Suggested extra noise-canceling set-up, pending USPTO approval.
Some MF® Oki Covers in their new environment.
Mister Freedom® Oki Cover.
Recycled from 1940’s USMC ponchos. Sportsman 2015, made in USA.
Recycling is green but the MF® Oki Cover comes in frogskin camo.
The name “Oki” is a reference to Okinawa, the home of the Counter Insurgency Support Office for a while, as we already mentioned while introducing the MF® Experimental Camouflage Utility Trousers during Spring 2015. To pretentiously quote ourselves, here is a bit of that interesting slice of History again:
“…To more efficiently handle logistics, the highly-classified Counter Insurgency Support Office is established on the island of Okinawa, Japan in 1963. Headed by a mysterious individual working for the Department of Army by the name of Conrad Benjamin Baker, CISO was “assigned the mission of supporting the Special Forces programs through triservice depots and local procurement sources (…) Many items of clothing and equipment, for example, had to be obtained from markets in other countries because of size problems, composition of material, and equipment which had to be tailored to Montagnard measurements.” (source)
CISO acquired or produced ‘sterile’ (untraceable if captured) weapons, along with unmarked clothing and equipment to outfit US Special Forces or advisors heading out to South Vietnam. Locally screen-printed tiger stripe camo fatigues, “bowie” knives, VC-style black pajamas, rations, machetes, Seiko watches for recon teams, black 1-0rain jackets, North Vietnamese Army-inspired rucksacks… Basically, if it proved needed in the field, CISO sourced it out in Asia, or designed it and manufactured it locally. At a fraction of the price compared to US-made mil-specs issued gear, and quicker delivery than its state-side bureaucracy-laden official channel alternative. What exactly went on is not well documented, but Ben Baker’s account of his involvement in the original design and R&D of the famous SOG knife is available for download in pdf form here…”
In the tradition of local-made garments using recycled Government-issued equipment and fabrics, we have decided to ‘sacrifice’ a few NOS WW2 USMC ponchos scored recently to make some hats. These un-issued shelter halves are authentic and originate from different military contractors of the period. They were still craft paper-wrapped and stored in talc powder. They are all dated 1944.
Original US Gov’t issued USMC ponchos, dated 1944
Originally, these ponchos were mainly issued to GI’s in the Pacific theater of operations (PTO), as the frogskin camo pattern proved too close to the German’s variety of field concealment to avoid confusion in Europe (ETO). From Tarawa to Iwo Jima, island-hoping Marines made good use of these reversible rubberized canvas shelter halves, also turning them into floor mats, blankets, tents… Rarely pictured worn in combat situation probably due to obvious impracticability, these ponchos can still be spotted on period photography of the Pacific War.
USN or USMC Camo poncho in action. GI’s unloading USN landing crafts, Iwo Jima 1945 (Courtesy LIFE)
The pattern of our Oki Cover is of a generic engineer cap type, a cross between the Choo Choo Charlie hat and a 40’s UMSC cover. Our cap is pretty much reversible, and can be worn jungle side out or beach side out, although, for those understandingly allergic to branding, the green camo side features the MF® sportsman woven label.
DISCLAIMER: This NOS rubberized canvas fabric, although thin, feels quite stiff and starched, making crinkly noises even after being thoroughly washed. For argument sake, it can be said that once sitting on top of you head and shaped to your liking, the MF® Oki Cover should remain quiet if your hair grows less than a foot per day.
One can also look at the Oki Cover as a low-tech noise canceling hat.
The very limited MF® Oki Cover is made in California by Mister Freedom®, from recycled 1940’s USMC frogskin camo ponchos.
Also featured in the photos is the MF® Jump Scarf, recycled from authentic vintage 1950’s US military spot camouflage canopies.
Credits: Some historical references courtesy of this US Militaria Forum thread.
SPECS:
FABRIC:
Recycled NOS 1940’s USMC frogskin camo ponchos, original US Government issue, dated 1944. This batch of rubberized fabric is quite stiff and noisy. Each cap was washed thoroughly after completion and the fabric feels like dry fabric and not rubber.
