“Trousers El Americano”
Fall 2013 ‘Viva la Revolución’ mfsc Collection
You are now familiar with “El Americano“, the friendly fella introduced in the Fall 2013 chapter of mfsc “Viva la Revolución” collection…
You had been warned that, following the three ‘El Americano’ waistcoats and blousons, the final custom order to François, ze recently immigrated tailor of La Calle Primera in Ensenada, included a set of trousers.
For those who have no idea what I am talking about, believing I should lay off the peyote at work, just you wait…
In the Fall of 1492, Cristóbal Libertad, the eldest son of an Andalucía born conquistadore whose horse had…
Por favor!!!!
Alright already… You deserve a break for the Holidays, so here is the short version, to everyone’s relief.
This is the ultimate chapter of our “Viva la Revolución” saga, spanning Spring and Fall 2013.
The style of these here trousers is inspired by 1920’s-30’s type gentlemen slacks, from the olden days when a man’s waist rose above hip bones and trousers were not yet used as tourniquet devices…
Wide waistband with skinny belt loops, pocket decorative arcuate stitch, adjustable side straps, ‘smiley’ back pockets are a few period elements we played with for the ‘El Americano Trousers’.
Three entirely different fabrics were developed for ‘El Americano Trousers’, all milled and dyed in Japan exclusively for mfsc. These options are:
a) Brown Duck (Medium-light weight, softer hand)
b) Grey Covert Stripe (medium weight, stiff)
c) Indigo vat dyed Corduroy (heavy weight, softer)
Although individual patterns were made for each fabric, and the cut remains the same, fabric thickness determines the drape of a garment. Heavier and stiffer fabrics having less drape (less flow) than lighter ones, the trousers in indigo corduroy will look/feel different from the brown duck version.
For pocket bags and waist lining, we are using our staple 8.5 Oz. indigo covert fabric previously introduced this season, an indigo dyed yarn covert twill, milled in Japan (originally the lining of a pair of gentlemen’s vintage trousers from the 1890′s)
Of styling and such:
These trousers can be dressed up or down, according to your preferences and personal style.
I quite like the time-tested classic cocktail ‘trousers/leather jacket/engineer boots‘, somewhat of a ‘Treasure of the Sierra Madre’ vibe… (The hat is a vintage Dobbs, available at your local flea market)
 Cristóbal Libertad de Los Angeles de la Sierra Madre, Junior. To those considering such an outfit too ‘costumey’, I would mention that I have witnessed, on many occasions, that systematically selecting one’s wardrobe according to the current year can have brutal consequences.
Living in fear of a 1990’s selfie popping up on FaceBook can be stressful. You know, the one featuring a mind-boggling C.A. designed garment on a relative’s back?
Assuming you are sane, I believe you can pull almost anything as long as you are comfortable with it. If you have doubts, don’t expect them not to transpire.
Own it, or don’t do it.
As a general rule of thumb however, don’t let strangers tell you what to wear, that’s what house mirrors are for 😉
Designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in small ethically run factories in Japan by Sugar Cane Co.
SPECS:
PATTERN
An original mfsc pattern, inspired by 1920’s-30’s gentlemen slacks.
FABRICS
a) Brown Duck : selvedge 100% cotton canvas, 13 Oz.
The inside part of the yarn being lighter in color than the outside of the yarn (same as that of the 1930′s hunting jacket with its amazing patina that inspired it) this fabric will age nicely with repeat wear. Milled in Japan.
b) Grey Covert Stripe: selvedge 60% cotton and 40% linen heavy canvas with a random stripe pattern. The random repeat makes this fabric look halfway between a covert (salt & pepper) and stripe type textile. Technically 12 Oz. it feels heavier because of the yarn gauge and the original stiffness of linen. It takes an entire day to mill about 17 meters of that fabric, on old shuttle looms. The factory was thrilled… Milled in Japan.
Fabric inspired by a vintage 1943 bag from the Swiss military.
c) Indigo Corduroy: Mid wale 100% cotton corduroy. 14.5 Oz. Indigo vat dyed. Very deep dark indigo shade. Soft, cozy and warm. Milled and dyed in Japan.
