Mister Freedom® x SugarCane Co SS2022 FROGSVILLE
Mister Freedom® x SugarCane Co FROGSVILLE SS2022
Mister Freedom® x SugarCane Co FROGSVILLE SS2022
MF® ADVISOR Jacket, ERDL camo, SS2022
MF® SCUBA Utilities, Okinawa 301 denim, SS2022
MF® SCUBA Utilities & Trunks, SS2022
MF® SCUBA Trunks, OD HBT & P42 Frogskin, SS2022
MF® SCUBA Trunks, P42 Frogskin, SS2022
MF® SCUBA Trunks, OD HBT, SS2022
Mister Freedom® x SugarCane Co SS2022 PODIUM
Mister Freedom® x SugarCane Co PODIUM SS2022
MF® MEDALIST Sweatshirt, solid front, SS2022
MF® MEDALIST Sweatshirt, limited flock print edition, SS2022
MF® MEDALIST Sweatshirt, limited flock print edition, SS2022
MF® MEDALIST Sweatshirt, Boys Club flock print, SS2022
MF® MEDALIST Sweatshirt, solid, SS2022
MF® MEDALIST Sweatshirt, Boys Club flock print, SS2022
MF® MEDALIST Sweatshirt, MfgCo flock print, SS2022
MF® CONTENDER Hooded Zip Sweatshirt, SS2022
MF® CONTENDER Hooded Zip Sweatshirt, SS2022
MF® CONTENDER Hooded Zip Sweatshirt, SS2022
MF® SWEATPANTS Cut-Offs, SS2022
MF® SWEATPANTS Cut-Offs, SS2022
Mister Freedom® x SugarCane Co SS2022 SPORTSMAN & SURPLUS catalogs
Mister Freedom® x SugarCane Co SPORTSMAN & SURPLUS catalog, SS2022
Mister Freedom® x SugarCane Co SPORTSMAN & SURPLUS catalog, SS2022
MF® CALIFORNIAN Lot.674 Sateen, Wheat, SS2022
MF® CALIFORNIAN Lot.674 Sateen, Mocha, SS2022
MF® CALIFORNIAN Lot.674 Sateen, SS2022
MF® CALIFORNIAN Lot.674 & COWBOY Jacket, Sateen, SS2022
MF® COWBOY Jacket, Sateen, wheat, SS2022
MF® COWBOY Jacket, Sateen, mocha, SS2022
Mister Freedom® x SugarCane Co SPORTSMAN & SURPLUS catalog, SS2022
MF® BERKELEY Pull-Over Shirt, NOS Madras, SS2022
MF® BERKELEY Pull-Over Shirt, NOS Madras, SS2022
Mister Freedom® x SugarCane Co SPORTSMAN & SURPLUS catalog, SS2022
MF® DUDE RANCHER Western Shirt, SS2022
MF® DUDE RANCHER Western Shirt, “Apache” Calico, SS2022
MF® DUDE RANCHER Western Shirt, BR Chambray, SS2022
MF® DUDE RANCHER Western Shirts & CALIFORNIAN Lot.64 “Outlaw”, SS2022
MF® CALIFORNIAN Lot.64 “Outlaw”, NOS Cone Denim, SS2022
Mister Freedom® x SugarCane Co SPORTSMAN & SURPLUS catalog, SS2022
MF® CAMPUS Jacket, “Midnight” Denim, SS2022
Mister Freedom® x SugarCane Co SPORTSMAN & SURPLUS catalog, SS2022
MF® RANCH BLOUSE & CALIFORNIAN Lot.64, 47/66 Twin-Denim, SS2022
MF® RANCH BLOUSE, 47/66 Twin-Denim, SS2022
MF® CALIFORNIAN Lot.64, 47/66 Twin-Denim, SS2022
MF® RANCH BLOUSE & CALIFORNIAN Lot.64, 47/66 Twin-Denim, SS2022
MF® 5-panel FEED Cap, NOS Cone denim, SS2022
MF® 6-panel SHIP Cap, NOS C/L denim, SS2022
MF® FEED & SHIP Caps, SS2022
Mister Freedom® x Sugar Cane Co mfsc SS2022 Preview.
Dear Friends,
Hope this finds you well, healthy, and in good spirits.
It is that time of the year… so here is a preview of our Mister Freedom® x Sugar Cane (mfsc) SS2022 collaboration.
Two main groupings: a theme-based capsule collection featuring follow-ups of “PODIUM“ and “FROGSVILLE” (we’re calling the fusion “PODSVILLE“), and the usual seasonal additions to our classic SPORTSMAN (made in USA) and SURPLUS (made in Japan) catalogs.