We do not guarantee the waterproof quality of the fabric anymore, but applying some type of weatherproof fabric dressing might help, and prove more productive than suing the original 1944 contractor. We have yet to test, but the wax might also help with the crinkling noise. Due to the nature of this 70 year-old vintage fabric, each hat might show wear from washing and abrasion, and feature tiny holes and minor fraying.
DETAILS:
* Engineer cap-type pattern.
* Reversible.
* Low-tech noise canceling technology.
* Limited Edition.
* Made in USA.
SIZING/FIT:
The Oki Covers come thoroughly washed and machine dried. No further shrinkage is to be expected.
They are sized by measuring the headband in centimeters. The sizing is discreetly stamped in black on the jungle side.
Perso Lot.74 blue jeans worn for about 2 months, laundered once.
Lot.74 Californian blue jeans, NOS Cone denim. “The Sportsman” catalog, made in USA, Fall 2015.
Immediately following its recent New Old Stock wheat denim release, the new Mister Freedom® Lot.74 swept the nation overnight…
Rumors of ferocious shopping stampedes have been relayed by the media, said rumors now backed by strong unequivocal photographic evidence.
Salut les filles…
“OOOMG, the Lot.74 has arrived!!” (Courtesy “Confessions of a Shopaholic” 2009 Walt Disney Studios)
To mark the addition of the Lot.74 blue jeans pattern to the Sportsman catalog for Fall 2015, we thought of simultaneously issuing a compañero to our wheat denimamigo. Fresh-off a coveted California factory, this run is made from a handsome 12.5 Oz blue denim, limited yardage of NOS from Cone Mills found in a local warehouse. This righthand twill denim is of an attractive shade of indigo blue, featuring a white and red stripe selvedge ID.
The Californian Lot.74 is not just another iteration of previous Californian lots, and departs quite a bit from its Lot.64 or Lot.654 predecessors. For one, the fit has been trimmed significantly for a 60’s McQueenesque vibe, with a fitted top block and a straight leg from the knee on down. The Lot.74 are no jeggings (aka denim tights for the connoisseur) however, those being readily available elsewhere, raw and in all kinds of fierce and desirable chemical washes.
The lot.74 might be a good option for ‘smaller frame’ fit individuals looking for a period-proportioned seat/thigh/calf silhouette.
The keen eye will notice that McQueen, at an alleged 5’9 ½ and a waist 32 according to Western Costumes, opted to have some of his classic dungarees taken in from the knee down to achieve that specific visual balance. During his Johnny Strabler days in “The Wild One” (1953), Brando, at 5’8 and in a body-type league of his own, had the Columbia Pictures’ Costume Department alter his 501® from the knee down as well. Part of the popularity of the traditional five pocket jeans pattern, through decades of ever-changing fashion, might reside in its easily-altered outseam.
Mc Queen in jerry-rigged denim (photo William Claxton 1965)
Brando in altered denim (1953) Courtesy Getty Images.
The addition of an old school “Gripper Zipper” to our Californian is a nod to the supposed improvement that zip-fly jeans were over their button-fly model counterparts. If H.D. Lee® introduced his 101z slide-fastener fly cowboy jeans in 1926, and the Levi’s® suits-controlled design team started playing with them around 1951, it is not until the 1960’s that zippers evolved into a popular feature on most blue jeans. Today, zipper jeans are in general considered unfashionable and usually pooh-poohed by denimheads, somewhat of a convincing argument in itself to release a MF® version.
The rear pockets of the Lot.74 have been subjected to an overhaul, and are inspired by 60’s-70’s denim pocketing rather than the 1950’s influence of our original Lot.54. If the rear pockets top reinforcement stitching is still there, we have removed the hidden rivets, saving the Planet one copper rivet at a time.
The denim fabric selvedge is still inconspicuously featured on the outseam, the watch pocket fold and the overlocked fly placket. Our choice of pocket bag fabric for this season’s Lot.74 Californian is a solid navy blue 100% cotton pique, part of a NOS grouping of French workwear fabrics scored a while back.
