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MF® Chemise Marina also available in red.
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MF® Chemise Marina also available in black.
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MF® Chemise Marina also available in white.
Mister Freedom® Chemise “MARINA”, Cotton Pique, Indigo Blue & Daffodil Yellow edition.
SS2020 mfsc “YUCATÁN” collection.
Made in Japan.
Our recurring “YUCATÁN” capsule collection concept was previously introduced during Spring 2019, with the Californian Lot.674 Piqué release.
The vibe of that menswear venture is sporty, racy, with a touch of sixties-beachcomber-meets-desert-rat. It is a concise, full-throttle yet-unassuming contemporary collection for grown-ups who have a penchant for classic designs.
The following bit, our take on a slice of costume history, was previously shared in the original post, but the MF® Chemise “MARINA” is our humble twist on the traditional “polo shirt” pattern, so called due to its initial association with the ancient sport of polo. The activity of polo, the “Sport of Kings”, was imported by the Brits in the mid 1800’s, from Manipur, India. Along came the buttoned-down collar style of shirts sported by the local teams of horsemen. This classic garment’s history gets confusing since the term “polo shirt” evolved over time to encompass differing styles.
In the 1890’s, Brooks Brothers introduced its own original so-called “Polo Shirt”, in oxford cotton. That formal design is known today as the “Button-Down” shirt, an office favorite. Brooks Brothers’ specimen, which used to be Made in USA, can be recognized by their embroidered Golden Fleece chest logo.
In the 1920’s, French tennis player René Lacoste thought of revamping the impractical attire of his own sport of choice, white slacks and starched white shirts. His original design was a pull-over shirt in cotton piqué knit, featuring short sleeves with ribbed cuffs molding to the biceps, a rib knit collar that could be flipped-up to protect from the sun, and a “tennis tail”, a longer back panel to prevent untucking while playing.
His sporty design became the “Chemise Lacoste”, establishing the traditional pattern of the tennis shirt, or “polo” style, as it is commonly referred-to today. It rapidly spread to other sports, from golf courses to marinas, becoming a staple of casual menswear.
In the early 1970’s, Ralph Lauren introduced his own “Polo shirt”, pitching its galloping player against the hissing crocodile, adding to the confusion with the “polo” vs. “Polo” terminology, but cementing the design into its contemporary preppy demeanor.
As a casual, sporty, comfortable yet elegant, versatile and time-tested garment, polos were adopted by many stylish men through the years. Period photos abound: a young Steve McQueen hanging, Sean Connery bonding, JFK yachting, Clint Eastwood parroting…
If Fedex® and Pizza Hut® also offer their own versions of chest-branded polos today, it is in the popular 1950’s and 1960’s styles that we found inspiration for the Mister Freedom® Chemise “MARINA”.
Our ribbed knit underarm expansion gusset is a familiar classic design detail lifted off vintage sportswear polos, but the choice of chest logo took a little longer to come-up with. We’d seen them all, embroideries or patches: the entire Noah’s Ark (from tigers to dragons), wreaths, golf bags, trophies, umbrellas, skulls, mounted knights, crowns, anchors, cartoon characters, monograms, plain DBA’s, … some more clever than others.
We were aiming for something unique yet classic, elegant yet somewhat witty, unpretentious yet enticing, maybe with a nautical flair?.. We definitely wanted to stay clear from pure in-your-face branding, and picking another animal from the zoo didn’t cut it.
So, after days at the drawing board, we eventually settled on a maritime signal flag gimmick! Diagonal white cross on blue background is international naval code for Mike, the letter “M”. Red diamond on white background is Foxtrot, “F”. Serendipitously, an hoisted Mike flag warns “our vessel is not moving”, and a Foxtrot flag signals “we are disabled”.
In other words, “Sacré bleu! HELP!” The MF® Design Department was adamant that such semiotics would most effectively convey an earnest and reliable brand image.
The MF® Chemise “MARINA” was initially released in three classic color options: red, black, and white cotton piqué. For FW, we are introducing an indigo blue and a daffodil yellow version.
The Chemise “MARINA” is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co.
SPECS:
FABRIC:
Fine 100% cotton knit piqué, soft and light-weight, milled in Japan.
Two new color options for SS2020:
a) Indigo Blue (genuine vat-dyed indigo).
b) Daffodil Yellow.
