staying an altruistic yet private and intimate personal opinion.
Cook Islands ladies wearing Mother Hubbard dresses, 1910 (Photo George Crummer, courtesy Te Papa, Museum of New Zeland)
Another mellow evening at the Bar Lea, 1959
Gabilou taking a break from the Barefoot Boys
A fan making a suggestion during an EP concert, Philadelphia 1957 (Courtesy Getty Images?)
Debra Paget showing her Upa Upa moves. (Milton Berle Show, 1956) Photo Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Upa Upa is here to stay
Now, without any further ado, our chemise du jour, the Mister Freedom® Upa Upa shirt!
The vibe of this garment is clearly more related to a 1969 steamy New-Year’s eve at the Bar Léa in Papeete, than to a traditional 1788 wedding under Pōmare I. So, just like our Bora Bora shirt or MF Paréo, the Upa Upa Shirt won’t necessarily work for reenacting ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’, but will make you ridiculously handsome, successful in business and happy in love.
The general pattern is inspired by 1960’s-70’s lounge attire with a touch of dune buggy escapade. The Upa Upa shirt features five pockets with double button closure flaps, in a (surf) safari jacket detail with a definite sixties accent. Not that anyone does anymore, but this is a non tuck-in shirt.
The most striking part of our Upa Upa shirt however is the unconventional use of the printed fabric. Not a ground-breaking event in itself, but reverse prints are a first in our Mister Freedom® x Sugar Cane decade-long collaboration.
A popular island fashion in the mid 1960’s, reverse-print fabrics gradually became the cloth of choice for both Kamaʻāina and long-established haole folks. It appears that contemporary islanders have a more subtle approach to sporting printed motifs than continental visitors have. Preferring their outfits a bit toned-down, they seem to leave the louder prints to sunburned tourists. Rumor has it that reverse prints were a way to emulate the faded shirts worn by legit surfers. If Reyn Spooner® allegedly pioneered the technique, surf-related brands such as Ocean Pacific® or Lightning Bolt® widely used the reverse print gimmick on their gear in the 1970’s and early 1980’s.
In the Hawaiian islands today, reverse prints are considered proper business attire, a thought that suddenly makes corporate board meetings almost sound appealing.
The base fabric we chose for our Upa Upa Shirt is a handsome slubby bark cloth-type woven textile, with more slub than our Saigon Cowboy“Tahiti” Shirt, but from a similar weave family. Here is a quote about that fabric, dug out from our original post, which you might want to double-check the historical accuracy of, before engaging on reddit:
“The base textile (…) is reminiscent, in texture, of those vintage kitschy 1960’s/70’s cotton Hawaiian shirts sometimes referred to as ‘bark cloth’. In the 1940’s/50’s, a thick and heavy version of that dobby weave cotton cloth had become a standard feature in most American households, in the form of printed curtains and upholstery fabric. All those vintage iterations were modern renditions of the ancient Hawaiian kapa (or tapa in Tahitian, meaning ‘the beaten thing’), the natural wood pulp bark cloth of early traditional Polynesian attire that so impressed Captain James Cook back in 1769. “This stuff is awesome! Where to cop?” he reportedly said on his final voyage to the Pacific Islands, before being clubbed on the beach.”
Anyhow, the chest horizontal band graphic of our Upa Upa Shirt is typical of Tahitian vibe shirts and T-shirts popular in the beach communities in the mid sixties, swinging their hips to the ocean swell during the day, and to Dick Dale at night. Many ads in vintage issues of Surfer Magazine corroborate. This traditional Polynesian Art-inspired graphic we used is similar to that on the MF® Paréo, a mighty garment that has quickly taken over beaches around the World!
We know because social media don’t lie.
(Instagram action shots courtesy of our friends Markues, and Jay & Amber. Thanks for being good sports and for showing us how it’s done on location! Please note that this is by no means an endorsement on their part of the above ramblings.)
So, if you ran out of fishing wire after busting all your ukulélé strings, spin a Barefoot Boys record (this one), slap on three coats of monoï, tie-up your paréo, slip on the Upa Upa… Time to show the world your best tamouré moves.
And once your partner has hopelessly implored you not to share a clip of that on Instagram, do tag us (#MisterFreedom) for a chance to win a gallon of warm yak milk, or a limited edition printed “Skipper” bandana.