DETAILS
* Straight leg, 20’s~30’s gent slacks type silhouette, higher rise, MF® revisited.
* Adjustable side straps with vintage NOS metal slide buckles.
* Clean side seam: Selvedge for duck and covert options, indigo popeline tape for corduroy.
* Double button waist closure (please note that the corduroy option has one single metal rivet button, due to bulkiness of fabric)
* Button fly. ‘Art Deco’ type corrozo buttons.
* Indigo covert fabric pocket bags and waistband lining.
* Trousers thin belt loops (not five pocket jeans like)
* Decorative arcuate stitch on pockets, an early European tailoring detail.
* ‘Smiley’ type rear welt pockets.
* Lap seam (aka caballo machine) seat and inseam construction
* Made in Japan
SIZING/WASHING
All fabrics will shrink to approximately the same tagged size after an original cold soak/line dry cycle. Raw measurements might differ due to the way each fabric shrinks.
Hand washable with line dry or professional eco-friendly dry cleaning.
Length: Overall inseam is 34 inches with a 1½” inside fold.
For the Indigo corduroy “Trousers El Americano”, some crocking is to be expected when pairing with light colored garments. Indigo ‘stains’ from rubbing wash off eventually.
I wear from waist 30 or 32 in mfsc pants and I opted for a 32 in these.
True to size but refer to chart for rinsed/hang dry measurements.
Do not use hot water or machine dryer as this might result in excessive shrinkage and color loss.
 Indigo Corduroy  Grey Covert  Brown Canvas Available raw/unwashed
Waist sizes 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38
Retail:
a) El Americano Trousers, Brown Duck $499.95
b) El Americano Trousers, Grey Covert Stripe $499.95
c) El American Trousers, Indigo Corduroy $549.95
Available from www.misterfreedom.com and a few select fine retailers Worldwide.
Call the store at 323-653-2014 with any questions not answered above, or mail sales@misterfreedom.com
Thank you for your support.
Mister Freedom® “CAMPUS” Jacket
‘The Sportsman’ Made in USA, Fall 2013
Closely following the career of Justin Bieber, I have decided to make a 1930’s style leather jacket of absolute no interest to him.
If we usually do not claim to have come up with the perfect garment, this time… is no exception.
However, I’ll still share the American saga that started sometime in early 2012, to end a few weeks short of Christmas 2013.
Thanks to the hard work of many, here is our “CAMPUS” jacket today, an addition to our staple Mister Freedom® ‘The Sportsman’ catalog.
This jacket comes somewhat as a Do-It-Yourself kit. Not that what you’re getting is a cow with thread and needle, along with instructions in 12 languages starting with “Carefully insert A, you fun have is go now. Yes? Welcome” on page 1. But rather in the sense that our CAMPUS leather jacket is a blank canvas for you to colorize.
These days, with no shortage of disposable mass produced goods crowding shelves and virtual stores, well orchestrated impulse buys and tantalizing ad campaigns stimulating consumerism, it is easy to forget that clothes are actually made by real people, use resources to manufacture, and are the result of a long chain of events. I believe clothes should not become widgets and end up in landfills…
By acknowledging the work and efforts that go into manufacturing a garment, by being aware of the challenges, one should naturally acquire a certain respect for things man-made.
We hope to send this simple message by creating a connection with this DIY garment and its owner.
To do so, we opted for a leather with an untreated natural looking finish, somewhat of a ‘raw’ state that will start to age and become one with the wearer the moment the garment is removed from its packaging, namely a cool re-usable selvedge denim printed bag.
About style:
Our CAMPUS is a Mister Freedom® interpretation of traditional 1930’s ‘Cossack’ type jackets. Originally, the term ‘Cossack’ might have referred to the versatile collar shape that allowed to be flipped up to a military style Nehru collar… For all I know, it might as well be referring to a Mrs. Cossack, fierce week-end seamstress, who first came up with a short unlined leather jacket with a round collar for her stylish hubby… As always, don’t quote me on anything.