DETAILS:
* An mfsc pattern inspired by classic 1950’s-1960’s “tennis” or “polo” type shirts.
* Piqué knit body.
* Original Mister Freedom® “MF 7161” maritime signal flag embroidered chest logo patch.
* Rib knit underarm expansion gusset.
* Versatile ribbed collar.
* Short sleeves with ribbed cuffs.
* Side slits with HBT tape reinforcement construction.
* Subtle “Tennis tail” (1 ½ inch difference between front and back length.)
* Genuine Nacre (Mother of Pearl) fancy buttons.
* Original Mister Freedom® mfsc “Chemise MARINA” rayon woven neck label.
* Made in Japan.
SIZING/FIT:
All color options of the Chemise “MARINA” come pre-rinsed and tumble-dried.
The shirts are therefore pre-shrunk and ready-to-wear. These feature more of a ‘vintage’ silhouette than your average contemporary polo shirts.
I went for a Medium with the Chemise “MARINA”, with a comfortable fit.
For info, I usually opt for Small in Mister Freedom® knitwear – Stanleys and Skivvies, Tricot Marin, GI Henley – due to a subjective preference for old-school silhouettes rather than contemporary streetwear vibes.
The cotton pique knit body has quite a mechanical stretch (the fabric naturally stretches if you pull on it), but will pretty much recover and retain its initial shape.
Please refer to sizing chart, reflecting fully-rinse and tumble-dried measurements. All shirts come pre-shrunk.
CHART
CARE:
Wash when necessary.
Hand-wash or machine wash with cold water, gentle cycle, eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry.
Consider the Chemise “MARINA” as a delicate garment, and do not launder with clothing containing sharp hardware (metal buttons, metal zippers, hooks,…) to avoid snagging the pique knit fabric and overall damage to the shirt.
Available rinsed/pre-shrunk.
Color options: Indigo Blue or Daffodil Yellow.
Sizes
Small (14-14½)
Medium (15-15½)
Large (16-16½)
X-Large (17-17½)
XX-Large (18-18½)
Available from www.misterfreedom.com, our Los Angeles brick & mortar store when it re-opens, and fine retailers around the World.
Email sales@misterfreedom.com with any questions unanswered above.
Thank you for your support and stay safe.
Christophe Loiron
Mister Freedom®
©2020
Mister Freedom® FW2019 mfsc Liquette M35: Indigo Pin Stripe Ticking model.
Mister Freedom® FW2019 mfsc Liquette M35: Indigo Linen model.
Mister Freedom® Liquette M35 (Book: Gazette Des Uniformes HS #21 “Les Equipages des Chars de Combat Français 1935/1940”)
Mister Freedom® Liquette M35, Indigo Linen and Pin Stripe Ticking.
FW2019 mfsc “Pioupiou” Collection.
Made in Japan.
The Mister Freedom® x Sugar Cane Co Liquette M35 is the next installment of the mfsc “PIOUPIOU” collection, recently introduced with this post.
We are tapping into the Interwar period for this number, as the inspiration for our liquette (obsolete French colloquialism for men’s shirt) is the Chemise Modèle 1935, a pull-over shirt part of the French Army uniform, issued to soldiers during WW2. If our loose interpretation is not a straight-up replica, we still must give all tailoring credits to the anonymous designer commissioned by the Ministère de la Guerre at the time.
The specific collar pointy shape is known as “col Aiglon“, a design marking the beginnings of shirts showing under the tunic. The collar, designed to be complimented by a tie, is secured by three buttons, and features an attractive arcuate shape in the back. The pull-over pattern of the M35 has seen several modifications through the years, and if we opted-out of the epaulettes of the 1941 model, we incorporated the front expansion pleat of the 1940 model.
Those into nerding out on this stuff can refer to the excellent books released by Histoires & Collections, such as the out-of-print “1940 Le Soldat Français” by Olivier Bellec (2010).
Our shirt features the two box-pleat flap front chest pockets of the original M35 military shirt, a pocket pattern known as “Pli Watteau” (Watteau fold), a contemporary reference to the back pleats of the Robe à la Française of the 18th Century, an extravagant fashion detail French painter Antoine Watteau often featured in his work.
The side gussets are the small patch style typical of French shirting of the period, and are featured both on the shirt tails and cuff slits. Front and rear tails are of contrasting shapes and length, and we left them a bit longer that contemporary un-tucked fashion dictates, as a period reference.