The Upa Upa Shirt is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.
SPECS: Inspired by traditional Tahitian culture, 1960’s-70’s Polynesian attire, lounge wear for the marina playboy, and vintage beachcomber accoutrement.
FABRIC: 100% cotton slubby weave bark cloth-type textile, displaying the reverse side of the print due to partial bleed-through of the ink, for a subtle motif effect. Woven and printed in Japan.
Two attractive color options: A)Upa Upa Aqua: Aqua blue base fabric with coral pink printed chest band graphic. B)Upa Upa Lava: Black base fabric with aqua blue chest band printed graphic.
DETAILS: * 1960’s surf safari type shirt pattern. * Five-pocket style: Four large patch pockets with flaps with extra small arm pocket.
* Sixties-style double button flap closure. * Genuine coconut shell buttons. * Side slits. * 100% cotton thread. * Narrow caballo chainstitch construction. * Made and printed in Japan.
SIZING/FIT: The Mister Freedom® Upa Upa Shirt comes raw/unrinsed. We recommend the usual initial 30mn cold soak/occasional hand agitation/spin dry/hang dry process. The shirt in both options will shrink to tagged size. The Mister Freedom® Upa Upa Shirt is true-to-size. I opted for a medium, my usual size in mfsc shirting. For general instructions on how we size Mister Freedom® garments, see here. Please refer to sizing chart to figure out what works for you, depending on your own body requirements and silhouette preferences.
The fit pix are featuring the MF® Malibu Sea Denim, and a pair of PF-Flyers (Center Hi model, made in USA).
CARE:
Launder when hygiene dictates and common sense prevails, like after a particularly competitive beach twerking contest.
Machine wash. Cold water, gentle cycle, eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry.
The “Appaloosa shirt”, double indigo cotton selvedge twill Sportsman Spring 2016
We are adding a new sensation to our Appaloosa family this Spring. Originally released in several traditional blue denim options, a batch was later issued in a stripe denim twill. While fabric hunting sometime last year, we came across a handsome indigo-dyed twill we couldn’t resist. A double indigo (indigo warp and indigo weft), with white selvedge ID, 8 oz, milled in Japan, perfect for an iteration of the Appaloosa. We often refer to this kind of twill as ‘midnight’, but that’s just us with an inclination for fancy verbiage.
The Appaloosa shirt’s design stays the same. It combines several details of vintage western and work shirts, diverting a bit from the traditional cowboy cut denim western yoke numbers. As introduced a few years back with the Sportsman printed flannel Camp Shirts, our Appaloosa features painted metal snaps, reminiscent of 50’s Ranchcraft or Blue Bell shirts. Our front yoke is of a vintage ‘Roebuck’ type rather than the usual western arcuate style. The pocket flaps are locked in the yoke. The top collar button is the metal debossed mfsc type we often use for our Sportsman line.
You’ll notice we went full Zorro on this 2016 edition, opting for a subdued look. The metal snaps are painted black and the stitching is tonal, ie. dark navy.
The Sportsman ‘Appaloosa Shirt’ is designed and manufactured in California by Mister Freedom®, in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.
(Vintage Rodeo poster from our friend Damien at www.lemagasin.eu)
SPECS: PATTERN: An original mfsc pattern, inspired by vintage workwear and western shirting.
FABRIC: Dark indigo warp x indigo weft twill, 100% cotton, white selvedge ID, 8 Oz., milled in Japan.
DETAILS: * Slim ‘western shirt’ type silhouette and fit. * Painted metal DOT snaps. The black paint will chip with age. * Vintage ‘Roebuck’ type front yoke * Western style back yoke. * Two chest pockets, snap flaps, locked into yoke construction. * Double snap cuffs. * Tonal 100% cotton stitching, high stitch count. * Double chainstitch construction with green color thread “Sportsman” inside signature. * Selvedge side gusset, chainstitch run offs. * Original mfsc “The Sportsman” woven rayon label. * Made in USA
SIZING/FIT: This shirt comes RAW/Un-washed and will shrink to tagged size. We recommend an original 20-30mn cold soak, machine spin dry then line dry. I usually wear a Medium in mfsc shirting and I wear a comfortable MEDIUM in this double indigo twill Appaloosa release. Please note that the initial cold soak of the Appaloosa shirt I am breaking in resulted in very minimal shrinkage. I expect more shrinkage with subsequent washing and am OK with the extra slack seen on the fit picture for now. Please refer to sizing chart for approximate raw/soaked measurements to see what works for you. Soaked = 30mn cold soak, spin dry and line dry.
