 
 
Need to get rid of that muffin belly before the summer, pally?… Go hit the bag.
MISTER FREEDOM® Gym Henley MF 6744
SPECS:
* NOS American all cotton tubular jersey knit (no side seams)
* Lightweight and soft texture
* Wide palette of colours available, blues, reds, browns, white/black…
* Close fitting early undershirt silhouette
* Traditional flat overlock construction
* Contrast placket lining, assorted colours
* Contrast 2 by 1 ribbed collar band
* Baby overlock bottom “rolling” edge
* Metal NOS European military buttons, some models with fabric covered buttons
* 100% cotton contrast thread stitching
* Solid front and back, no graphic (have no fear, the thingy on the chest is a removable sticker)
* Each shirt slightly differs in size and shade
* Made in California, good ol’ USA
On Sizing:
Due to the nature of 100% cotton jersey knit, the shirts will stretch naturally and adjust to the body of the wearer. (A size 36 out of the dryer will feel tight at first, but will stretch out a few inches in the chest when worn, think old Hanes tubular Tshirts…)
Most shirts vary slightly in sizes (due to eclectic shrinkage of all the different knits/colours) but are classified in six size groups: 34 to 44.
The length is an average ratio of 1.5 to the chest measurement. (36 = Chest 17 inches/ Length 17×1.5=25.5 inches). The bottom hem roll-up naturally, due to baby overlock stitching.
For an average and approximate reference (laid flat before wear):
A size 36 (~small): approx. Width 16 -17 inches across the chest, approx. Length 24-25
A size 38 (~medium): approx. Width 18 -19 inches across the chest, approx. Length 27-28
A size 40 (~large): approx. Width 20 -21 inches across the chest, approx. Length 30-32
A size 42 (~Xlarge): approx. Width 22 inches across the chest, approx. Length 27-28
(I know, we couldn’t make it more confusing…Sorry!)
Available Washed only (fully shrunk)
Available Sizes 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44 (most colours not available in full size scale, due to limited supply of tubular body fabric we used.)
Retail $49.95
Call John or Jordan at (323) 653-2014 or mail john@misterfreedom.com or jordan@misterfreedom.com to get yours while they last. We ship internationally.
    
From the late 1800’s all the way to the first half of the 20th Century, a dreaded future for french draftees and ruffians was to “get sent to Biribi.”
The term Biribi encompassed penitentiaries in Algeria and Morocco. Often associated with the Bat’ d’Af’ (French military disciplinary battalions of North Africa), Biribi was the solution chosen by the French government to tame hard headed rebels, anarchists and other misfits.
Youngsters with a misdemeanor police record, individuals who had tried to dodge the draft (common practice was to stick a rusty fork in your thigh to invalidate yourself…), or just had an issue with authority, ended up doing time under the blazing sun in the ol’ African French Colonies. Fun activities included breaking piles of hot rocks, building never ending roads, enduring constant humiliation such as the infamous crapaudine, but mainly learning the ropes for a future life in the underworld. Biribi made the tough tougher and buried the weak.
Biribi and other French colonies penitentiaries (Bagne de Cayenne…) disappeared in the mid 1950’s, after numerous testimonies of survivors had shaken public opinion, and international pressure had forced the government to change its penal system. The year 1972 marked the official dissolution of the last Bat’ d’Af’ unit.
On a lighter note, Biribi will be the background for a small limited edition group of garments. We will be using NOS (New Old Stock) rolls of disparate vintage fabrics, mainly cotton/linen homespun style early french textiles and selvedge stripe ticking twills, NOS vintage buttons/trims and single needle machine construction. Early French bourgerons (military work dungarees) were often made of unbleached linen or linen/cotton blends, plain or HBT weave. The use of stripe fabrics for early penitentiary gear is believed to be a way to facilitate the spotting of escapees, before they could get their hands on more blending outfits…
The MF “Biribi Bourgerons” pictured above are a sample of our small production.
Available One Wash (preshrunk)
Made in USA
Assorted Sizes XS, S, M, L, XL
Retail $249.95: Shrinkage varies from one NOS fabric to the other. It is impossible for us to make a graded sizing pattern for each textile, so slight differences in fits are to be expected with each style. Some styles will not be available in all sizes. On the “fit picx” (this is JUST to get an idea), our Lady model is wearing an XSmall, John a Medium, CL a Small. The fits are left up to the wearer according to which silhouette works for them.
Call John or Jordan at (323) 653-2014 or mail john@misterfreedom.com or jordan@misterfreedom.com to get yours while they last. We ship internationally.
And now, Mesdames et Messieurs…
MFSC Spring 2011 “Les APACHES”
The Paris of the Belle Époque (1900s) saw the emergence of a certain type of street outcasts. They lived in secret dens in the seedy and dimmed outskirts of the City of Lights, abhorred honest labor, hunted the Faubourgs and Quartier de Halles, and danced in local Guinguettes and dives, decked out in flamboyant outfits.
They were called Les Apaches…
Issued from the French lower working class, with a lack of education and absence of Future, they regrouped in loosely organized neighborhood gangs. Abiding by their own hoodlum code of honor, they woke up late, spoke the obscure slang Jare, and wore specific flashy clothes. Their dandy accoutrement combined with intimidating attitudes imposed both respect and fear from the Parisians and their police.