Our “PODIUM” concept is inspired by vintage athletic wear from the 1940s to 1980s, mixing vintage hi-tech sporting gear, traditional Track & Field uniforms and classic gym clothes. We’ve put our MF® twist on athleisure wear, if you will, with practical, versatile, unpretentious pieces for working out, or just hanging out.
The “FROGSVILLE” concept is a stylistic incursion into the world of vintage UDT (Underwater Demolition Team), Frogmen and US Navy SEALs. We are revisiting US military rigger-made garments, merging 1940s-1970s references into modern day wearables.
The resulting “PODSVILLE” combo is a blend of vintage athletic fashion, utilitarian PT (Physical Training) gear, and custom garments local-made for military personnel while on tour.
The collection is intended as an inspiration to a healthy and active lifestyle, promoting outdoor activities over joystick practice.
The SS2022 “PODIUM” (made in Japan) line-up consists of:
1) The MEDALIST (Crew Sweatshirt), solid:
* 100% cotton tubular brushed fleece, 11.5 Oz.
* Tubular needle-out rib gussets and trims.
* Flat-lock stitch construction.
* Rear panel phone pocket.
* Color options: White/Prussian Blue/Heather Grey/Black.
* ETA: Mid Feb 2022.
2) The MEDALIST (Crew Sweatshirt), special limited edition FLOCK PRINT:
Three original MF® graphics, printed with old school flocking techniques. Print options are limited to the following:
* Arctic White Medalist: Boys Club (ultra marine flock) or Panther (orange flock)
* Prussian Blue Medalist: Panther (gold flock)
* Heather Grey Medalist: Boys Club (black flock) or MfgCo (white flock)
* Black Medalist: MfgCo (orange flock)
* ETA: End Feb 2022.
3) The CONTENDER (Hooded Zip Sweatshirt)
* Two-tone 100% cotton tubular brushed fleece, white/oatmeal heather, 11.5 Oz.
* Contrast needle-out rib waistband & cuffs.
* “Attached” hood pattern, jersey knit lined hood.
* Full front zip.
* ETA: Mid Feb 2022.
4) The SWEATPANTS CUT-OFFS (Sweatpants shorts)
* 100% cotton tubular brushed fleece, 11.5 Oz.
* Cargo phone pocket.
* Needle-out rib expansion gusset (“action crotch”) and waist band.
* Flat-lock stitch construction.
* Color options: White/Prussian Blue/Heather Grey/Black/OG-109 (“Nam” Olive Green)
* ETA: End Feb 2022.
The SS2022 “FROGSVILLE” (made in Japan) line-up consists of:
1) The ADVISOR (windbreaker zip jacket):
* Vintage Mil-Specs 100% cotton rip-stop fabric, 6.8 Oz, Vietnam era ERDL Lowland camo pattern.
* ETA: End Feb 2022.
2) The SCUBA Trunks (UDT Dive shorts):
* P42 “frogskin” camo pattern, all-cotton HBT, reversible, constructed jungle side out, also wearable with beach side out.
* OD/Khaki HBT combo.
* ETA: Mid April 2022.
3) The SCUBA Utilities (Denim Trousers):
* 11 Oz. “Okinawa 301” indigo denim, 50% cotton x 50% sugar cane fibers.
* ETA: End Feb 2022.
Next-up are a few new classic additions to the Mister Freedom® x Sugar Cane Co SS2022 mfsc SPORTSMAN & SURPLUS catalogs. The vintage-inspired garments in this grouping consist of:
1) COWBOY Jacket, Sateen (made in USA)
* Selvedge sateen, 100% cotton, 12 Oz.
* Color options: wheat, mocha.
* ETA: Mid April 2022.
2) CALIFORNIAN LOT.674, Sateen (made in USA)
* Selvedge sateen, 100% cotton, 12 Oz.
* Color options: wheat, mocha.
* ETA: Mid April 2022.
3) BERKELEY Pull-Over Shirt (made in USA)
* Vintage NOS (New Old Stock) authentic MADRAS plaid fabric, 100% cotton, selvedge.
* Two distinct models:
a) Classic Berkeley, L/S: Traditional navy blue/white dominant NOS Madras plaid. ETA: End March 2022.
b) “KRAZY” Berkeley, S/S: Groovy mix of several NOS Madras plaids. ETA: End April 2022.
4) CALIFORNIAN LOT.64-OTL “OUTLAW” model (made in USA)
* Traditional MF® Californian Lot.64 pattern with modified western “frogmouth” front pockets.
* New Old Stock 14 Oz. indigo blue CONE denim.
* Orange/yellow combo stitching.
* ETA: Mid March 2022.
5) RANCH BLOUSE, 47/66 Twin-Denim edition (made in USA)
* Subtle combination of SC47 (14 ¼ Oz indigo selvedge denim, main body) and SC66 (13 ¾ Oz indigo selvedge denim, contrast accents)
* Orange/yellow combo stitching.