We opted for two fabric options for our 2019 version of the M35. The first is an old mfsc classic, an indigo stripe ticking previously featured on the Reno shirt of our Men of The Frontier days in 2012. Although stiff and crispy at first, this fabric ages beautifully and softens rapidly with wear. The original ticking we had milled at the time for our early western-wear shirt was actually duplicated from a vintage pair of WW1 French military private-purchase oddball jodhpurs from the MF® archives, still on display at the HQ, not too far from a genuine Pantalon Garance specimen.
The second fabric option has absolutely no place in a Fall/Winter selection, but it was too beautiful to pass when it came up during fabric sourcing R&D. It is an indigo-dyed lightweight 100% linen plain weave shirting fabric with the attractive slub, crisp and drape typical of natural fiber linen. This gives the MF® M35 a very elegant touch, somewhat of an Italian fashion meets safari & military. This is an unintentional geographical reference as Il Duce was to bet on the wrong horse in WW2… As did Japan for that matter.
Note that this indigo linen textile is quite light sensitive so the indigo linen M35 should be stored away from the sunlight. With normal wear and regular home laundry cycles, both options will evolve into an interesting palette of blues.
The MF® Liquette M35 is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co.
SPECS:
PATTERN:
A pattern inspired by 1930’s French military uniform shirts.
FABRICS:
Two distinct options:
a) Indigo pin stripe ticking, 100% cotton, selvedge, 4.5 Oz, milled in Japan.
b) Indigo-dyed plain weave, 100% linen, lightweight with a slight sheer, milled in Japan.
DETAILS:
* Pull-over type, with front expansion pleat.
* Button-down pointy collar “Col Aiglon”, with rear arcuate shape.
* Two box pleat “Pli Watteau” chest pockets.
* Inside reinforcement patches for side gusset and cuff slit.
* Shirring on cuffs.
* Rounded front shirt tail and extended square back tail.
* Painted metal buttons.
* Original mfsc “Pioupiou” woven rayon label.
* Made in Japan.
SIZING/FIT:
Both fabric options of the MF® Liquette M35 come raw/un-rinsed.
We recommend the usual protocol before wearing:
* Cold soak for about 30-40mn, with occasional hand agitation.
* Spin dry and line dry.
* Wear briefly before fully-dry to set creases (does not apply to the indigo linen model), then hang until fully dry.
Both versions will fit approximately the same following the above procedure. Both indigo linen and indigo pin stripe ticking fabrics are so distinct in texture, weight and drape that they will feel completely different, but technically fit the same.
I am usually a Medium (15½) in mfsc shirting, and I opted for a comfortable Medium in both fabric options. The fit picture features a Medium M35 in both fabrics after one cold soak/line dry, and a bit more shrinkage and fabric torque/puckering is to be expected down the line.
CARE:
Launder when needed.
a) Indigo pin stripe ticking model: Treat as a denim shirt. We recommend turning indigo blue/denim garments inside out to avoid marbling during laundering. Machine wash, cold water, gentle cycle, eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry.
b) Indigo linen model: Treat as a delicate fancy shirt. Un-button collar before laundering. Hand wash or machine wash on gentle cycle, cold water, minimum eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry.
Attractive patina will potentially develop according to activities and frequency of wear.
Please note that indigo might cause color transfer, and potentially “bleed” on light-colored garments, furniture, and skin.
The indigo dye of the linen M35 model is particularly light-sensitive and the shirt should be stored away from sunlight.
Available RAW/unwashed.
SIZES:
14½ (Small)
15½ (Medium)
16½ (Large)
17½ (X-Large)
18½ (XX-Large)
Available from our Los Angeles brick & mortar HQ, from www.misterfreedom.com, 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®
©2019
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MF® Chemise Marina also available in white.
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MF® Chemise Marina also available in black.
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MF® Chemise Marina also available in red.
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Mister Freedom® SS2019 Chemise “MARINA” chest logo R&D ©2019
Mister Freedom® Chemise “MARINA”.
SS2019 mfsc “YUCATÁN” collection.
Made in Japan.
Our “YUCATÁN” capsule collection concept was introduced with the Californian Lot.674 Piqué release.