What I do know is why we called our jacket the “CAMPUS”: flipping through a 1933 Pasadena Junior College year book entitled ‘Campus’, I noticed that that style of jacket was on many of the students’ backs. Some jackets appeared to be suede, some full-grain leather, most with A-1 type patch pockets… but all with the consistent typical ‘Cossack’ style, short with round collar. Times when Charles Lindbergh was hip. And Jacques Cousteau a hipster.
 
I remember owning a similar jacket in the early 1990’s. Found in a thrift store for a few bucks, I remember it having a beautiful patina but fitting a tight in the arms. So I, of course, immediately thought of cutting the sleeves off… I am not sure where the body is today, but I know I kept the sleeves, having recently found them in a pile of leather scraps at work.
How sane it is for one to hold on to old leather scraps for 23 years is unsure, but chopping the sleeves of that gem was a real lifetime achievement…
 Campus 1933 Yearbook, vintage Cossack scraps So, 23 years after, I can only try to redeem myself with a leather jacket that can be passed on to the next generation. In some 60 years, when someone stumbles on a beat-up vintage Mister Freedom® ‘CAMPUS’ and has an urge to turn it into a vest, we will have gone full circle…
About construction:
Our choice of keeping the CAMPUS unlined is a nod to many older ‘Cossack’ type jacket. This sounds today like a ‘cheaper’ alternative to a full lining, but is actually a real challenge for one concerned with both outside and inside appearance. Inside exposed seams are often very funky in the vintage samples I have seen. With the CAMPUS, we thrived to keep it clean in and out. And anyone who works with leather knows that you do not get a second chance…
We also opted for poly-cotton thread this time, having seen too many vintage leather jackets with busted out seams.
About the leather:
I opted for a light weight vegetable tanned full grain milled cow hide, untreated natural finish, origin USA. Each hide was carefully selected by hand, many rejected, a fun process. Within the same grade, there were no two alike, resulting in each CAMPUS jacket having its own character, specificity, feel and natural ‘imperfections’.
Extremely light sensitive, pretty much like the (usually) unexposed parts of your own skin, this natural hide will start ‘tanning’ when exposed to the sunlight.
Originally of a white pinkish color, this leather will turn quite orange when worn/left in the sun for a few days. THIS IS NORMAL, and expected.
Unless you are Batman, the CAMPUS will change color as you wear it outside. Expect stains, water marks, natural grease, scratches, patina and creases if you are planning on taking it out of the closet where it doesn’t belong. All this adds to the character of a leather garment, and is the reason why they are referred to as ‘second skin’.
We are offering the Campus in pure new condition, not ‘factory distressed’. The jacket’s journey will be yours and each nick a memory. The evolution photo with the three stages is for reference only, results will depend on how you wear your Campus, how often and your type of activities.
 Evolution will depend on use  Early prototype sun bathing I once had in my hands a NOS 1930’s ‘Cossack’ leather jacket, original tags and all, featuring a printed paper sticker affixed to the flesh side of the hide. The sticker claimed the garment was “HAND WASHABLE with Castile Soap”.
Now. We have experienced soaking the CAMPUS in cold water, spin dry, line dry, worn briefly to shape, as demonstrated in this silly cartoon.
 What NOT to do, step by step However, results have varied greatly and we DO NOT RECOMMEND IT. Some of the hides will shrink and/or stiffen more than others. So there is a chance of ending up with a leather brick two sizes too small… Should you wish to proceed with dipping your jacket in water, you are on your own…
It is much safer to wear the jacket and let natural patina happen over time.
For the adventurous type however, putting the CAMPUS jacket on a bust form outside and letting it tan for a while can have interesting results. Avoid large seagull populated areas. Also make sure to periodically move it around so that the sun tan looks natural, avoiding crisp lines. Anyone who ever woke up on a beach at noon will understand.
 Just a few of the stages… Anyways, here is the promised saga:
After the hides were selected, bought and dropped at the factory, the cutting began.
Then the skiving (for less bulky seams.)
Then the sewing…
The unfinished jacket were taken to yet another place to have keyhole type button holes added, instead of the more modern looking bound button hole construction.