The Sportsman “Californian” LOT.74 blue jeans are designed and manufactured in California by Mister Freedom®, in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.
SPECS:
PATTERN:
Inspired by traditional five-pocket type 1960′s-1970’s era blue jeans, traditional slim fit, straight leg from the knee down. The Lot.74 is our slimmest five-pocket jeans cut, and is as slim as we’ll go, with a silhouette similar to that of the Malibu’s and a mid-high rise.
FABRIC:
Limited New Old Stock Cone Mills indigo blue denim, 12.5 Oz., white/red line selvedge ID, unsanforized. Milled in the USA. Pocket bags: French NOS navy blue cotton pique, from an old stock of French workwear fabric lot.
DETAILS:
* Five pockets.
* Zip fly, vintage-style brass ‘Gripper Zipper” pull.
* Twelve types of 100% cotton threads (gauge and color combination) used for construction. Main colors are yellow and orange.
* Re-designed rear pocket shape, featuring MF® original “M” stitch in banana yellow.
* Original debossed leather MF® patch on rear pocket.
* Top pocket reinforcement zig-zag stitching.
* Original brass cast MF® branded waist button.
* Unmarked copper riveting for pocket reinforcement.
* Fabric selvedge featured on leg outseams, zip fly placket and coin pocket fold.
* Original MF® ‘smoke-free Johnny’ pocket paper flasher.
* Made in sunny California, USA.
SIZING/FIT
The Californian LOT.74 comes UN-WASHED and cut so that the measurements match the labeling AFTER an initial cold soak/line dry. A tagged W32 x L34 “Californian” actually measures about 34” x 36½” when raw, and will shrink to approx. 32” x 34” after soak/dry.
Although some opt to wear their jeans raw and never wash them, a more practical and sensible option seems to be the cold soak/line dry/wear-when-damp to set creases protocole.
Which size works for you depends on how you like your jeans to fit. I wear a slim-fitting but comfortable tagged W32 in the Lot.74.
We recommend getting your usual waist size, although proper fit is a subjective matter and everyone has their own idea of what looks good.
As with all denim twill, 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 (ie. minimal shrinkage).
CARE: Wash your jeans when hygiene dictates and common sense prevails.
When cleaning is required, machine wash inside out to avoid marbling. Cold water, gentle cycle, eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry. Please note that the debossed artwork on the leather patch will naturally ‘flatten out’ when soaked in water. As devastating as it is, this is normal.
Patina will develop according to activities and frequency of wear.
Available RAW/unwashed/Un-sanforized
Sizes
W28 x L32
W29 x L32
W30 x L32
W31 x L32
W32 x L34
W33 x L34
W34 x L34
W36 x L34
W38 x L34 Retail $299.95
Mr. and Mrs. Delon (1967). Something about this photo doesn’t scream 2015.
Alain Delon, New York City (1958)
Mister Freedom® “Californian” blue jeans LOT.74, NOS wheat denim. The Sportsman, Fall 2015, made in USA.
We’ve had requests… but we did it anyways. We’re adding another Californian to “The SPORTSMAN” catalog.
To the MF® blue jeans saga inaugurated by the Lot.54 in 2010, backed by the special ‘Goat Rope’ edition Lot.44 the following year, beefed-up by a herd of Lot.64‘s starting in 2013, revisited this Spring with the Lot.654… we are adding a chaser: the unbeeeeeliiiievable Californian Lot.74.
“That’s unbeeeeeliiiievable.” says Tony Manero (1977)
Tony might want to sit this one out, still, since this updated cut of our classic five pocket jeans has yet to feature that enviable 14-inch flare. But we’re working on it, Anthony.
So what’s the fuss about the Lot.74 you axe me?
Walks in Alain.
The Sportsman “Californian” LOT.74 wheat denim jeans are designed and manufactured in California by Mister Freedom®, in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.