CARE:
Launder when hygiene dictates and common sense prevails.
Machine wash. Cold water, gentle cycle, eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry. We recommend turning indigo blue/denim garments inside out to avoid marbling from the washing cycles.
Patina will develop according to activities and frequency of wear. WARNING: As with most dark indigo-dyed garments, color croaking is to be expected. Indigo rubs on light color undergarments will wash off over time, but beware of sofas and car seats as they might be trickier to clean up.
Photo courtesy of Ninamu Island Resort (www.motuninamu.com)
The Bora-Bora Shirt-Jac, cotton-linen. Monstera indigo print, Day and Night. Skipper Spring 2016
If you too happen to have fallen under the spell of seafaring tales of Her Majesty’s Ship Bounty and her charismatic Master’s mate Fletcher Christian, and pondered about the fate of her rogue crew on Pitcairn Island in the late 1700’s, then you’ll relate to one of the gem of French Polynesia, the island of Bora-Bora.
Besides turning into one of Uncle Sam’s outpost and set of eyes on Axis Powers activities in the Pacific during WW2, with thousands of American GIs deployed to its dreamy shores, Bora-Bora locals experienced another island invasion in 1961, by way of an agitated filming crew from Hollywood.
Although it appears that behind-the-camera events turned “Mutiny on the Bounty” into “Mutiny of Marlon Brando” for MGM at the time, Bounty ’62 is one of my go-to movies when I need an exotic visual escape. South Sea tales, unlike World news and fashion-related discussions, tend to relax me. I take it all, Jack London’s prose, De Bougainville‘s accounts, massive Hollywood hurricanes, Barefoot Boys tunes, ancient migration theories of Oceania…
Just as Fletcher Christian had happily indulged in island life under the disapproving watch of Captain Bligh, Brando apparently enjoyed the temporary insular pace very much, ultimately taking mental notes while fathoming the depth of his future Polynesian homeland. While at it, he met the beautiful Tarita Teriipaia on set. She could only fight him off briefly, and eventually became the second cast member of Mutiny of the Bounty that Brando got legally hitched to! His first catch-without-release had been actress Movita Castaneda, who had stared in the original 1935 version of Mutiny on the Bounty. He had married Movita in 1960, but divorce her in 1962 to switch to a bonafide islander, Bounty co-star Tarita.
Yes, it’s complicated, but Brando was a complicated genius. If you already have a headache, take a break and watch him bust out some Upa-Upa moves in 1967…
Back to Bora-Bora.
If witnessing Brando allegedly binge-eating his way through 52 pairs of tight XVIII century breeches during the 1961 filming of Bounty sounds quite entertaining, another treat would have been to share French skipper and writer Alain Gerbaud‘s bliss as he sighted the pristine Bora-Bora shores for the first time in 1924, while on his solo circumnavigating voyage. “Oh p*tain, Terre! Terre!” the voice still echoes around the motus. The island was to become Gerbaud’s heart anchorage for the rest of his life, taking on Polynesia’s cause as his warhorse, and leaving behind a controversial trail of allegations.
Not sure what was actually left from those days when I hopped on a small rattling cargo ferry on route from Papeete to Bora-Bora in 1995. But the tiny island can still spell its magic, from the moment you first spot the indigo blue hues of Bora-Bora’s lagoon on the horizon, to the last sip of warm coconut water on the Vaitape docks…
Alain Gerbault 1929
Alain Gerbault Firecrest 1929
Movita Castaneda & Charles Laughton on set (1935, Mutiny on the Bounty) Courtesy MGM
Before digging too deep into these tropical island blues, let’s pay a little bit of attention to the Mister Freedom® shirt du jour…
The style of the our Bora-Bora Shirt-jac is inspired by 1950’s-60’s Shirt-Jac type garments. Casual hybrids between shirts and jackets, these are known in the tropics as the visitor’s attire of choice for luau, clambake and other beach BBQ festivities.