The ultimate trip was to MF® atelier (a fancy word for our in-store sweat shop) where the buttons were patiently hand stitched, one by one.
Besides a long delay from the start due to difficulties sourcing all the required hides, I am happy – and relieved – to say that everything else went as planned.
If at any stage something could have gone very wrong, everyone involved did an amazing job to prevent FUBAR status.
Cheers!
 The MF soft shoe
And thus ends the saga of our CAMPUS Jacket…
Designed by Mister Freedom® and made in California, US of A.
SPECS:
PATTERN: An original pattern inspired by a Mrs. Cossack, and 1930’s sportswear type light leather jackets.
LEATHER: Vegetable tanned leather, full grain cow hide, milled and supple, natural finish and color, about 2-3 Oz weight, origin USA
DETAILS:
* 1930’s silhouette
* One piece back
* Fully unlined, clean seams.
* Cotton corduroy collar and wrist cuff facing
* Slash pockets with arrow stops.
* Side gussets with adjustable side straps (NOS metal slide buckles)
* Keyhole button holes.
* Corrozo ‘Cat Eyes’ wood buttons (aka ivory nut), backed by NOS French 1920’s glass buttons.
* Underarm venting eyelets
* Mister Freedom® ‘The Sportsman’ woven label behind the slash pocket, right front panel.
* High stitch-count, sturdy poly-cotton thread stitching.
* Made in California, USA with American cowhides.
SIZING:
Because of its weight on the light side for a leather jacket, I wanted a slim and quite snug fit, reminiscent of the original 1930’s silhouettes. This leather jacket is easily wearable during California summer evenings, with a light shirt or T-shirt. Besides the easy blue jeans/Ts, I like the more elegant white shirt/tie look with it as well.
During winter, the CAMPUS can be layered under an heavier outwear jacket, an old school down vest etc…
I am usually a 38 in mfsc jackets and I am a 38 in the CAMPUS, with room for a lightweight shirt underneath.
Tom is wearing a 36 on the photos, his usual size in MF® jackets. Tom, however, does not eat calzones.
Please refer to sizing chart for approximate measurements.
CARE:
We recommend you leave you CAMPUS as-is and just wear it.
Because of its original light natural color that will darken over time, it is prone to get soiled, water marked etc… This is part of the tough life of a leather jacket, your second skin.
Just for info, Dr. Bronner’s Castile soap is used by some pro tack shops to clean leather, at your own risk. Pecard also offers quality leather dressing.
Please be aware that almost anything applied to light colored leather will alter its color.
What ‘works’ on boots is not what you put on a saddle (if you want to stay on it), and definitely not made for clothing.
Seek the help of a professional leather cleaner should staining occur that you cannot live with.
Note that some shedding of the leather ‘flesh’ side may occur for a while and leave (brush-able) flecks visible on dark shirts or waistcoats.
I have tested the corduroy ‘El Americano’ waistcoat with the Campus… once. This shedding should settle after a certain period of wearing the jacket.
Available NATURAL/‘raw’
Sizes
36 (Small)
38 (Medium)
40 (Large)
42 (XLarge)
44 (XXLarge)
Retail $949.95
Available on www.misterfreedom.com , at our brick and mortar in Hollywood, CA., and at a few selected fine boutiques around the World.
Please call 323-653-2014 or email sales@misterfreedom.com with any questions not answered above.
Thank you again for your support 😉
 Forget the line, put your Super Hero shirt on
I hope you all had a pleasant Thanks Giving day. But, that was yesterday.
And today, it’s here! The anticipated 2013 Edition of… Black Friday, referred to as “Black Eye Friday” by the ice pack Industry.
Consumers’ finest behaviors, displaying unmatched shopping skills, a real sense of philanthropy coming to your neighborhood, maybe at a Walmart near you?..
Black Friday, the return of the stampede, power to the Sheople.
Meanwhile, no less eager to ‘cash in’ on this classy phenomenon, we at Mister Freedom®, have cooked up something in the form of a special edition item, not unlike what we had done for the March 2011 Japan Tsunami relief effort, here and here.