SPECS:
PATTERN:
Inspired by traditional 1960′s-1970’s era blue jeans, traditional slim fit, straight leg from the knee down. The Lot.74 is our slimmest five-pocket jeans cut, and is as slim as we’ll go, with a silhouette similar to the Malibu’s and somewhat of a high rise by 2015 standards.
FABRIC:
Limited NOS Cone Mills wheat denim, 12.5 Oz., black/white/red line selvedge ID, sanforized. Milled in the USA. Pocket bags: French NOS navy blue cotton pique, from an old stock of French workwear fabric lot.
DETAILS:
* Five pockets.
* Zip fly, vintage-style brass ‘Gripper Zipper” pull.
* Selvedge leg outseams.
* Combination of tonal stitching, 100% cotton threads of assorted gauge.
* Re-designed rear pocket shape.
* Original inconspicuous “M” stitch design on rear pockets.
* Newly-designed debossed leather MF® patch on rear pocket. Cristian likes it.
* Coin pocket with concealed selvedge.
* Top pocket reinforcement zig-zag stitching.
* Original brass cast MF® branded waist button.
* Unmarked copper riveting for pocket reinforcement.
* Original MF® ‘smoke-free Johnny’ pocket paper flasher.
* Made in USA
SIZING/FIT
The wheat denim Californian LOT.74 comes UN-WASHED and cut so that the measurements match the labeling AFTER an original cold soak/line dry. This specific denim is sanforized, and a tagged W32 x L34 wheat Lot.74 Californian will measure an approximate 32” x 34” after the initial soak/dry process.
Which size works for you depends on your actual waist, and how you like your jeans to fit. I wear a tagged waist 32 in the Lot.74.
We recommend getting your usual waist size, although proper fit is a subjective matter and everyone has their own idea of what looks good.
As with all denim twill, 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.
CARE: Wash your jeans when hygiene dictates and common sense prevails.
Machine wash with cold water, gentle cycle, eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry. Please note that the debossed graphic on the leather patch will naturally ‘flatten out’ when soaked in water. As devastating as it is, this is normal. DISCLAIMER: Some minor color transfer from the the leather patch and pocket bags to the wheat denim might occur after laundry. This will recede with subsequent washing cycles, as light-colored garments require frequent cleaning. Using hot water will increase chances of color transfer.
Available RAW/unwashed/Un-sanforized
Sizes
W28 x L32
W29 x L32
W30 x L32
W31 x L32
W32 x L34
W33 x L34
W34 x L34
W36 x L34
W38 x L34 Retail $299.95
“Marine Nationale Mer et Outremer” magazine, Feb 1948. Article by J. Raphael-Leygues.
Faking it in San Pedro (Courtesy of Tad from Clutch Magazine)
Caban peacoat, indigo x black twill Saigon Cowboy Fall 2015
In his 1828 study of the island of Sardinia, British naval officer William Henry Smyth mentions local gentlemen farmers sporting the cabbanu, “an article much resembling the pea-jacket of seamen.” Since most of you already own a copy of S.J. Honnorat’s handy Provençal-French dictionary published in 1846, you have undoubtedly noted that a caban then described a piece of heavy outerwear favored by sheep herders, sailors and fishermen of the Provence region, southeastern France.
With foggy origins dating back to the 15th century, the caban is to the contemporary French Marine Nationale seaman what the peacoat (pilot cloth jacket, P-jacket, pea jacket…) is to his USN seafaring counterpart, a solid foul weather double breasted wool coat typified by an iconic double row of anchor buttons. It is said that the versatile left or right buttoning let the wearer adapt to the wind direction, whether standing starboard or port side.
In the days of early navigators, sailors could pretty much wear what they pleased, and often whipped up their own functional outfits, sewing experts as they were due to the constant sail repair routine. Garments changed hands, were re-cut, adapted, recycled, customized, mended. Work clothes of deck hands were at times waterproofed with a mixture of tar, tallow and turpentine, a technique used on linen canvas spare sails in order to collect precious fresh rain water while at sea.