* ETA: Mid Feb 2022.
6) CALIFORNIAN LOT.64, 47/66 Twin-Denim edition (made in USA)
* Subtle combination of SC47 (14 ¼ Oz indigo selvedge denim, main body) and SC66 (13 ¾ Oz indigo selvedge denim, contrast accents)
* Orange/yellow combo stitching.
* ETA: Mid Feb 2022.
7) DUDE RANCHER Western Shirt (made in Japan)
* Our classic original western snap shirt pattern.
* White metal snaps.
* Fabric options:
a) “Apache” calico, indigo discharge print, 100% cotton broadcloth, 3.5 Oz., tonal stitching. ETA: Mid Mar 2022.
b) BR (Buzz Rickson’s) selvedge Chambray, 5 Oz., orange/yellow combo stitching. ETA: Mid Mar 2022.
8) CAMPUS Jacket, “MIDNIGHT” Denim Edition (made in USA)
* Our popular unlined Campus Jacket pattern first fabric debuts!
* 16 Oz selvedge “Midnight” denim, indigo wrap x black weft twill.
* Black tea-core leather accents (pocket stops/side straps)
* ETA: TBD 2022.
9) Snap-Back Caps, NOS denim (made in USA)
* Two distinct models:
a) Five-panel FEED CAP, NOS Cone selvedge denim x white mesh, white contrast stitching. Available
b) Six-panel SHIP CAP, NOS Cotton/Linen selvedge denim, tonal stitching. Available
Our SS2022 “PODSVILLE (“PODIUM” x “FROGSVILLE”), SPORTSMAN and SURPLUS collections are designed in California by Mister Freedom® and exclusively manufactured in Japan and USA in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co.
Voila!
As always, besides the classic vintage style references, the common thread in all these original garments is the Mister Freedom® on-going commitment to ethical manufacturing, original designs, and resistance to fast fashion, with timeless pieces that will easily incorporate into any existing classic wardrobe.
Thank you very much for your renewed support.
Christophe Loiron
Mister Freedom®
©2022
Souvenir shop at Camp Reasoner (1968) Courtesy Doc Chapman 1st Recon Bn
“Party Jacket”
Mister Freedom® x Tailor Toyo
Toyo Enterprises 50th Anniversary Limited Edition
There’s your common Fashion Industry introduction:
* Men’s cotton Jacket, embroidered, reversible. Awesome summer look! Won’t last!
* S to XL
* Import
* $ 749.95
* Buy Now.
And there’s the MF® saga version mentioning Ancient Rome, for the semiotics-inclined.
Here she goes:
It had been a very long and muggy day in that Oklahoma rag house, sorting through endless bales of used clothing as a recently-promoted vintage buyer for American Rag Cie in the early 1990’s. Back then, a few mills, who’s core business it had been for decades to recycle textiles, exporting containers of graded wearables to Africa and Asia for a few cents on the pound, and chopping the rest into wiping rags for the military or automotive industry, allowed selected pickers to come extract their ‘crème de la crème’. You would teach the grading staff in Spanish, then show up again some 3 months later to rummage through some understanding of your vintage clothing tutorial, in the form of several thousand-pound bales. It was all in the details: loop collar shirts, Hawaiian prints, side gussets, gabardine, rayon, Harris tweed, cotton madras, specific labels like Arrows or McGregor, ‘big three’ jackets (Lee Levi’s Wrangler), no acrylic or polyester, and… the mighty 501. The word selvedge had yet to become a social media hashtag, and these were times you’d rescue 1940’s beat-up Levi’s XXs from the ‘cut-to-rags’ or ‘#3 grade’ bins.
If I remember well, and I never do, the “light mix” (shirts, dresses…) was about $1.75 and the “heavy mix” (coats, #2 quality…) about $1.25 for Mid-West rag houses.
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Rag pickin, early 1990’s
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Slim pickin’ but high livin’ in Motel 6
It was around 1992. No barrel activity. Each grading section had turned silent, quite the relief after 12 hours of distorted rancheras blasting from dozens of boom boxes simultaneously playing local AM radio shows. A sign I had earned my $7.00/hour for the day at Oklahoma Waste & Wiping Rags, OKC, OK.
On the way back to my Motel 6 color TV-equipped room, I traveled in style all expenses paid, I decided to stop at a road side Salvation Army store for some LP digging before the drive-through grub. I don’t remember anything about the 50 cents record bin, but i’ll never forget pulling a pristine quilted embroidered jacket off the women’s section, with a $9.95 price tag…
‘Japan jackets’, as most called them at the time, very rarely came out of rag houses for some reason, probably ending-up on Africa-bound cargo containers, mixed in bales of Chinese embroidered silk robes and shiny nightwear… Well, I had just scored an early 1950’s New Old Stock reversible Korea tour jacket, of vibrant gold blue and burgundy silk, with flying eagles and roaring tigers… and with its original paper tag dangling from the zipper pull!