I first thought of using the proceeds to fund a vacation in Bora Bora. My co-workers, however, vehemently opposed to it and kindly suggested Mister Freedom® donates 100% of the proceeds to the Red Cross…
Why:
On November 8th 2013, Yolanda (Haiyan) tore through the center of the Philippines…
Believed to be the strongest recorded storm to ever hit land, with winds up to 236 mph, this ‘super typhoon’ left total devastation on its trail, often in areas already economically challenged.
Annihilating isolated rural communities, fishing villages and cities alike, Haiyan’s viciousness was soon shared with the World through shocking photos of flattened out landscapes, bodies laying in rubbles… Photos showed the magnitude of the disaster but were barely a glimpse of the ongoing nightmare to be faced in the aftermath, as recounted by survivors and rescuers.
Today, after about three weeks, the death toll is estimated to be around 5600, with some 1700 still missing and about 26,000 injured… For those wanting official updates, see here.
It is not my purpose here to describe the horror, but rather to try to make myself useful to some extent, as promised three weeks ago on Mister Freedom® Instagram.
Photographers will move on and International media coverage will inevitably fade, before Pinoy folks out there see the end of that tunnel.
So, this one goes to the gritty Filipinos and Filipinas whose task it is to heal and rebuild.
I trust this will reach you.
What:
We hand printed 20 of our skivvy shirts with an original MF® graphic, designed for the event.
This quite ‘obscur’ graphic draws its inspiration from the Revolution of the late 1890’s in the Philippines and the symbolic attached to it.
For those, like I, who have zero knowledge about Filipino History besides the Bataan March and the General MacArthur episode, here is a short slice of background I gathered:
In the 1870’s, an intellectual movement led by ilustrados (Philippines born erudites) started demanding reforms from the ruling Spaniards, for the benefit of natives versus the peninsulares (Spain-born colonists).
Later channeled by Katipunan leaders (a revolutionary secret society founded in 1892 by patriots), this Nationalist spirit grew into an armed revolt for independence, eventually ending colonial Spanish rule in 1898…
The Republic of the Philippines was granted Independence from the United States in 1946.
Although our graphic is not intended to convey any message other than that of a fundraising for a natural disaster affecting the Philippines, the symbolic comes from several flags and banners adopted by revolutionary groups throughout the early years of the ‘Tagalog War’:
* The eight rays of the rising sun represent the Philippines first eight provinces.
* K is for Katipunan, KKK being the full acronym of that secret organization (Kataas-taasan, Kagalang-galang, Katipunan ng mga anak ng bayan).
NOTHING to do with what it shamefully stands for in the USA, obviously.
K also stands for Kalayaan, meaning Freedom in Tagalog, which i saw fit to use.
* The rather crude Freemason meets Jolly Rogers looking skull and crossbones is inspired by early lower rank Katipuneros‘ banners, along with General Mariano flag from 1896.
*The numbers 11-08-13 mark the fatal date of the Yolanda typhoon.
 
I did a rough sketch and then hand cut the stencil board. Each shirt was individually hand printed.
Shirts made and printed in the USA, limited edition of 20 shirts only.
How:
It is a bit involved to set this charity event on www.misterfreedom.com so we decided to do it the old school way, from this blog.
Each shirt sells for $100.00 (we will pay for shipping). NO returns.
Call 323-653-2014 for more infos if needed, or email sales@misterfreedom.com with your size and shipping info. We will then send you a Paypal money request (from sales@misterfreedom.com) if your size is available. Please check the sizing chart of our Skivvy shirts for fit questions.
We will hold your shirt until we receive the payment, then ship.
These numbered shirts (listed below) will be annotated with the buyers’ name/website (or ‘private’ should one desire to stay anonymous) as they sell.
Upon completion of the transactions, 100% of the total amount will be donated to the American Red Cross for “TYPHOON APPEAL“, which I trust will dispatch the funds to locals/groups who need it the most.
An official receipt from the Red Cross for the amount of your $2000.00 donation will be added to this post on completion of the final transaction.
Note:
We will be understaffed for the next two weeks. We will do our best, but please be patient, as we are doing MANY other things at work, often keeping us away from computers. Also, if your email was sent at 3am on Sunday, you still get a response, but not within the hour…
Thank you for your understanding.