It can be irrelevantly observed here that, during the Age of Discovery, entering a crowded mess deck filled with sailors clad in their gunk-waxed finest, and more preoccupied by scurvy than ablutions (for centuries a bimonthly soap-less and salt water treat), must have guaranteed quite the exquisite olfactive experience.
The modern peacoat’s immediate ancestor seems to be of the paletot family, itself related to the cropped ‘reefer’ jackets. Short jackets proved practical while working aloft in the rigging. Nautical workwear and seamen jackets through the ages have followed the evolution of the carrying vessels, while adapting to the requisite of life on the Seven Seas. From the ancient knee-length hooded gowns of the 14th century mariners to today’s classic peacoat, a caban can be considered as a compromise between a cumbersome 17th century justaucorpsordoubletand a practical workman commoner jacket.
By 1876, the caban pretty much as it is known today becomes standard issue in the French Navy, featuring the familiar double breasted front closure, a set of (10, 8 or 6) anchor buttons, embroidered red anchor patch on collar, 3/4 length, in dense dark navy blue kersey cloth-type wool.
Interestingly, due to budget restrictions and the evolution of military regulations, the beloved caban (équipage, tenue n°41) ceased to be a standard issue in the French Marine Nationale in 2014.
Justaucorps 17th century fashion
Early 1800s sailor
Paletot modele 1858, courtesy Musée National de la Marine
French Navy six-button caban, 1986
Yves-Saint-Laurent fashion show, Southern France (1986)
PCF-38 Swift boat, Cai Ngay canal (1970) Department of Navy
Despite the above digression, a degree from Parsons won’t be necessary to notice that the MF® caban borrows its general pattern, not from the six-button French Navy-issued coat that once itched French conscripts’ necks on shore leave, but from the American WWI ten-button USN classic peacoat. We didn’t reinvent the ship’s wheel on this one, and lifted all the bells and whistles off of a vintage specimen from our archives.
Historically, if both French and American navies share common memories of navigating the muddy waters of Vietnam’s Mekong River or Red River (1940’s to 1970’s), it is unlikely that the local climate tempted many Dinassaut crews or their PBRBrown Water Navy successors to sport government-issued wool pea-coats while in country… Period photography testifies that searing heat and humidity called for shirtless outfits more often than full regulation attire, and I have yet to see a photo of a USN peacoat being worn in Vietnam. I might, as often, be wrong.
So, we couldn’t find any excuse for releasing this indigo twill peacoat as part of the Saigon Cowboy Fall 2015 story other than the vain desire to add another P-Jacket under our belt, and share a few historical markers. This jacket won’t work for 1940’s Indochina riverine flotillas reenacting indeed. Nostalgics of the GCMA‘s pirating days on Cù Lao Ré won’t be too impressed either. But, the Mister Freedom ® caban peacoat should do for other activities, such as looking ridiculously handsome at the grocery store.
The lining of our jacket features the fabric we previously introduced and discussed at length with the garrison trousers, the ‘controversial’ bariolage lézard aka French lizard camo. As often the case with linings, it is fully concealed on the inside of the jacket, and left to the discretion of the wearer to be subtly displayed on the removable/flippable chin-strap or not.
The mix of dark indigo blue and jungle green foliage tones of the MF® caban conveys, admittedly with zero historical accuracy, the “Forces Amphibies de la Marine en Indochine (FAIS or FAIN)” twist we wanted to give to this peacoat. This combo also reflects the whole vibe of our Fall 2016 Saigon Cowboy collection.
Below period field photos are courtesy of Mr. Thierry Combot’s family album, Commando MarineFrancois, and Musée FUSCO Lorient (courtesy Michel Salinier). They are shared here for historical references only.
FAIS
Pierre Combot, Flottille Amphibie Indochine Sud 1948-50 (Courtesy Thierry Combot)
Flottille Amphibie Indochine Sud 1948-50 (Courtesy Thierry Combot)
Cdo Jaubert Baie d’Along patrol 1951 (Courtesy M Pivin)
Cdo Jaubert Baie d’Along 1952 (Courtesy G Piccoz)
F.A.I.S (Force amphibie Indochine Sud) Avril 1948
Charles Schmid Mekong Delta FAIS (1948)
C Schmid FAIS Cambodian border (1948)
The shell fabric we chose is the heaviest twill we have had milled in Japan during our Mister Freedom® x Sugar Cane 10 year-long collaborative saga.