A bit about our shirt’s graphic… The printing technique of the old-school monstera leaf wrapping body and arms is not your average silkscreening type method. An actual indigo-dyeing process was used to have the blue colors applied. Technically, the fabric is ‘indigo-printed’, and not indigo vat-dyed or indigo discharge-printed. I unfortunately know more about Brando matrimonial ventures than about the actual printing process, so i’ll leave it at that before I start making things up again. Pencilling might be an interesting topic to research for the indigo otaku.
Both color options of the Mister Freedom® Bora-Bora Shirt are using indigo blue for the coloring process. The “Day” version (the white shirt-looking thingy) features a single dark indigo print on a natural background, and the “Night” version (the navy blue shirt-looking thingy) features two shades of indigo blues printed on a natural background.
Textile-wise, the base fabric we opted for, after a lengthy and confusing R&D test period, is a fancy criss-cross basket-weave blend of 20% linen and 80% cotton, unbleached natural white color. The partial bleed-thru effect of the indigo printing, and the particular texture of the fabric, leave the reverse side of the textile with a toned-down negative of the motif.
The back yoke is a floating half-lining, made of contrasting indigo-dyed poplin, an mfsc staple we often use.
The ‘shark fin’ collar shape, typical of 1950’s shirting, is a wearable reminder to please leave sharks out of your soup bowl. Thanks.
Of interest also, our Bora-Bora Shirt-Jac proudly boasts being the first indigo-printed garment in the World to feature two concealed single toothpick pockets. They are located under the collar, and are not to be used for collar-stays.
The Bora-Bora Shirt-Jac is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.
Rig photos are featuring a Pyrate-inspired Vintaglio skull cuff (handcrafted in Dallas, Texas, and gifted by my dear and talented friend and IG foe Kenny “Kato” Thomas), a vintage Penney’s hat, and other old things…
SPECS: Inspired by 1950’s-60’s tropical island garb, vintage Shirt-Jac type shirts, Fletcher Cristian and French Polynesia.
FABRIC OPTIONS: 1) “Day” Monstera Indigo print: Criss-cross basket-weave blend of unbleached 20% linen and 80% cotton, featuring a dark indigo blue print applied on a natural-color background. 2) “Night” Monstera Indigo print: Criss-cross basket-weave blend of unbleached 20% linen and 80% cotton, featuring a dark indigo blue and aqua indigo blue motif applied on a natural-color background.
Fabric woven and printed in Japan.
DETAILS: * 1950’s-60’s long sleeve Shirt-Jac type pattern.
* Actual indigo color print, with bleed-thru effect on the reverse.
* Body wrap pattern design with continuous arm wrap band.
* Two hip pocket, matching monstera leaf pattern.
* Side slits.
* Shark fin shape collar.
* Two concealed single toothpick pockets.
* Indigo-dyed poplin back yoke floating lining, 100% cotton.
* Coconut shell buttons.
* Caballo chainstitch construction, 100% cotton stitching, no overlock.
* Made in Japan.
SIZING/FIT: The Mister Freedom® Bora-Bora Shirt-Jac comes raw/unrinsed. We recommend the usual initial 30mn cold soak/occasional hand agitation/spin dry/hang dry process. The shirt in both options will shrink to tagged size. The Bora-Bora Shirt-Jac is true-to-size. I opted for a medium, my usual size in mfsc top garments. The shirt length is purposely on the short side, typical of period Shirt-Jak garments, a bit accentuated visually by the body/armband wrap graphic.
For general instructions on how we size Mister Freedom® garments, see here. Please refer to sizing chart to figure out what works for you, depending on your own body requirements and silhouette preferences.
CARE:
Launder when hygiene dictates and common sense prevails, like after a particularly messy clambake.
Machine wash. Cold water, gentle cycle, eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry.
Notice the special gas cap model, designed by MI6 Quartermaster “Q”
The “Continental Vest” NOS Cotton-Linen twills, Charcoal, Slate Grey & Indigo Moss Blue. Sportsman Collection Spring 2016
Moving right along in our Continental trilogy, the latest grouping added to the Made in USA Mister Freedom® Sportsman catalog for Spring 2016, here is the Continental Vest. The third original pattern of our recently-released suiting effort complements the Continental Trousers and Continental Sportcoat.