Now Friends, you know what to do.
Thank you in advance on behalf of those you helped.
Salamat sa iyong pagaalala.
Christophe Loiron,
Laborer at Mister Freedom®
List of shirts available (to be updated as fast as possible)
Shirt No. 1 (Small): Six Feet Under Records (USA)
Shirt No. 2 (Small): R.V. (USA)
Shirt No. 3 (Small): Mr. Andrew Jacobson (USA)
Shirt No. 4 (Small): Gary Batty (USA)
Shirt No. 5 (Medium): R.V. (USA)
Shirt No. 6 (Medium): Stepfan Schulte (Germany)
Shirt No. 7 (Medium): Matt Middlebrook (USA)
Shirt No. 8 (Medium): Six Feet Under Records (USA)
Shirt No. 9 (Medium): Giles, Alex & Paula Padmore (UK) Iron Heart
Shirt No. 10 (Medium): USMC MSgt J. V. (USA) Vintage Engineer Boots
Shirt No. 11 (Medium): Owen Langston (USA)
Shirt No. 12 (Medium): Zachary M. Irby (USA)
Shirt No. 13 (Large): Craig and Gloria Bayer (USA)
Shirt No. 14 (Large): Micah Thompson (USA)
Shirt No. 15 (Large): Allan A. (Australia)
Shirt No. 16 (Large): Matt Skeen (USA)
Shirt No. 17 (Large): Steven Boyd (USA)
Shirt No. 18 (Large): Ronnie Ivarsson (Sweden)
Shirt No. 19 (Large): Tim Supakorndej (USA)
Shirt No. 20 (Large): Kevin Gregory (USA)
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UPDATE: 11/30/2013 04:37pm
Mission accomplished in 24 hours!!!
A great many thanks to the generous souls who have made this charity event possible.
Today (actually yesterday, i’m sneaky like that), $2000.00 have been donated to the Red Cross for the Philippines Typhoon Appeal.
If you see someone in the street wearing this Mister Freedom® Tshirt, go shake the hand of a good man.
Ladies and Gentlemen… much obliged.
From Jordan, Cristian, Tom and the ol’ man at Mister Freedom®
 Red Cross Receipt
 Red Cross Update Dec 6, 2013
To view the November 2013 report of the Red Cross response, and where your money went, click Typhoon Report Red Cross
“RANCHERO Shirt” Mister Freedom® MFSC
‘Viva la Revolución’ Collection, Fall 2013
You guessed it, our ‘Ranchero’ shirt is inspired by vintage shirting, classic movies, old photos, traditional silhouettes…
We mixed a bit of early work shirts, Indian ‘traditional’ tunics, Old West flavor, Old World shirting, some cilantro, stirred it all up, and dipped it in the MF® salsa.
BAM, we had a noïce shoït.
The ‘cut away’ one-piece collar pattern was inspired by several 1900’s French rural homemade shirts and early Mexican blouses. Nothing literal as always, just our interpretation and adaptation, as we, city dwellers, tend to spend more time in traffic than in fields swinging a scythe or a cavalry sword.
The ‘Ranchero’ shirt was introduced during Spring 2013, in both a white dobby stripe and indigo calico popeline.
This season, we added two new fancy fabrics, exclusively milled in Japan:
a) Plaid: a linen (60%) cotton (40%) woven indigo x mader red plaid, 6.2 Oz., selvedge, a mid-weight hand.
This fabric was originally developed based on a turn of the Century homespun cotton/linen work apron, scored from a French country side market.
b) Covert: An 100% cotton indigo yarn covert twill, 8.5 Oz., selvedge, a warm and quite heavy hand. In appearance somewhat similar to a ‘salt and pepper’ work fabric, with a quite thick feel.
We are using this covert as a ‘common thread’ for this Fall 2013 collection. It is featured in our ‘El Americano’ waistcoats and blousons.
This fabric was originally the lining of a pair of gentlemen’s trousers from the 1890’s. I have only seen this fabric once. Unusual then, it is not common either today.
