Mister Freedom® BERKELEY Family addition: Revisited Button-up Shirt Pattern, NOS Indigo Dobby Stripe. Made in USA

 

 

Mister Freedom® BERKELEY Shirt, Revisited Button-Up Pattern.
NOS Indigo Dobby Stripe edition.
SS2023 mfsc Sportsman catalog.
Made in USA.

This edition is a full button-up version of our classic button-down collar BERKELEY Shirt pattern, an early 1960s-inspired garment with a vintage preppy vibe, a nod to 1960s American campuses attire, California old-school collegial wear and casual Ivy-League style. The moniker is a reference to UC Berkeley, and its rich history.
Several versions (in short-sleeve or long-sleeve) of our BERKELEY are available in the Mister Freedom® USA-made “Sportsman” catalog, a pattern introduced with the original 2018 Bleeding Madras S/S edition.

Followed a string of timeless classics, produced in limited runs:
* NOS indigo/white hickory stripe L/S
* NOS brown “Cacao” chambray L/S
* NOS traditional navy/white plaid Madras L/S
* NOS “Krazy” Madras S/S
* NOS Albini Italian linen red/blue woven checks S/S
* NOS Albini Italian white/blue woven stripe L/S

For this release, we tweaked the BERKELEY’s pull-over pattern into a full open-front style, aka button-up pattern.

The fabric we opted for scored in a Downtown LA jobber warehouse — is one of the most unusual textile we’ve worked with! A very peculiar New Old Stock indigo Dobby Stripe with amazing texture, pattern, and incredible slub, origin unknown. The fabric is reminiscent of a specific family of antique hand-loomed Japanese textiles, for those familiar with our vintage boro selection at LA HQ.

Very temperamental and challenging to cut/sew — production was a  tour de force for the local factory — this beautiful fabric takes all its vintage appeal and uniqueness after the shirt is first rinsed.
Just be ready: the indigo color will pop, texture intensify, ribbed woven pattern subtly oscillate, seams/stitching pucker, panels organically torque, …, turning the BERKELEY into an incredible AREA 7161 wall hanger!
This shirt was, however, designed and intended to be worn, so do take it out around town, and enjoy compliments from random strangers.

The BERKELEY is an easy-to-wear garment with a classic menswear style vibe, to be paired with your favorite jeans, NV slacks, Sportsman chinos or bermudas

The MF® BERKELEY shirt is designed and made in California, USA, by Mister Freedom® in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.

SPECS:
PATTERN:
An original mfsc pattern inspired by vintage 1960’s Ivy League style, and American campuses attire with a period preppy vibe. This edited pattern is a full button-up version of our original pull-over Berkeley Shirts.

FABRIC:
Vintage New Old Stock indigo Dobby Stripe, dry hand 100% cotton, attractive woven pattern with unusual slubby horizontal ribs, textured and breathable, origin unknown.

DETAILS:
* Full button-up open front revised pattern.
* Long sleeve edition.
* Classic 1960s button-down collar.
* Indigo-dyed corozo wood “Cat-Eyes” buttons.
* Two inverted-pleat chest pockets.
* Side gussets.
* Tailored-style sleeve setting.
* High count 100% cotton stitching.
* Chain-stitch caballo construction, featuring “Sportsman” green thread accent on inside.
* MF® woven “Sportsman” rayon label.
* Designed and made in USA from New Old Stock fabric.

SIZING/FIT:

The BERKELEY Shirt, indigo Dobby stripe edition, comes unwashed and is cut so that the measurements match the labeling AFTER an initial cold soak/line dry. We recommend this straight-forward easy protocol:

  • Rinse in cold water, machine setting on delicate, full cycle.
  • Line dry, no heat dryer.

At 5’7 ~145 lbs, I opted for a SMALL for a trim fit, classic 1960s silhouette, personal preference. We recommend getting your usual size in MF® shirts, or size up for a more relaxed cut.
Please refer to sizing chart for approximate soaked/rinsed measurements, and reach out to sales@misterfredom.com for further sizing advise.

CARE:
Machine wash on DELICATE, cold water, mild eco-friendly detergent. Line dry.
Do not use the washer’s heavy-duty cycle. Heat dryer is also not recommended and may result in excessive and irreversible shrinkage.

Available from www.misterfreedom.com, our Los Angeles brick & mortar store, and fine retailers around the World.
Email sales@misterfreedom.com or call 323-653-2014 with any questions unanswered above.
Thank you for your support.

Christophe Loiron
Mister Freedom®
©2024

Mister freedom® “ARISTOCRAT” Shirt, selvedge oxford cloth edition, mfsc FW2020, made in USA.

Mister Freedom® “ARISTOCRAT” Shirt, selvedge oxford cloth.
FW2020 mfsc Sportsman catalog
Made in USA

Happy New Year, friends!

The Mister Freedom® “ARISTOCRAT” is a new shirting pattern we are adding to The Sportsman, our catalog of US-made wardrobe essentials.

This original design was inspired by several vintage American and European classic dress and sport shirts from our archives.
Our aim was to merge traditional tailoring details with our own ideas, and simply create an elegant, unpretentious and versatile garment, a modern classic filled with vintage references.
The connoisseur will notice the nod to gents’ outfitters Turnbull & Asser – and other bespoke shirtmakers – in our choice of “Regent” spread collar shape (dig that subtle curve), although we opted for an unstructured collar construction (no fusing) for a more casual vibe.