The vibe of this SS2019 menswear venture is sporty, racy, with a touch of sixties-beachcomber-meets-desert-rat. It is a concise, full-throttle yet-unassuming contemporary collection for grown-ups who have a penchant for classic designs.
The MF® Chemise “MARINA” is our humble twist on the traditional “polo shirt” pattern, so called due to its initial association with the ancient sport of polo. The activity of polo, the “Sport of Kings”, was imported by the Brits in the mid 1800’s, from Manipur, India. Along came the buttoned-down collar style of shirts sported by the local teams of horsemen. This classic garment’s history gets confusing since the term “polo shirt” evolved over time to encompass differing styles.
In the 1890’s, Brooks Brothers introduced its own original so-called “Polo Shirt”, in oxford cotton. That formal design is known today as the “Button-Down” shirt, an office favorite. Brooks Brothers’ specimen, which used to be Made in USA, can be recognized by their embroidered Golden Fleece chest logo.
In the 1920’s, French tennis player René Lacoste thought of revamping the impractical attire of his own sport of choice, white slacks and starched white shirts. His original design was a pull-over shirt in cotton piqué knit, featuring short sleeves with ribbed cuffs molding to the biceps, a rib knit collar that could be flipped-up to protect from the sun, and a “tennis tail”, a longer back panel to prevent untucking while playing.
His sporty design became the “Chemise Lacoste”, establishing the traditional pattern of the tennis shirt, or “polo” style, as it is commonly referred-to today. It rapidly spread to other sports, from golf courses to marinas, becoming a staple of casual menswear.
In the early 1970’s, Ralph Lauren introduced his own “Polo shirt”, pitching its galloping player against the hissing crocodile, adding to the confusion with the “polo” vs. “Polo” terminology, but cementing the design into its contemporary preppy demeanor.
As a casual, sporty, comfortable yet elegant, versatile and time-tested garment, polos were adopted by many stylish men through the years. Period photos abound: a young Steve McQueen hanging, Sean Connery bonding, JFK yachting, Clint Eastwood parroting…
If Fedex® and Pizza Hut® also offer their own versions of chest-branded polos today, it is in the popular 1950’s and 1960’s styles that we found inspiration for the Mister Freedom® Chemise “MARINA”.
Our ribbed knit underarm expansion gusset is a familiar classic design detail lifted off vintage sportswear polos, but the choice of chest logo took a little longer to come-up with. We’d seen them all, embroideries or patches: the entire Noah’s Ark (from tigers to dragons), wreaths, golf bags, trophies, umbrellas, skulls, mounted knights, crowns, anchors, cartoon characters, monograms, plain DBA’s, … some more clever than others.
We were aiming for something unique yet classic, elegant yet somewhat witty, unpretentious yet enticing, maybe with a nautical flair?.. We definitely wanted to stay clear from pure in-your-face branding, and picking another animal from the zoo didn’t cut it.
So, after days at the drawing board, we eventually settled on a maritime signal flag gimmick! Diagonal white cross on blue background is international naval code for Mike, the letter “M”. Red diamond on white background is Foxtrot, “F”. Serendipitously, an hoisted Mike flag warns “our vessel is not moving”, and a Foxtrot flag signals “we are disabled”.
In other words, “#%@$! We’re stuck! HELP!”
The MF® Design Department was adamant that such semiotics would most effectively convey an earnest and reliable brand image.
The Chemise “MARINA” is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co.
SPECS:
FABRIC:
Fine 100% cotton knit piqué, soft and light-weight, milled in Japan.
Three color options for SS2019:
a) White
b) Red
c) Black
DETAILS:
* An mfsc pattern inspired by classic 1950’s-1960’s “tennis” or “polo” type shirts.
* Piqué knit body.
* Original Mister Freedom® “MF 7161” maritime signal flag embroidered chest logo patch.
* Rib knit underarm expansion gusset.
* Versatile ribbed collar.
* Short sleeves with ribbed cuffs.
* Side slits with HBT tape reinforcement construction.
* Subtle “Tennis tail” (one inch difference between front and back length.)
* Genuine Nacre (Mother of Pearl) fancy buttons.
* Original Mister Freedom® mfsc “Chemise MARINA” rayon woven neck label.
* Made in Japan.
SIZING/FIT:
All color options of the Chemise “MARINA” come pre-rinsed and tumble-dried.
