A few additions to “The Sportsman” MF® catalog this Fall 2015, all made in USA.
Available sometime during Fall 2015.
Mister Freedom®, consume in moderation.
 ©Mister Freedom 2015  ©Mister Freedom 2015  ©Mister Freedom 2015  ©Mister Freedom 2015 Indochine, indigo, jungle, lézard, PBR, Brown Water Navy…
 The “Apollo Creed”  The “Classy”  The “Stinker”
 Brigitte Bardot & Alain Delon wearing a winner (on Eric Tabarly’s boat, Saint-Tropez, 1968) Photo Courtesy of Getty Images) “Aventure Beach Trunks”, made in USA. A proper introduction to our “Aventure Beach Trunks” will require the assistance of the action-packed movie provider of your choice. Put a little umbrella in your drink, and indulge in “L’Aventure c’est l’Aventure” (Claude Lelouch, 1972).
The “Aventure Beach Trunks” borrow the general pattern of our classic Sportsman Board Shorts, the original indigo version or “Saigon Cowboy” tiger stripe model, and feature Velcro closure, side pocket, cord waist adjustment… Please note that the tiger stripe option of the “Aventure Beach Trunk” is not made from Buzz Rickson’s gold tiger stripes, but from NOS selvedge camo fabric. We have carefully selected vintage selvedge cotton fabric from our vault for this project. These NOS sixties/seventies novelty print textiles have been purchased over the course of many years, some collected as far back as during MF® early trials under the name Cricri Le Matelot in the early 2000’s. Each pair had to be cut individually, a time-consuming requisite when using all different width of fabrics that cannot be stacked under one cutting marker. With very limited yardage of these fabrics, each design only yielded a few waist sizes. When possible, the selvedge was used on the inner part of the waistband. For your beachcombing pleasure, we have made dozens of assorted eye-pleasing combinations, emulating what an old 1970’s Californian beach shack on the Venice Boardwalk might have offered during its hippy days. Due to variations in vintage fabric weight and texture, some options might be better suited for strolling on hot sand than coming out of chilly water. For the sake of your friends, and your reputation, we recommend testing at home. Rumor has it that there is an embarrassing video on the interwebs highlighting the unforgiving fit of our beach trunks… but I wouldn’t know anything about that. The classy “Aventure Beach Trunks” are designed and manufactured in California by Mister Freedom®. Limited edition. SPECS: FABRICS: DETAILS: SIZING/FIT: CHART CARE: Available rinsed Available from www.misterfreedom.com. The full selection of options can be seen in our Los Angeles ol’ pile o’ rags, aka the brick & mortar store.
Tricot Marin, Made in USA Although stripes have been associated through the ages with outcasts, demons, deprivation of personal freedom and other fun stuff, it is argued that the contemporary popularity of that specific geometrical pattern is anchored in the New World of the late 1770’s… During the American Revolution, stripes became a reference to the thirteen red and white borders of the Patriots’ flag. For the revolutionaries of the original thirteen colonies, sporting and displaying striped patterns symbolized an allegiance to Independence from the Old World, the rejection of Britain’s authority. The stripes of Liberty versus the Crown of England…
The French, never missing an opportunity to aggravate the Brits, militarily supported and backed the rebellion of the colonies, recognizing the United States of America as a new independent nation in 1778. Some ten years later, France got busy with its own Revolution. In 1789, a ragtag group called the Sans-Culottes made the bulk of the French revolutionaries troops fighting the French monarchic regime. Contrasting with the fancy knee-length breeches aristocrats wore (culottes), their rugged outfits often featured a mixture of unfashionable stripes. The origin of the association of stripes with seafaring apparel, from the French tricot rayé to the Russian telnyashka, is also speculated about, but seems to have roots in the middle of the XVII Century as period paintings of naval battles tend to suggest. The keen eye will spot stripes on deck, swashbuckling away.
In 1858, the Marine Nationale (the French Navy, aka La Royale) officially adopts the standard Tricot Rayé for its seamen as an under garment. The now-regulated shirt features from 20 to 21 indigo blue knitted stripes, and will only be visible under the V-neck of the vareuse (jumper). An improbable legend has it that the number of stripes symbolizes specific victories of the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815). The French word tricot (pronounce tree-koh) refers to the knitting process of the jersey, as the stripes are not printed but knitted. In the early days, French factories that manufactured hosiery (bonneteries) also supplied the striped jersey fabric uniform shirts were made of. Some argue that technical limitations inherent to stocking manufacturing eventually impacted the garments, as shirts looked striped and not solid. Due to variations in shades of dyed or natural yarn batches, mechanically knitted jerseys were easier to keep consistent in stripe patterns than solid color. This seems like a stretch.