Of little impact to me at the time was the specific maker mentioned on that advertising paper flasher. Finding a garment with its original packaging was the only way to ID the manufacturer of these souvenir jackets, as they tended to never feature a sewn label. The paper ticket read “KOSHO & Co”. Sounded Japanese…
Although damaged from sun exposure and moths today, this is probably the only piece of clothing I kept from that period.
1950’s Souvenir Jacket from Kosho & Co. (book by Toyo Enterprises)
Some 12 years later, around 2004, I was approached by three well-dressed Gentlemen in Los Angeles, wanting to discuss a potential collaboration between Mister Freedom® and Sugar Cane Co. They announced themselves as Mr. Tanaka, Mr Fukutomi and Mr. Onma… from TOYO Enterprises, a renowned Japanese garment manufacturer I knew from its Sugar Cane Co fame.
Established by the Father of its current President, the avid Hawaiiana and Sukajan collector Mr. Kobayashi San with whom I would later be honored to share a bi-annual handshake, TOYO Enterprises had been supplying Yokosuka PX and local shops since the mid 60’s. Everything from 501-replica blue jeans (originally featuring a gold star stitched on the rear pockets) to assorted americaji (American casual) goods, all the way to embroidered silk souvenir jackets popular with American military men stationed in Japan at the time. Serendipity has it that KOSHO & Co, an old established Japanese fabric trading company, had merged with TOYO Enterprises around 1965. Mr. Kobayashi’s team took over Kosho’s Sukajan business, and has been leading the pack since then.
Tom, Fukutomi and Honma from Toyo Enterprises (circa 2007)
Today, TOYO Enterprises is comprised of several specialized divisions, whose high standards are recognized worldwide: Sugar Cane Co, Buzz Rickson’s, Tailor Toyo, Sun Surf… 2015 marks the company’s 50th Anniversary.
For an insider’s look at Tailor Toyo’s expertise with Sukajan (スカジャン), check out this recent TV documentary (you can fast forward to 01:15), a glimpse at popular Japanese television shows targeting the young generation, English-speaker friendly. Omoshiroi! 🙂
Around the corner from Toyo Enterprises current HQ location in Ryogoku (an industrial neighborhood of North East Tokyo famous for its Sumotori schools and nightlife as exciting as a DMV appointment) stands a small shamisen shop run by an affable old Sensei I once met. In the store window are displayed official USAF aerial shots of the flattened out neighborhood, dated 1945. Recounting brutal stories about the death of thousands from US air raids during WW2, Sensei kept smiling, politely but genuinely, as if fully detached from that past. We respectfully bowed, he went back to his stringed instruments, and I went back to my fancy clothes.
If American air raids were designed to expedite the resolution of WW2 and hasten Japan’s surrender, and allegedly saved lives on both sides, these photos next to Toyo’s five-story building always remind me of the survival spirit, resilience, hard working ethics and magnanimous attitude of the Japanese… Today, the country boasts the “World’s second largest developed economy“. Not too sure what that exactly means, but it sounds pretty good. Sure is a remainder that, given the possibility, fast forwarding from bitter to better is a good idea. Some should try that in the Middle East.
Back to our jacket.
Before becoming a popular trend with Japan’s youth, from innocent fashion to ‘borderline’ xenophobic statements (see Yanki, and right-winger trucks blasting propaganda in the streets), these colorful ornate jackets were local-made souvenirs for Armed Forces personnel, a military habit probably inherited from the old naval tradition of customizing one’s gear (Liberty cuffs, painted sea bags…).
Japan, Korea, Germany, Vietnam, Philippines, Middle east, Panama… “Souvenir Jackets”, “Party Jackets”, “Cruise Jackets”, “Tour Jackets”… a little bit for everyone. Some liked the generic eagle-tiger-dragon off the rack, some custom-ordered more personal designs, some wore them while partying on liberty, some flew missions with them, some brought an irresistible kid size specimen home…
Genuine military tour jackets have played the role of flashy gang colors for bands of brothers. They have featured salty nicknames, testosterone-filled mottos, innuendos, personal creeds, specific branch pride, not-so-PC novelty patches, unit patches, dark cynical quotes in unexpected multi-colored flamboyant embroidery… Anything to cloak death under a devil-may-care veil, a requisite for men of the Armed Forces who give their life in combat so that you and I don’t have to.
Although not souvenirs but in the ‘customized military gear’ family, World War Two saw everything from sexy pin up strippers to bomb-toting Disney cartoon characters (corporately repudiated today) readily hand-painted on pilot flight jackets and fuselages. For years, authentic USAF type A-2 leather jackets featuring custom painted nose art, cockpit ‘party jackets’ if you will, have fetched top dollar. Against all odds, replicas of these have entered mainstream Japanese streetwear since the 1980’s, some jackets even featuring fictitious “Enola Gay” artwork.