For 30 years, Paris’ Apaches gangs marked their territories by terrorizing honest bourgeois citizens, committing petty larceny, pimping and street fighting their lives away. For those who had ducked the knife and the bullet that bared their name or the ravage of the “Grande Guerre” (WW1), it was the inevitable outcome of Biribi or the Bagne de Cayenne.
In the 1920’s one a many high society dame was spotted mingling with charismatic Apache groups in local Java dance halls, letting her hair down in a famous Dance Apache, immortalized later by Hollywood (“Charlie Chan in Paris”, 1935) and several Broadway Shows. The French movie Casque d’Or (1953) relates a true story of a famous Apache event that took place in 1905.
Bourgeois newspapers of the period and universal fascination with the underworld turned the reign of the Apaches into a mix of myth and imagery that will forever mark the Paris of the 1900s to 1930s…
These are the premises and backdrop of the MISTER FREEDOM® x SUGAR CANE Spring 2011 Collection.
Influenced by early French haberdashery and work clothes, European tailoring and Old World silhouettes, this new venture is a departure from the “Americana” inspiration of previous seasons. After extensive research and development we turned a corner onto an unfamiliar avenue (Rue de la Grande Truanderie?) to offer this new look of the Old World…
The collection includes:
* Fancy shirting in printed calico fabrics, cotton jacquard, indigo “Métis” (cotton/linen weave) and pastel color dyed cotton pique.
* French workman outfits in cotton/linen indigo “Métis” twill and indigo ticking.
* Fancy city clothes in intricately woven stripe cotton fabrics.
More to come….
The evolution of one pair our Made in USA “Californian” Blue Jeans, after about 5 months of regular wear and abuse…
Those jeans started being worn raw for a few days. Then a quick cold soak for 10 minutes, hung dry and worn still damp.
Four washing cycles during the five months period, cold water, very minimal soap, turned inside-out, no dryer.
All the original specs here. Some sizes are SOLD OUT.
The Mister Freedom® “CALIFORNIAN” Lot.54 is available RAW/unwashed.
Tagged Sizes 28×32, 29x32, 30×32, 31×32, 32×34, 33x34, 34×34, 36×34, 38×34. (see “Sizing” in the specs link for the low-down)
Retail $249.95
Call (323) 653-2014 or mail john@misterfreedom.com or jordan@misterfreedom.com to get yours while they last. We ship internationally.
MFSC “Midnight” P-JACKET, Fall 2010
OK. It’s about time to drop this bomb. Latest and last piece of the MFSC Fall 2010 Collection to hit the ground, closing the “our sailor buddied up with our motor-cycle riders” concept ( Naval Clothing Tailor meets Speed Safe Clothing)… One of the easiest jacket to wear ever, with dungarees, chinos etc…No fear of the “Texas Tuxedo” dilemma, since the “midnight twill” fabric doesn’t look anything like ‘regular’ denim twill.
Here she goes:
SPECS:
PATTERN: An original MFSC pattern, inspired by early 1910’s -1920’s USN and US Coast Guard Melton wool Peacoats
FABRIC: Body: Coarse weave 16 oz indigo “black back denim” twill (indigo warp x black weft), aka “Midnight Twill”. 100% cotton. White ID selvedge. Woven in Japan, exclusive MFSC. Indigo bleeding to be expected and anticipated. The white core of the indigo yarn will surface with proper wear and will give amazing patina to the coat over time. All kinds of blues!
LINING: Inner full lining, 10 oz. plain weave indigo/natural white woven cloth, all cotton, woven in Japan
CLOSURE: 10 button front, USN style early “13 Star” buttons. Full front closure with collar up and throat latch for windy deck conditions.
POCKETS: Two outside slash “hand warmer” pockets and two flap pockets (all lined with 100% cotton wide wale corduroy). Inside chest pocket and “cigarette” pocket. The flaps are made from lighter 10 oz. “black back denim” with royal blue selvedge ID.
STITCHING: All cotton thread stitching, ‘oxydized faded’ black colour.
DETAILS: Owner’s own identification wide white sheeting neck label, ready for perso ID stenciling (a detail from early French military gear), back selvedge vent, concealed detachable throat latch under collar, ZigZag stand collar reinforcement stitching…
CLEANING: Can be hand rinsed with cold water and minimal soap, dry-cleanable. Extended wear and abuse recommended before washing is considered, to maximize patina over time.
SHRINKAGE: With full washing/drying (again, not recommended, fabric will ‘marble’ with strong machine wash-cycle), a FULL size shrinkage is expected.
NOTE: The photos of the P-Jacket above are of a USED and worn coat. It was worn on/off for about 3-4 months, from raw condition… I just sprayed it with water early on, wore it until dry, to get some kind of minimal shrinkage in length and some fabric ‘twist’. I usually wear a 38, but sized down to a 36 since i wanted to wear this raw and never wash it.
The production MFSC P-Jackets are RAW and NOT distressed.
Designed in California by MISTER FREEDOM® and manufactured in japan by SUGAR CANE Co.
Available RAW (unwashed)
Sizes 36, 38, 40, 42, 44
Retail $895.95
Call the store at (323) 653-2014 or mail sales@misterfreedom.com to get yours while they last. We ship internationally.
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