If most of what is known about stripes is pure extrapolation and the truth lost to history, what is well-documented is that nautical symbols have long safely made it to shore. Unlike their Army counterparts, French Navy conscripts got to keep their entire sea bag after the mandatory military service, taking home their uniform including two marinières. Used or vintage ones were dime a dozen in Parisian flea markets until the early 1990’s, easily filtering in the civvy world. Today, the famous white and blue stripes are mostly associated with France, summertime, fun-in-the-sun, sea-side resorts, yacht clubs, freshwater sailing, fishing, bouillabaisse, beach umbrellas… and fierce menswear fashion courtesy of JPG in 1978. Stripes… From dweller of the High Seas status to international catwalk apparel, from the backs of Medieval felons to Parisian Apaches gigolos, from Marsouins to bobos, from Saint Malo to Saint Tropez, striped shirts have seen it all.
Adding to that landlubber mixture, here is Mister Freedom®’s iteration of the TRICOT MARIN, for Spring 2015. Our 18 stripes form a sort of large chest band, horizontally framed by solid parts on the shoulders and bottom. This pattern is a reference to authentic French Marine Nationale jerseys, rather than the fully striped shirts without solid parts often associated with fishermen or ocean rescue. Some of the traditional Armor-Lux or Saint James shirts have that Bretagne nautical vibe. The brand Orcival supplied jerseys to the French Navy for many years. Our “Tricot Marin” is designed in California by Mister Freedom®, and manufactured in the USA from fabric milled in Japan. References: SPECS: FABRIC: DETAILS: SIZING/FIT: CARE: SIZES: Available from www.misterfreedom.com, our Los Angeles brick & mortar store, and fine retailers around the World.
The “Stanley” T-Shirt, made in USA The year was 1947. Manhattan was bustling, everyone had somewhere to go. A gang of weary street workers was taking a break from pouring asphalt on 8th Ave. Muggy air, sticky undershirts two sizes too small, dirty buckle-back dungarees, studded reflector belts, floppy work caps… There it was. Lucinda Ballard had her Stanley Kowalsky. She would play around with undershirts and work pants to dress-up her volatile ‘survivor of the Stone Age‘ roughneck character in Streetcar. That winter, Broadway was about to get a treat. An unknown 23 year-old mannish kid from Nebraska would mumble his way on stage for the next two years, mesmerizing the audience of the Ethel Barrymore Theater. Some felt sorry for the kid at first, assuming performance anxiety kept him from acting, like normal actors in those days did. Kowalski was not acting, not declaiming, the kid was too realistic… Some thought a stagehand had inadvertently walked on stage and started chatting away with the cast. But that was Marlon Brando doing his thing, setting new rules and raising the bar for future generations of actors. After the tremendous Broadway success, the play was adapted to film by Warner Bros in 1951, and shot in 36 working days. The entire original cast hit the silver screen. “Desire” was Brando’s ride to stardom.
And that is the brief story behind the name of our next entry in the Mister Freedom® Sportsman catalog this Spring 2015. Meet “Stanley”, Skivvy‘s little brother. For the Stanley T-Shirt however, I wanted a lighter gauge fabric. Our inspiration this time was more ‘old souvenir shop’ or vintage ‘PX merchandise’ than Mil-Specs. We were lucky to score a very special slubby and light-weight 100% cotton jersey, milled in the USA. Those partial to modern, oversized, heavy-weight T-Shirts might consider our Stanley fabric a bit ‘cheap’ and thin… But that’s exactly what we wanted, there’s plenty of the Beefy-T kind around. We decided to get smart and conducted extensive shrink tests to make our Stanley T-Shirt actually fit after laundry. The Stanley fits pretty much like our Skivvy, although featuring much more mechanical stretch due to the looser weave. The Stanley all-cotton jersey has a ‘memory’ and reverts to its intended fit after stretch. As was the case with the Skivvy however, it is normal for a T-Shirt to feel snugger when first slipped on in the morning than at the end of the day. To spice things up for Spring 2015, along with the white version, we have carefully selected specific color options, classic colors inspired by vintage shirts from the MF® archives. Contrary to the dictate of the garment distressing industry, we will “let the wearers put in the years.” The Stanley T-Shirt is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in the USA. SPECS: COLORS: DETAILS: SIZING/FIT:
CARE: SIZES: RETAIL: Available from www.misterfreedom.com, our Los Angeles brick & mortar store, and fine retailers around the World. |