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A-2 Jacket. “Rosie’s Sweat Box” (1945)
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B-29 Enola Gay and Crew (1945)
In spite of being high-ticket collectibles as well, souvenir jackets from the Vietnam era tend to be lesser crowd-pleasers, with messages displayed usually conveying a more skeptical and cynical attitude towards the Kool-Aid, a sentiment well relayed by the many crudely engraved Zippo® lighters of the period.
The term “Party” applied to jackets/hats/suits refers to the fact that these often flamboyant garments were intended to be worn on R&R or around the mess hall rather than on operations in the boonies…
The Vietnam types were sometimes re-cut from uniforms, recycled out of quilted camo poncho liners, nylon parachutes, denim, silk kimonos… often mixing whatever fabric was available. Apart from the typical “When I die I’ll go to Heaven…” kind, party jackets of that period came in many shapes forms and colors.
Such war memorabilia is still sold to tourists in Vietnam today. The Dan Sinh Market, in Hoh Chi Minh City, is still filled with “authentic” replicas, such as gas masks, Special forces cloth patches, dog tags etc…, a man cave contributing to a small local artisan economy.
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Danh Sinh market Photo courtesy Julian Tennant
Sometime last year, we were honored to be approached for a collaboration with the “Tailor Toyo” label on a sukajan type jacket, to mark the 2015 fiftieth Anniversary of Toyo Enterprises. Wholly immersed at the time in R&D related to the Vietnam War, it was an obvious choice for me to blend that jacket in the current Mister Freedom® “Saigon Cowboy” mfsc collection. I could have safely gone with apparently neutral eagles and tigers, but opted otherwise.
If we are usually pretty subtle with MF® garments, preferring minimal branding and ornamentation, this ‘Party Jacket’ would be different. Being reversible would help convey human duality, yin & yang, pile & face, good & evil, Jekyll & Hide, Cheech & Chong…
I do believe Man is an adorable serial-killer panda. Now that’s a good T-shirt.
Our ‘Party Jacket’ would require an individual reflection. Doing research is admittedly a challenging concept for the keyboard cowboys of the sheeple community, but like the French say, “c’est comme l’auberge Espagnole, on y trouve ce qu’on y apporte”. This idiom, originally referring to the absence of catering in old Spanish inns, roughly translates to ‘you will only find there your own contribution’, or ‘what you get out of it depends on what you put into it’.
You talkin’ to me?
And for the few not yet asleep, here are more random historical clues…
“Colonial policy is the daughter of industrial policy.”
Jules Ferry, French Prime Minister, in 1905.
It had been a national hobby in old Europe to busy fleets and commanders with royal orders to sail the four corners of the Earth in quest of both riches and heathen souls to convert. Under divine blessing, wigged men in tights invited themselves on distant shores and competed for power, empires, spices, precious metals, trade goods, raw materials and cheap labor force. Spaniards, Dutch, Portuguese, Brits and French were at it since the 16th Century. Whoever the expansionist, the bottom-line message behind the mission civilisatrice of colonialism was simple: spread the gospel but bring home the bacon. Bacon, no pun, which could prove useful back home, to reverse seven centuries of Spain and Portugal Muslim occupation. Thousands of nautical miles away, in colonized hostile jungles, while the bon sauvage strived to find salvation in his newly embraced religion, missionaries would occasionally develop a strong disposition for trading wares… All was well.
If the seafaring merchants who originally dropped anchor in Viet Nam as early as 1516 were Portuguese, the French were the ones who ultimately dropped their suitcases in the 1850’s. Followed some hundred years of tumultuous imperialist presence in Indochina, France’s only beachhead in Asia. Colons got busy milking the jungle ‘white gold’ (latex from rubber trees), while France cashed in on its Opium Monopoly scheme (the French Governor built an opium refinery in Saigon in 1899, manufacturing a fast burning mixture that guaranteed both high consumption and hefty profits). Ultimately, the imposed system stirred enough Vietnamese national pride and resistance to get France kicked out in 1954, and the US to throw the towel in 1973.
Now that I’ve lost everyone, let’s bring in the Marquise de Pompadour, royal mistress of Louis XV, and a big Elvis fan, obviously. Louis XV, renowned womanizer and ruler of the French from 1715 to 1774, made decisions some claim lead to little events erupting a few years after his passing. Although truly successful in cultural achievements in the domain of the Arts, Louis XV’s mostly unpopular reign did contribute to his successor and grandson Louis XVI’s rendezvous with Louisette (the guillotine, not the dame), on a cold winter morning of 1793, Place de la Révolution in Paris.