This 16 Oz. indigo wrap x black weft twill will be nothing new to those familiar with the mfsc Midnight P-Jacket released during Fall 2010. If this heavy cotton indigo twill is not for the butter-soft spandex fabric amateur, it is quite the crowd-pleaser as it will develop a desirable patina overtime.
On a side note, the stiffness of a new 100% cotton twill garment should not be considered as a flaw, but perceived as the intrinsic feature of vintage-inspired apparel following certain standards and manufacturing ethics. Mister Freedom® garments are not processed with chemicals or laser machines in order to artificially age their appearance, nor are they sandblasted or stonewashed to ‘soften’ their hand. Unbeknownst to many ill-informed consumers, the garment-distressing industry is an extremely polluting one, and for those who refuse to participate in factory workers’ silicosis and river dumping, there are many brands out there offering non-distressed products.
A garment will soften naturally with normal wear, and what is lost to ‘instant comfort’ will be gained in eco-consciousness. For the diehard seekers of the “comfortable broken-in look”, there’s always vintage clothing.
The MF® Caban Peacoat is ‘designed’ in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co.
SPECS:
PATTERN:
An original MFSC pattern, freely inspired by early 1910’s -1930’s USN and US Coast Guard sailor wool peacoats.
FABRIC:
Shell: Heavy 100% cotton twill, 16 Oz. indigo warp x black weft, white selvedge ID, milled in Japan.
Lining: 100% cotton HBT ‘lizard’ camouflage fabric, milled and printed in Japan.
DETAILS:
* 10 button front closure.
* Early USN type ’13 stars’ anchor buttons.
* Four pocket type, two ‘hand warmer’ slash pockets and two flap closure pockets. All lined with golden brown corduroy.
* Leather arrowhead reinforcement on pocket edges.
* Fabric selvedge conspicuously displayed inside pockets and on back vent.
* Removable chin strap.
* HBT ‘lizard’ camouflage fabric lining.
* Zig-Zag stand collar reinforcement stitching.
* Triple labeling on the inside, a nod to past MF® collections.
* Inside chest pocket and ‘cigarette’ pocket.
* 100% cotton stitching, faded ‘oxidized black’ color.
* Made in Japan.
SIZING/FIT:
Our caban peacoat comes raw/unwashed and will shrink to intended size after the following initial process:
* Fill washing machine tank with cold water, enough to immerse your jacket but mindful not to waste water.
* DO NOT RUN A WASH CYCLE.
* Soak the garment for 30-45 mn, agitating by hand occasionally to guarantee all fabric fibers are thoroughly soaking in water. This step shrinks the garment. Opting to use hot water might increase shrinkage and will also result in more indigo color loss.
* Turn dial to final spin, by-passing all washing cycles, and spin dry the garment.
* The fun part: briefly put-on the garment to ‘mold it’ and shape it to your body. This step will ‘set’ creases in arms and shoulders.
* Hang the garment and let dry overnight. Do not use a machine dryer.
When fully dry, the jacket will be very stiff from the re-activated starch still in the fibers, but that stiffness is temporary and will naturally subside with wear, as you move around.
The fit of the caban is true-to-size after the initial soak/dry process. If you are usually a Medium (38) in mfsc, you are a Medium (38) in the indigo caban peacoat.
Please refer to sizing chart for measurements. Please note our measurements reflect a 30mn cold soak/spin dry/line dry process, resulting in minimal shrinkage.
Caban Peacoat Size 38, post cold soak/hang dry
CARE: DO NOT MACHINE WASH.
This garment is too heavy and voluminous for a regular home washer, even one boasting “Heavy Duty”. A machine wash cycle will either ruin the jacket, the machine, or both.