Our Continental Vest design is inspired by several vintage waist coats, and more specifically by an original 1950’s-60’s British-made specimen. Unlike previously-released Mister Freedom® waistcoats mostly taking from turn-of-the-Century to 1930’s models and featuring contrasting cotton sateen backs, the Continental Vest carries an early sixties tailor-made vibe with its matching fabric back design.
This elegant six-button front garment features two slanted box-pleat patch pockets with flaps, and a full cinch back belt. In addition to the charcoal and slate grey cotton-linen twill fabric options offered with the Continental Sportcoat, we are also releasing the Continental Vest in Indigo Moss Blue. It is the same attractive denim-like fabric originally introduced with the Continental Trousers, a New Old Stock slubby 11 Oz. crosshatch twill, 70% cotton – 30% linen blend that got black ops spooks red with envy. The Fashion industry, on the other hand, does envy our “Indigo Moss Blue” terminology, which is indeed one of our proudest semantic achievement to date.
Please note that said-Indigo Moss Blue option features the 1rst type Continental lining, an ivory white 100% cotton plain weave with a woven blue stripe. A slightly different NOS woven stripe fabric was used for both the charcoal and slate grey vests. To accommodate mixing and matching within the Continental family, this handsome new lining fabric is very similar in appearance to its original companion. The subtle variation typifies the perks associated with opting for limited New Old Stock fabric on full-fledged garment manufacturing projects.
Using vintage NOS fabrics not only satisfies our known appetite for limited edition runs, but also matches a desire to limit the carbon footprint of Mister Freedom® seasonal offerings, however insignificant of a gesture it might seem.
Speaking of H2O, our vest is washable. But be aware that the cotton-linen fabric will torque and shrink, and the stitching will pucker to a roping effect. This ‘wrinkled’ look is an acquired taste, and some might prefer a freshly pressed ‘clean’ look instead easily obtained with professional dry-cleaning.
The Continental Vest is quite versatile and will adapt to the wearer’s own personal style, according to what it will be paired with. It can be dressed-up with Continental Trousers and vest, dressed-down with blue jeans or chinos, buttoned-up (don’t forget to leave the bottom button unbuttoned) or worn open, etc…
Ultimately, and with such wardrobe must-haves as the Continental Trousers, Sportcoat and Vest, there will be no rest for the delusional on-the-go Int’l Man of Action, heading out on an impossible mission to get groceries.
Oh, and don’t forget your Space Pen. One never knows.
The Continental Sportcoat is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in California by Mister Freedom® in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.
SPECS:
PATTERNS: An original mfsc pattern, inspired by vintage European waistcoats, notably an original 1950’s-60’s tailor-made British specimen.
FABRICS:
A) Charcoal Grey twill: New Old Stock, 60% cotton – 40% linen, 8 Oz. denim twill with a probable Italian origin. B) Slate Grey twill: New Old Stock, 60% cotton – 40% linen, 8 Oz. denim twill, also with a probable Italian origin. C) Indigo Moss Blue denim twill: New Old Stock, 70% cotton – 30% linen, 11 Oz. denim twill, also with a probable Italian origin.
Lining: Two similar types of fancy New Old Stock 100% cotton fabrics, natural white with woven blue stripe.
DETAILS: * Six-button front. * Two slanted box-pleat patch pockets with buttoned flaps. * Full matching back with cinch strap, European-style metal buckle.
* Fancy corozo wood buttons. * Full lining, woven stripe suit-lining fabric, no open seams. * Made in USA, baby.
SIZING/FIT: This explains how we size our garments. The Continental Vest comes raw/unwashed. We recommend the usual initial 30mn cold soak/occasional hand agitation/spin dry/hang dry process. For the three fabric options, the tagged size reflects the size of the garment after going through this process. All fabric options will shrink to roughly the same measurements.
Please note that it is the nature of cotton-linen blend textiles to wrinkle and slightly stretch back and forth with each laundry/wear cycle. For example, freshly laundered linen garments fit tighter in the morning than at the end of the day. If you prefer a clean, pressed look following the initial soaking process, the Continental Vest can be steamed or professionally pressed.