He also is responsible for ceding France’s territorial claims in North America to England and Spain, the reason why I have to type all this in English, and why Céline Dion’s French sounds funny.
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Marquise de Pompadour by Francois Boucher 1756
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“Louis le bien aimé” by Maurice Quentin de La Tour
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“Papy le bien aimé”, and Louisette
Who first pronounced the words “Après moi, le déluge“, today a quaint French expression which literally translates to ‘After me, the flood‘, is lost to History and Versailles’ corridors. It is attributed, however, to either Louis XV or La Pompadour. Its meaning is also largely open to interpretation and subtle nuances, from the irresponsible “I don’t care what happens after me” to the threatening “Watch what’s coming to you after I’m gone“. Most today use the expression with its “F*ck it” or carpe diem (seize the day) connotation, probably less relevant to the original intended meaning of egocentricity and self-importance. I personally understand it more in the 18th Century Hellfire Club motto sense: “Fais ce que tu voudras” (Do what thou wilt). But what do I know.
The pertinence of this “Après moi, le déluge” royal statement embroidered on our jacket is left to the reader’s own judgment. It could refer to some European attitudes during past colonial ventures (Patrice Lumumba would agree)… It also could refer to carpet bombing of ‘boxes’ in Vietnam-Cambodia-Laos, a scheme to demoralize the enemy, with impressive KBA (Killed By Air) scores.
“…we’re going to bomb them back into the Stone Age.”
General Curtis ‘old iron pants’ LeMay (Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force), pondering on the capability of America’s air power in 1965.
The air campaign concocted by American war strategists to bring communist North Vietnam into submission kept the USAF quite busy during the 1960’s and 70’s. The People of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos might not relate to such bucolic names as Farm Gate, Ranch Hand, Iron Hand, Arc Light, Rolling Thunder, Barrel Roll or Linebacker… but will remember the 7,662,000 tons of bombs dropped on them during the course of the war.
Difficult to grasp such figures for us lucky enough to not even know what an enemy detonation sounds like. I heard artillery while living in N’Djamena, Tchad, in the mid 70’s. But distant and muffled, and not incoming. I didn’t live in a tunnel either.
As a reference, South East Asia got three times the ordnance tonnage used during the Second World War and its wide spread theater of operation…
During the Vietnam conflict, using everything from B-52s high-altitude raids to Skyhawk strafing attacks, the Air Force was to drop “anything that flies, on anything that moves”, dixit National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger, caught on tape relaying recent presidential instructions down the chain of command in 1969. Now if that’s not Realpolitik…
Some bomb types were given colorful nicknames by ordnance personnel, such as snake eyes, pineapples, or the charming daisy cutters. At the Air base, an explosive case could receive a custom painted graffiti before the sortie, often a considerate nod to the enemy, in popular wartime humor fashion: “Preparation H”, “It’s not the gift but the thought behind it”, “Birth Control”…
To this day, in South East Asia, unearthed aluminum ‘vintage’ bomb shells are being recycled into everything from spoons to jewelry by local rural artisans. With 25% of its 10,000 villages still plagued by UXOs (Unexploded Ordnance), Laos holds the sinister record of the “Most Bombarded Country in the World”.
No other Nation has seemed envious enough to claim that title since 1973.
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An old tradition
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500th Bomb Group arming B-29 Superfortress Mariana Island (1944-45)
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250 Lbs bomb on Skyhawk, Chu Lai (1965)
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One toilet bomb, the six millionth pound of ordnance dropped in 1965
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LIFE and death (1966)
In French, the Reaper is a Lady, she’s always on time. “Vive La Mort” (literally ‘Long live Death’) is a reference to the 1965 French movie “La 317ème Section”, directed by Indochina War veteran Pierre Schoendoerffer. During a scene in the Cambodian jungle, Sergeant Willsdorff, a seasoned man o’ war portrayed by a convincing Bruno Crémer, lets out a hearty “Vive la Mort, Bon Dieu!”, a devil-may-care attitude acknowledging we are all ultimately doomed. For Willsdorff, death is an Art de Vivre (watch here around 08:50), or as Bruce Lee put it (in his 1971 “Long Street” character), “to learn to die is to be liberated from it (…) You must learn the art of dying“.
Sometimes attributed to the French Foreign Legion, the expression “Vive la Mort” is historically more likely the battle cry of soldiers of fortunes and mercenaries.
The cinephile will also note that in Apocalypse Now (Redux), Coppola pays respect to “La 317ème Section” by quoting the egg metaphor reference of the Viet Minh demonstrating their victory over the French at Diem Bien Phu: breaking an egg in his hand, the character boasts “the white runs out, the yellow stays.”