Unless engaging in activities such as oil field extraction or industrial commercial fishing your coat should not need extensive cleaning. Professional eco-friendly dry-cleaning is recommended should heavy soiling occur. Spot cleaning with a wet rag is an option for minor stain.
Additionally, the initial soaking process can be repeated, with a minimal dose of eco-friendly detergent added to the bath to hand wash the garment. Again… DO NOT MACHINE WASH.
Note that the indigo twill of the caban will initially ‘bleed’ for a period of time and color transfer will temporarily stain light-colored garments and furniture.
Available RAW/unwashed SIZES: X-Small (34)
Small (36)
Medium (38)
Large (40)
X-Large (42)
XX-Large (44)
If cabaret extraordinaire and Art Deco muse Josephine Baker’s banana skirt instantly raised eyebrows in 1925, her apparently innocent frivolous rendition of “Petite Tonkinoise” in 1930 would take many more years to spark controversy and criticism. In the song, she interprets Mélaoli, an Annamite damsel enamored with a French soldier deployed to the Tonkin region. For the wordplay-in-French amateur, Mélaoli is a not-so-clever phonetic quip involving bed (lit) activities.
Ms. Baker’s version of the song, although rewritten for a female singer and stripped of its original 1906 lyrics popularized by the jovial Polin, an army barracks’ favorite, still carried its risqué colonial tone. Nothing yet politically incorrect for the France of the 1930’s however, and the song was a huge success. By popular demand, an updated version was even recorded by the artist in 1953.
With enough sexual innuendoes to make Wynonie Harris blush, the original “Petite Tonkinoise” is a chanson of its time, today mostly remembered for its stuttering verse “ma Tonkiki, ma Tonkiki, ma Tonkinoise”. Don’t listen to it twice or you’ll be humming it in the morning.
Annamite traditional attire (1800s)
Tonkinoise
“Petite Tonkinoise” 1906 music sheet, strangely featuring a Japanese lady.
Josephine Baker, Folies Bergère,”Folies du Jour” revue, Paris (1926-27). Photo Lucien Waléry
Josephine Baker and Chiquita, her cheetah pet (1930)
Josephine Baker collecting clothing for Japanese American babies, Los Angeles (1952 Toyo Miyake Studio)
Not forecasted in the song was the fact that some of the fruits of those exotic military campaign idyls would one day stroll the French countryside, in refugee camps such as the CAFI of Sainte-Livrade-Sur-Lot (Camp d’Accueil des Francais d’Indochine in the Southwest of France), anecdotally located a few miles from where I spent many summers as a kid. Vietnamese families of veterans fallen during their Indochine campaign also joined the camps ranks.
Following the Geneva Accords of 1954, Franco-Vietnamese families who supported the French occupation of Indochina, and gained from it, started fleeing the homeland to escape communist retaliation. The French government, juggling with its first post-colonial hot potato, relocated the refugees in hastily-built facilities. The communities’ fate often fell into bureaucratic oblivion.
Neglected for decades, the CAFI of Sainte-Livrade-Sur-Lot was being renovated when we drove by in 2014. Some still called it home at the time.
Incidentally, and unrelated, about 60 miles from the CAFI, stands the majestic XIV Century Château des Milandesonce the home of, by then decorated WW2 veteran, philanthropist and activist Josephine Baker, and her ‘rainbow tribe’. She, her husband, and their international adopted family of twelve lived there for years. I remember visiting the castle some 35 years ago.
CAFI Sainte Livrade original facilities before demolition, (July 2014)
B&W Rainbow Tribe and colorful Château des Milandes
Josephine Baker, husband Jo Bouillon, and partial Rainbow Tribe.
Josephine Baker, Légion d’Honneur ceremony (1961)
Before we drift even further off-topic, let’s mention that it is not as an homage to the song risqué verbiage or nostalgic colonial content that we have chosen to call our latest Saigon Cowboy shirt “La Tonkinoise”, but as a reference to bygone days of exotic advertising, and to that shirt plausible origin as a 1930’s-40’s Tonkin tailor made garment.