We wanted the chest pocket design to serve as outside branding, rather than an embroidered logo, so our R&D team got extra cups of brain juice to reinvent the wheel, one that would spin our own yarn. Sketches were drawn-up, prototypes made from scratch, and a eureka moment came sometime in February 2020 when an all-original pocket finally surfaced from the drafting table. We had our ARISTOCRAT classic chest pocket: a simple diamond shape with an elegant curved fold and streamlined stitching.

MF® ARISTOCRAT Shirt R&D, early pocket prototypes ©2020

The specific off-set shirt tail cut, front button placket construction, and double button rounded cuffs, were also thoroughly considered and tweaked until it all worked out for our aesthetics.
The shirred rear panel with its rounded piecing patch is a detail borrowed from early European shirting, and, along with the classic side gussets displaying the fabric’s selvedge, add to the refined and subtle vintage appeal of the ARISTOCRAT.

To our delight, the US factory did a remarquable job with the stitch count, closely following tech pack for the magic high number, matched by a fine thread gauge. Because of obvious productivity issues, it is often a challenge to convince factory owners of committing to higher-count stitching settings. This can almost double production time (= double production cost), but the results are stunning and always make a garment stand-out next to a more hastily-constructed one. Anyone able to spot a cheap suit will notice the difference.
So, tip of the hat to our family-run local Los Angeles factory, who not only faced unprecedented challenges in 2020, but kept her steady and fully delivered mfsc FW2020.

The ARISTOCRAT is complimented by genuine mother of pearl buttons, another reference to traditional European bespoke tailoring, while the chainstitch construction (using MF® signature green contrast stitching) brings it down a few notches with a workwear touch (bespoke shirts often feature French seams, not chainstitch.)
The discreet red bartack on the gusset is a nod to the red stitched “H” of the iconic Hathaway brand, one of the last American shirtmaker to produce shirts in the USA, until they gave up on that endeavor around 2002…

For the silhouette, we opted for a trim fit, adjusting body pattern and side curves to convey broad shoulders and slim waist, balancing with a traditional shirt tail length.

For this initial release of the ARISTOCRAT, we went for a fancy oxford cloth, the office dress shirt fabric of choice! Ours is milled in Japan, and features an attractive solid white with red line selvedge ID. This crisp and dry hand fabric is on the heavier weight side of the oxford cloth family. With normal wash & wear routine, the shirt will naturally soften over time to the desirable buttery feel of well-worn traditional button downs.

The ARISTOCRAT is a reimagined vintage-style dress shirt that morphed into a versatile, casual, easy go-to garment, dressed-up with a suit or down with a pair of blue jeans, worn with a tie or open collar, tucked or untucked.

The MF® ARISTOCRAT Shirt is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in the USA in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.

SPECS:
PATTERN:
Inspired by vintage American and European classic dress shirts and sport shirts.

FABRIC:
Fancy 100% cotton plain oxford cloth, solid white with red line selvedge ID. Milled in Japan.
Two options, white and blue oxford.

DETAILS:
* Classic, versatile, elegant yet casual shirt style.
* Slim and trim silhouette.
* Classic spread collar with British flair.
* Original chest pocket design, diamond shape with MF® signature curved fold and streamline pocket stop stitching.
* Rear panel shirring with rounded piecing patch.
* Side gussets featuring the oxford cloth selvedge ID.
* Off-set shirt tail lengths (slightly longer rear tail).
* Red bartacks accent on gusset.
* Genuine mother of pearl buttons.
* Double-button rounded cuffs.
* Elegant front button placket pattern.
* High-stitch count and fine thread gauge construction.
* Chainstitch construction with signature inside contrast green stitching.
* Mister Freedom® mfsc “Sportsman” rayon woven label.
* Made in USA.

SIZING/FIT:
The ARISTOCRAT Shirt in oxford cloth comes unwashed and is cut so that the measurements match the labeling AFTER an initial cold soak/line dry. This is a low-maintenance garment as it is designed to go through many wash/wear cycles, and we recommend this protocol before wear:

  • Machine rinse, delicate settings, cold water, spin dry.
  • Line dry. (No heat dryer)

I opted for a Medium for a trim, yet not too tight fit, my usual size in mfsc shirting. I am 5’7 ~145 lbs. We recommend getting your usual size in MF® shirts.
Please refer to sizing chart for approximate raw/soaked measurements, understanding that the soaked measurements are the relevant ones, since this shirt is intended to be worn/washed routinely.

CARE:
Machine wash on DELICATE, cold water, mild eco-friendly detergent. Hang dry.
Do not use the washer’s heavy-duty cycle. Heat dryer is also not recommended and may result in excessive and irreversible shrinkage.

Available RAW (unwashed)
Sizes
Small
Medium
Large
X-Large
XX-Large

Available from www.misterfreedom.com, our Los Angeles brick & mortar store, and fine retailers around the World.
Email sales@misterfreedom.com or call 323-653-2014 with any questions unanswered above.
Thank you for your support.

Christophe Loiron
Mister Freedom®
©2021