I opted for a Size 38 in all options of the Continental Vest. This is my usual size in mfsc top garments. However, I have done a full rinse cycle with the Vests, and used a heat dryer for about five minutes to get the shrinkage that fitted my tastes.
Please refer to sizing chart for approximate raw/soaked measurements. Soaked = 30mn cold soak, spin dry and line dry. Further shrinkage and creasing will be achieved with full wash cycle (on delicate) and a heat dryer cycle.
Charcoal Grey
Slate Grey
Indigo Moss Blue
CARE: Hand wash or machine wash unbuttoned on delicate, cold water with minimal environmentally friendly detergent. Line dry. NOTE: Full washing cycle and machine dry will result in maximum shrinkage, to be experimented with care and at owner’s risk.
Available RAW/unwashed
SIZES:
Small (36)
Medium (38)
Large (40)
X-Large (42)
XX-Large (44)
The “Continental Sportcoat” Charcoal and Slate grey NOS denim twill Sportsman Collection Spring 2016
As previously mentioned, we decided to break the Internet this Spring.
Simple. We just added a new three-piece type concept to our Sportsman catalog. It consists of three new garment patterns with a suiting vibe that we exotically called the Mister Freedom® Continental Trousers, Continental Vest, and Continental Sportcoat.
Our intention was less an urge to have Savile Row shopkeepers and bespoke tailors lose sleep over an American invasion than a desire to add an elegant classic touch to our Mister Freedom® Made in USA catalog. So, expect a bit of unpretentious suiting for the Worldly Gentleman á la MF® in the Sportsman collection for the coming seasons…
According to how lucky we are digging up New Old Stock loot, each season will welcome a new member to our Continental family. With the finished garments, the idea will be to mismatch pieces according to one’s personal taste and need for a not-so-formal yet sophisticated wardrobe. The MF® Continental concept should make us insanely rich, and you incredibly handsome, successful, and influential.
Sometime in 2015, we scored a pretty incredible lot of three different slubby cotton-linen crosshatch twills, milled in Italy. Fallen-off Guido’s truck and acquired in exchange for several kidneys from the Mister Freedom® crew, not much is known about these fabric rolls, besides yarn content, weight and Country of Origin. All three would technically qualify as denim twill, typically featuring a dark-colored warp and a natural-colored weft, but the 30 to 40% linen fiber adds an elegant and crispy touch to the grouping. The three colors we will be releasing the Continental series in this season are charcoal grey, slate grey and indigo blue. There will not be full matching sets available for each color, both intentionally and due to limited yardage.
Following the smashing release of the Continental series’ first installment earlier this year, the irresistible Continental Trousers in NOS crosshatch denim, here is its handsome sidekick, the Continental Sportcoat. Our Sportcoat is an ‘unstructured blazer’, a non-rigid coat without shoulder padding, the Int’l Secret Agent’s best friend while traveling the World busting villains. Roll it in a bundle, stuff it into your Halliburton briefcase, hang it by the shower, close the door… the steam will press it for you. You can then waltz right out of the posada draped like a local, and go get Fantômas…
Did you say Fantômas?
The pattern of our latest Sportsman garment is derived from a French 1950’s cotton khaki twill work coat, pulled out of an old trunk belonging to a French postal worker (Postes, Telégraphes et Téléphones, aka PTT), a vintage grouping found during a recent trip to Europe. We just figured we’d turn our facteur into an undercover OSS agent…
“Moi? Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath… Vous?”
We adapted the vintage design to make it a bit more glamorous than Jour de Fêtes, but not going full Thomas Crown either (remember, the Continental is made downtown LA…). We aimed for ‘sporty playboy’ over 9-to-5 clerk, OSS117 over 1957 PTT, Eurospy over salaryman. Yet, we wanted a casual sportswear feel. The result is a jacket somewhat sexier than the vintage originally-conceived functional postman uniform coat, and less high-maintenance than a fancy suit coat.
Although laden with subtle details, our Continental Sportcoat stays pretty discreet and non-pretentious. The casual feel is heightened by the fact that the jacket is washable, always a plus for the on-the-go Int’l Man of Action. Be aware that its cotton-linen fabric will torque and shrink, the stitching will pucker… But we quite like the whole wrinkled “Salaire De La Peur” meets “1000 Dollars au Soleil” atmosphere. This is an acquired taste of course, and some might prefer a freshly pressed ‘clean’ look instead. Do your thing.