Our Tonkinoise is loaded with details gathered from several vintage shirts. Most of the details are concealed but a stand-out feature of the Tonkinoise is its specific collar pattern. It was adapted from a wind-protectant high neck flippable collar, the fancy feature of an obscure vintage US military wool shirt from our archives. Militaria experts might be able to easily ID this shirt model, but I admit not being familiar with it. We reduced the size of the original collar, which looked too much like a crackerjack flap to my liking.
Our own Champollion, Cristian ‘Champ’ Dascalu, is responsible for identifying the barely readable woven label of that vintage shirt as saying “REYEM, Meyer’s Military Shops, Washington D.C.”. It is likely that Jean-François himself would not have figured out that Reyem is Meyer spelled backwards, so we consider the Champ’s finding one giant leap for Mankind.
Champollion at work
To spice things up, we opted for a contrasting rainbow chainstitch on the inside of the shirt, a nod to an old stunt we pulled years ago, and a reference to the multicolored embroidery often featured on vintage Vietnam ‘Party’ jackets, and not necessarily to Doritos.
As with our recently released Garrison Shirt, the Tonkinoise buttonhole placket is another example of tailoring prowess, courtesy of Toyo Enterprises pattern maker Mr. Fukutomi. The intricate pattern of the elbow and cuff section is yet another nod to an old flame. The arcuate shape of the back of the collar is an attractive feature lifted from vintage French shirts of the 1920’s-30’s.
The two fabrics we chose for the Mister Freedom® Tonkinoise are two old acquaintances. The first one is the ‘snowy’ Lot.A 2×1 selvedge slubby denim of the MF® Appaloosa Shirt, this time milled in Japan to the exact specs of the original NOS fabric we had used in 2013.
The second option is the Buzz Rickson’s USN-type blue chambray, previously featured on two mfsc garments, the Chambray Patrol Shirt and the “Cholon” Continental.
The MF® Tonkinoise is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co.
Note: Featured in some of our photo rigs are a well-worn pair of MF® x Palladium “Palladenim“, inspired by vintage French jungle boots.
SPECS:
FABRIC: a) “Snow” denim: Dark and slubby 10 Oz. 2×1 indigo blue denim, White/yellow line selvedge ID, milled in Japan. b) “BR” blue Chambray: Buzz Rickson’s all cotton blue chambray, 1940’s USN mil-specs, selvedge with white/blue line selvedge ID, milled in Japan. The Chambray version of the Tonkinoise is only available in the US.
DETAILS:
* An original mfsc pattern, inspired by 1930’s-40’s military uniform shirting. * ‘Windproof’ high button-up collar. * Arcuate pattern on back of collar. * Tailor-made type buttonhole placket construction. * Selvedge button placket. * Intricate sleeve cuff/elbow reinforcement pattern. * Concealed rainbow colored chainstitched accents on the inside. * Selvedge side gussets, self fabric. * White corozo wood buttons, aka ivory nut. * 100% cotton thread stitching. * Made in Japan.
SIZING/FIT:
The MF® Tonkinoise shirt comes raw/un-rinsed and will shrink to tagged size after the initial rinse/dry process. We recommend a ~30mn cold soak, spin dry and line dry. This shirt is true-to-size, with a fitted yet comfortable silhouette. If you are generally a Medium in mfsc shirts, you are a Medium in the Tonkinoise.
Both shirt options will shrink to approximately the same size.
Please refer to sizing chart for measurements. Please note our measurements reflect a 30mn cold soak/spin dry/line dry process, resulting in minimal shrinkage.
It is obvious that the raw measurements are given for reference only. If they reflect the difference in shrinkage of both raw fabrics, the measurements that actually matter are the post soak measurements. We do believe that shirts, as most washable garments, should regularly be laundered according to use.
Tonkinoise Chambray
Tonkinoise Denim
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 when washing. Patina will develop according to activities and frequency of wear. Please note that the dark indigo blue denim Tonkinoise ‘bleeds’ a lot at first, and color transfer will temporarily stain light-colored garments and furniture.