The shirts are therefore pre-shrunk and ready-to-wear. These feature more of a ‘vintage’ silhouette than your average contemporary polo shirts.
I went for a Medium with the Chemise “MARINA”, with a trim but comfortable fit. A Small was personally out of the question with this garment, to avoid the cropped-top look.
For info, I usually opt for Small in Mister Freedom® knitwear – Stanleys and Skivvies, Tricot Marin, GI Henley – due to a subjective preference for old-school silhouettes rather than contemporary streetwear vibes.
The cotton pique knit body has quite a mechanical stretch (the fabric naturally stretches if you pull on it), but will pretty much recover and retain its initial shape.
Please refer to sizing chart, reflecting fully-rinse and tumble-dried measurements. All shirts come pre-shrunk.
CARE:
Wash when necessary.
Hand-wash or machine wash with cold water, gentle cycle, eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry.
Consider the Chemise “MARINA” as a delicate garment, and do not launder with clothing containing sharp hardware (metal buttons, metal zippers, hooks,…) to avoid snagging the pique knit fabric and overall damage to the shirt.
Available rinsed/pre-shrunk.
Color options: White, Red or Black.
Sizes
Small (14-14½)
Medium (15-15½)
Large (16-16½)
X-Large (17-17½)
XX-Large (18-18½)
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®
©2019
Introducing the fourth and final installement of MFSC Apache collection: La Chemise Hirondelle
Inspired by early European shirting, here is a fine lightweight moleskine pull-over shirt for Fall, which wraps up our French escapade this season.
The name hirondelle (swallow) is a reference to a collar shape typical of 1930’s french shirting. Longer and pointier than its American ‘wing tip’ collar counterpart.
It also refers to the bird often seen tattooed on the French Apaches skins. The hirondelle symbolized freedom and escape.
SPECS:
PATTERN: All original MFSC pattern and fit. Pull-over style.
FABRICS: Three options
a) BLACK moleskine: Lightweight 100% cotton moleskine, 5 oz., the French choice of workwear and outdoor washable fabric since the 1800′s. Moleskine is a tightly woven twill, with a napped surface. The close weave makes this fabric almost windproof, warm, insulating and very durable. It performs much better than denim does, but is very expensive to mill. Our 100% cotton moleskine is milled in Japan, to the specs of a 1900s swatch from our archives.
b) CREAM moleskine
c) INDIGO métisse cotton twill: 9.7 oz. indigo dyed twill blend, 70% cotton and 30% linen, un-sanforized. The yarn core is white, the indigo outer has a purple blue shade typical of early french indigo work clothes. Fades, bleeds and reacts to sun light… Milled in Japan in limited batch.
This option is the same fabric the veste ouvrier is made of, so it will fade to this with wear.
DETAIL:
* Back and cuffs shearing
* Placket tab to secure to trousers waist button.
* Rare vintage 1920’s New Old Stock glass buttons from France.
* Skinny chin strap
* Longer back tail
* Scarf retaining collar loops
* Indigo popeline collar-stay piecing (or anything small you might want to conceal)
* Two original flap chest pockets
* High stitch count construction, tonal all cotton thread. French seams
* French style side gussets
PACKAGING: The garment comes in an individual old school chipboard box, exclusive to MF®.
The original oil painting was masterfully executed by Mr. PATRICK SEGUI of RIVETED blog fame, and a paper print of his artwork is featured on the Apache Collection box tops of the Fall 2011 Collection.
Please recycle those boxes, they can be used for home storage of small items.
WASHING: All three options come RAW/unwashed.
Hand wash with care (or very gentle wash cycle), cold water, dryer OK.
Use no soap/detergent with the indigo métisse, and hand wash only when really needed, to maximize the beauty of natural fading.
SIZING & SHRINKAGE:
LIMITED EDITION. Garment designed in California by MISTER FREEDOM® and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co.
Available RAW (unwashed)
Sizes 37 (Small), 39 (Medium), 41 (Large), 43 (XLarge), 45(XXLarge)
Chemise Hirondelle MOLESKINE (black or cream): Retail $389.95
Chemise Hirondelle INDIGO METISSE: Retail $409.95
NOTE: The mixed photos of the ‘indigo métisse hirondelle’ are of my personal shirt, worn and washed several times over the course of one year or so. Production comes RAW and unwashed.
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. We thank you for your support.
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