With an all original MF® pattern and two fabric options, the ‘Ranchero’ is a pretty versatile shirt that can go dressy or casual, according to what you will match it with. It is a comfortable fit, due to cut and the expansion pleats of the shoulder yoke.
Designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co under our MFSC collaboration. Limited Edition.
SPECS:
PATTERN: An original MFSC pattern inspired by vintage early shirting from the Americas and Europe.
FABRIC: Two options
a) “Indigo x red plaid”: woven checks, 60% Linen and 40% cotton, selvedge, 6.2 Oz.
b) “Indigo Covert”: 100% cotton indigo dyed ‘salt and pepper’ yarn twill. Selvedge, 8.5 Oz.
DETAILS:
* ‘Old West’ type silhouette.
* Full button front.
* Double button collar closure.
* Real horn buttons.
* Original MF® box pleat single chest pocket
* Single piece ‘cut away’ collar.
* Cotton indigo popeline button hole placket facing, white cotton popeline button facing strip.
* Rounded front tail and square back tail.
* High stitch count chain stitch flat felled seam construction.
* Selvedge side gusset.
* Sheared wrist cuffs.
* Double front and back shoulder yoke expansion pleats.
* 100% cotton tonal stitching.
* Made in Japan
SIZING/WASHING:
Both fabric options come raw/unwashed and will shrink to tagged size after an original cold soak and line dry.
Washable in cold water, gentle cycle. Line dry.
Please note that it is of the nature of linen garments to look wrinkled after laundry. Some like it that way, and some, in order to solve this First World problem, use an iron.
I wear a comfortable Medium in both options.
Please refer to chart for sample raw/rinsed measurements.
CHART (coming up)
Available RAW/unwashed
Sizes: Small, Medium, Large, X-Large
Retail
a) Plaid $359.95
b) Covert $359.95
Available from www.misterfreedom.com , from our Los Angeles brick & mortar and fine retailers worldwide.
Thank you for your support.
NOTE: The ‘Ranchero’ shirt and the ‘Americano’ waistcoat pictured come separately.
The “APPALOOSA” Denim Shirt
mfsc Sportsman Fall 2013
The Appaloosa, the ‘spotted horse’, has always fascinated me as a kid. Indians rode them in the western movies, how cool is that.
Because Appaloosa horses were scarce where I grew up however, I settled for local alternatives.
Please note that there is absolutely no evidence of the above anecdote, due to its pre-smartphone era when meals and daily footwear choices went undocumented.
Oh, wait…
 
What does all this have to do with a denim shirt? Not much indeed. So. Take two.
A denim shirt was a wardrobe staple for many of the usual cool suspects back in the days, on or off set. Hud, Henry Thomas… you name ’em.
  
We have issued a few denim shirts in the past at Mister Freedom®. The “Utility Shirt” and “CPO Shirt, Liberty Issue” in our early Naval days, the “Prairie Shirt” in our Frontier days…
But we do not have one yet in our ‘The Sportsman’ catalog. So let’s introduce the “APPALOOSA” Denim Shirt, an addition for Fall 2013.
It’s moniker has been scientifically approached above, so we’re good. For the design, we have combined several details of vintage western and work shirts, trying to stay clear from the ‘traditional’ cowboy cut denim western yoke shirt, aka the Wrangler shirt, denim shirt ol’ timer.
As previously with our Sportsman printed flannel shirts, we shamelessly borrowed their painted metal snaps from 50’s Ranchcraft or Blue Bell shirts. Our front yoke is of a vintage ‘Roebuck’ type rather than the usual western arcuate style, its seam also locking the pocket flaps.
The Appaloosa also combines two stitching colors, yellow and orange, in what appears to be a random pattern. The idea here being to emulate old school work wear, during days when a pressed for time factory often used what was on hand to fill an order. That is fabric and thread used.
With workwear and sportswear manufacturing, consistency seems to be somewhat of a modern concept, considering the many examples of ‘craftsmanship funkiness’ seen in (real) vintage clothing. Unintentional mismatched fabric panels (different dye lots, sometimes different fabrics) or odd stitch lines are just a few challenging points to the ‘clothes were better made back then’ usual theory.