The high-button front also adds a somewhat 60’s spy movie vibe, thus this post’s silly photo skit, featuring Mr. Cristian Dascalu’s own villain-busting machine, a mighty 1970 280SE Mercedes.
Overall, our Continental Sportcoat is quite versatile and will adapt to the wearer’s own personal style, according to what it will be paired with. It can be dressed-up with Continental Trousers and vest, dressed-down with blue jeans or chinos, layered with a denim jacket, or not purchased… The fit is quite relaxed, with darts to cinch the waist and a kind of drop-shoulder pattern for top volume. Because of the rather simple way the sleeves are set (bias tape binding method), a professional tailor should be able to adjust the shoulder area if needed, according to one’s build. Let an actual tailor mess with it, as this is a seemingly easy job, but it does require custom tailoring skills. Setting sleeves is tricky.
The detail-oriented will notice a streamline caballo construction on the inside, with no overlock edges nor open seams, something we at Mister Freedom® find important.
The Continental Sportcoat features a floating half lining, made of natural NOS woven stripe cotton fabric. Along with a concealed chest pocket, patches of lining fabric are used to reinforce the pocket openings, a detail borrowed from the original utilitarian uniform vintage jacket.
We are introducing two twill fabric options for the Spring 2016 issue of the Continental Sportcoat: A) Charcoal Grey twill: New Old Stock, 60% cotton – 40% linen, 8 Oz. denim twill with a probable Italian origin. B) Slate Grey twill: New Old Stock, 60% cotton – 40% linen, 8 Oz. denim twill, also with a probable Italian origin.
The Continental Sportcoat is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in California by Mister Freedom® in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.
SPECS:
PATTERNS: An original mfsc pattern, inspired by cotton work coats and other unstructured blazers, notably a 1950’s French postal uniform jacket.
FABRICS:
A) Charcoal Grey twill: New Old Stock, 60% cotton – 40% linen, 8 Oz. denim twill with a probable Italian origin. B) Slate Grey twill: New Old Stock, 60% cotton – 40% linen, 8 Oz. denim twill, also with a probable Italian origin.
Lining: New Old Stock, 100% cotton, natural white with woven blue stripe.
DETAILS: * Unstructured silhouette.
* Lightweight and soft.
* High button front.
* Corrozo wood butons.
* Half shoulder floating lining.
* Side hip pockets with flaps.
* Pocket openings reinforced on the inside.
* 100% cotton stitching, clean caballo flat-felled seam construction, green color “Sportsman” signature chainstitch on the inside. No open edges or overlock.
* Made in USA.
SIZING/FIT: This explains how we size our garments.
The Continental Sportcoat comes raw/unwashed. We recommend the usual initial 30mn cold soak/occasional hand agitation/spin dry/hang dry process. For both fabric options, the tagged size reflects the size of the garment after going through this process. Both fabric options shrink to about the same measurements. Please note that it is the nature of cotton-Linen blend textiles to wrinkle and stretch back and forth with each laundry/wear cycle. For example, freshly laundered linen garments fit tighter in the morning than at the end of the day. If you prefer a clean, pressed look following the initial soaking process, the jacket can be steamed or professionally pressed.
The Continental Sportcoat is quite broad-shouldered and is not designed to fit like a bespoke Savile Row coat, but rather like a casual ‘unstructured blazer’. I am wearing a Size 38 in both charcoal and slate grey Continental Sportcoat. This is my usual size in mfsc jackets, although I have done a full rinse cycle with the Sportcoat, and used a heat dryer for about five minutes.
Please refer to sizing chart for approximate raw/soaked measurements. Soaked = 30mn cold soak, spin dry and line dry. Further shrinkage and creasing will be achieved with full wash cycle (on delicate) and a heat dryer cycle.
Continental Sportcoat Charcoal
Continental Sportcoat Slate
CARE: Hand wash or machine wash unbuttoned on delicate, cold water with minimal environmentally friendly detergent. Line dry. NOTE: Full washing cycle and machine dry will result in maximum shrinkage, to be experimented with care and at owner’s risk.
Available RAW/unwashed
SIZES:
Small (36)
Medium (38)
Large (40)
X-Large (42)
XX-Large (44)