“Vive la Mort, Bon Dieu!”Bruno Cremer, 317eme Section (1965)
Pax is Peace, in latin. The original “Pax Romana“ expression refers to a 200 year-long state of relative Peace achieved by prosperous Rome with its empire, some two millenniums ago.
More relevant to our jacket and applied to the United States, the formula Pax Americana relates to US foreign policy post WW2. For some, that policy carries connotations of imperialism and neocolonialism, blatant or disguised. For others, it is an ideal balanced situation, with America at its center as the World’s Peace keeper, a role only the strongest Nation on Earth can achieve, guaranteed by fire power domination. During the Vietnam conflict, the formula was put in perspective.
“Sorry About That” and “Be Nice” are references to popular quips amongst American soldiers during the Vietnam conflict. These Americanisms were also used as the tittles of two illustrated paperbacks concocted by Ken Melvin in 1966-67. Both collectible vintage pamphlets pop-up on eBay from time to time, and even pass the Amazon PC Police. Additionally, a “Sorry ’bout That” arc red patch was a common feature on customized head gear and jungle shirts during the Vietnam conflict.
Along with the Nguyen Charlie comic strips published in Stars and Stripes from 1966 to 1974, featuring VC and GI caricatures competing for survival, this literature aimed at empathizing with and entertaining US troops in the field. They are a window into America’s not-so-distant past.
The hand-embroidered patch on the ‘relatively’ discreet denim side contrasts with the cluster of the jungle-hell camo and its apparent gung-ho statement. Surfing in wartime Vietnam has been addressed in a previous post while introducing the MF® Tiger Board Shorts.
Do note that, at the time of drawing the patch, i was not aware that a “China Beach Surf Club” actually existed. Again, who needs imagination with History at hand…
There it is.
Thanks for reading.
Peace,
CL
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Peace Piece
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Doodles
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China Beach Surf Club, Vietnam, (1968) Photo Dennis Norton
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When in Rome… Presidential perks. Hilary & Chelsea Clinton (2000)
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Morbid R&D in Tuscany, Italy. (13th-15th Century Churches)
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“Do as thou wilt shall be the whole of the law”… enter at your own risk.
This “Party Jacket” matching our Saigon Cowboy Spring 2015 mfsc collection was designed in California by Mister Freedom® and crafted in Japan by Tailor Toyo and Sugar Cane Co, two branches of Toyo Enterprises, for the 50th Anniversary of the company.
SPECS:
FABRIC:
* Fully reversible garment.
Side A: 10 Oz. indigo-dyed 2×1 denim, solid white ID selvedge. Milled in Japan.
Same fabric as our Utility Trousers and Jacket.
Side B: 100% cotton ERDL ‘lowland’ camouflage printed popeline, 4.75 Oz. Milled and printed in Japan.
DETAILS
* Inspired by US military Tour/Souvenir/Party jackets.
* Fully reversible.
* All original artwork on ERDL side rear panel.
* Original hand embroidered chest patch on gold tiger stripe background.
* Expert machine embroidery using traditional Japanese kimono-making techniques.
* Three patch pockets on each side.
* Covered 1950’s sukajan style reversible “TYE Tokyo” metal zipper.
* Very Limited Toyo Enterprises 50th Anniversary Edition.
* Made in Japan.
SIZING/FIT:
The “Party Jacket” comes raw/unwashed and will shrink to tagged size.
We recommend an original cold soak, spin dry and line dry.
I usually wear a Medium (38) in mfsc jackets and am a comfortable Medium in this jacket, with room to layer.
Please refer to sizing chart for cold rinse/line dry approximate measurements.
CARE:
Launder when hygiene dictates and common sense prevails.
Due to the intricate embroidery, this jacket is relatively fragile and prone to snagging. Hand wash. Fully un-zip the jacket before washing. Cold water, eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry. Fraying of the patch edges is normal and to be expected.
Patina will develop according to activities and frequency of wear.
Available RAW/unwashed
SIZES:
X-Small (34)
Small (36)
Medium (38)
Large (40)
X-Large (42)
XX-Large (44)
RETAIL $749.95
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.
The Continental: “Bush” Model
The Continental: “Cholon” Model
The Continental: “Cowboy” Model
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Venice cowboy
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It can be argued that 3/4 sleeve + 1/4 sleeve = 1 long sleeve
The ‘Continental’
Mister Freedom® “Saigon Cowboy” mfsc Spring 2015
Cho Lon, a long time ago…
Piasters changing hands Rue des Marins, Triad run parlors, the infamous Bay Vien, ‘Maitre de Cholon‘ and the feared Bình Xuyên gangs, White Mice patrols, the yellow walls of the World’s largest gambling hall rivaling in decibel with Macao’s roaring finest, hazy opium dens, snake wine and fine Cognac, white nón lá and garrison caps, local taxi girls and international high society, áo dài and white linen suits, stalled Citroën 2CV and frantic cyclo-pousses, Bastos cigarettes smoke-filled cabarets… while thousands of sampans rest on the Arroyo.