 
It might sound a bit silly to go the extra mile nowadays to ‘mimic’ the manufacturing mistakes of the past, but there is to me definitely beauty in flaws. 侘 寂 some call it…
Along these lines of charming inconsistency, and because we know better than to make it simple, we have selected four different New Old Stock (NOS) rolls of 2×1 denim from our stock to get cut and sewn into Appaloosa shirts.
Similar in weight and appearance, all four denim have their own specifics and subtle differences:
* Lot A: Approx 9 Oz. Random ‘snowy’ spotted appearance. No, I don’t mean 80’s acid wash, that’s next year’s collection. Rather, a slub quality due to fluctuations of the weft spun yarn gage. Blackish dark navy, white selvedge with yellow line.
* Lot C: Approx 9 Oz. Bluish shade. White selvedge ID with red line.
* Lot D: Approx 8 Oz. Purplish sheen. White selvedge ID with double red line.
* Lot E: Similar to Lot C but solid white selvedge ID.
Now I know you have some important questions you want to ask:
1) What happened to LOT B? We’re looking for it.
2) Do they shrink the same? Pretty close.
3) What’s your favorite? A, C, D, E, in no particular order.
Designed and made in California, USA, by Mister Freedom®, in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.
SPECS:
PATTERN: An original mfsc pattern, inspired by vintage workwear and western shirting.
FABRIC:
Four options of New Old Stock 100% cotton selvedge 2 x 1 denim twill, with limited size availability for each.
* Lot A: About 9 Oz. Random ‘snowy’ spotted appearance. No, I don’t mean 80’s acid wash, that’s next year’s collection. Rather, a slub quality due to fluctuations of the weft spun yarn gage. Blackish dark navy, white selvedge with yellow line.
* Lot C: About 9 Oz. Bluer shade. White selvedge ID with red line.
* Lot D: About 8 Oz. Purple sheen. White selvedge ID with double red line.
* Lot E: Similar to Lot C but solid white selvedge ID.
Please note that, due to limited yardage of each NOS denim, we were not able to cut a full size scale in each Lot.
DETAILS:
* Slim ‘western shirt’ type silhouette and fit.
* Painted metal DOT snaps. The white paint will chip with age.
* Vintage ‘Roebuck’ type front yoke
* Western style back yoke.
* Two chest pockets, snap flaps, locked into yoke construction.
* Selvedge ID on button front facing panels.
* Double snap cuffs.
* Orange and yellow 100% cotton stitching combination.
* Double chainstitch construction with green color thread “Sportsman” inside signature.
* Selvedge ID side gussets, chainstitch run offs.
* Original mfsc “The Sportsman” woven rayon label.
* Made in USA
SIZING/WASHING:
All four denim options come RAW/Un-washed and will shrink to tagged size. We recommend an original 20-30mn cold soak, machine spin dry then line dry.
I wear a Medium in mfsc shirting and am a tight Medium a LARGE in the ‘Appaloosa’ denim shirt. I might have once been a medium, but life happens…
The Appaloosa shirt fits very snug, more ‘Hud’ than ‘Hip Hop’. It might not accommodate all body types, see measurements.
For the hardcore denim aficionados, wear the shirt briefly when still damp to shape it and set creases in, then hang back to fully dry. When using this method, the shirt will feel stiff when fully dried, due to the starch still in the fibers. This is normal/expected and the fabric will soften up with normal wear.
Please note that the demand/need for ‘soft’ denim garments led to the stone-wash plague of the 1980’s. Talk about creating a monster…
Subsequent washing when needed: Shirt turned inside out, hand wash or very gentle cycle with cold water and minimal environmentally friendly detergent. Line dry.
Please refer to sizing chart for raw/rinsed measurements (soaked/dried according to our recommended method).
 Size Chart Lot A-C
 Size Chart Lot D-E Available RAW/Un-washed
Sizes S, M, L, XL, XXL
Retail $289.95
Soon available from our Los Angeles store and online from www.misterfreedom.com
Thank you for your support.
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