And a stone’s throw to the East, the ‘Pearl of the Orient’: Saigon.
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The Arroyo, Cholon
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Cholon Rue des Marins (1930?)
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Bay Vien Le maitre de Cholon (Pierre Darcourt 1977)
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The Saigon police, aka ‘White Mice’ in Cholon (1950) LIFE
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USN PX Cholon (1966) Courtesy Dan Byrd
It is not out of nostalgia for its colonized past, with men in white pith helmets or OD M1, that Ho Chi Minh City is still referred to as Sài Gòn by some Vietnamese nationals today. This serves as a subtle reminder of the violent troubled past of that South East Asia corner of the World, hinting at the controversial topic of the reunification of Vietnam achieved by the communist-lead North in 1975. For locals, choosing the name Saigon over its official HCM City version is not pure semantics, but a political statement that conveys a lingering identity crisis.
It is the stuff of wars to leave everything in grey areas. Nothing ever stays black or white for long. Lines had plenty time to get blurry during the 30 year-long civil war that opposed North and South Vietnam, a territorial split originally prescribed by an international band of concerned experts arguing at a Geneva round table in 1954…
I recently had a conversation with a person of Vietnamese background, born in North Vietnam in the 1960’s and of Chinese parents. You’d figure that would put you on the celebrating side after the war was won… Turns out her family joined the ranks of the three million refugees who were to flee the Indochinese peninsula in the years following the victory of communist North Vietnam, China and Russia’s protégé.
The troops of General Võ Nguyên Giáp, the Northern national hero and victor of the French Army in 1954, would claim Saigon in April 1975. Everyone who had sided with or fought for South Vietnam feared the purge. The Saigon government, backed by of a long-disillusioned America, had been the wrong horse to bet on. Hanoi was the new sheriff in town, the cadres his deputies.
As Saigon was falling, one could witness surreal scenes of men stripping down to their skivvies, watching triumphant soviet-built T-54 NVA tanks roll into town. Some roads leading to the capital were littered with abandoned ARVN uniforms…
Vietnam’s American war was officially over. But not everyone’s woes.
” Yes we defeated the United States. But now we are plagued by problems. We do not have enough to eat. We are a poor, underdeveloped nation. Vous savez, waging a war is simple, but running a country is very difficult.”
Phạm Văn Đồng (Prime minister of North Vietnam from 1955 to 1976) reflecting in 1981.
Abandonned ARVN uniforms, fall of Saigon (April 30 1975) Photo Jacques Pavlovsky Sygma CORBIS
But let’s rewind a bit and take a stroll down Đồng Khởi, better known to some as Freedom Street.
The bustling downtown artery of the South Vietnam capital had been named Rue Catinat up until the end of the French occupation in 1954. It would be renamed Tu Do Street for the next twenty years. Tự Do means freedom in Vietnamese…
In its early days, Tu Do Street was lined by colonial architecture buildings housing offices, institutions, hotels, cafés, and an array of small boutiques and family-owned businesses. At number 132-134 stood Vietnam’s first hotel, the “Hotel Continental”, a Saigonese landmark since 1880, built ten years before a certain Nguyễn Tất Thành (aka Uncle Ho) was born. Owned by an allege member of the Corsican Mafia for years, the Continental had welcomed guests from all walks of life. Its clientele had been a lively mix of French rubber industry magnates aka ‘Michelin men‘, spooks, opium addicts, celebrities, quiet Americans, diplomats, thrill seekers, Air America crews, visiting mistresses, writers, stringers, tipsters, gangsters, opera singers, war groupies, plain tourists… Some guests were at times a combination of a few of the above. Current affairs were constantly being discussed and gossiped about at the Continental’s terrace (aptly nicknamed “Radio Catinat” by some), and the international press found enough material there to feed flows of dispatches heading to a fascinated foreign audience.
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The Continental Palace Saigon (1968)
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Continental Hotel 1971 John Binfield
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Continental Palace, Saigon (1963)
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In the 1960’s, as Westmoreland demanded more and more troops be sent ‘in-country’, most of them 19 year-old GIs, demand for local ‘entertainment’ grew. The Tu Do Street eclectic mix of establishments inevitably turned into Sleazesville. Still, next to its air-conditioned cabarets, Saigon tea dives and massage parlors, one could find yard goods boutiques and honest tailor shops. Skilled Vietnamese and Chinese thread and needle specialists mixed traditional and European influences in custom creations, targeting both a civilian and military personnel clientele unaccustomed to affordable bespoke fashion.
“... he was dressed in one of those jungle-hell leisure suits that the tailors on Tu Do were getting rich cranking out, with enough flaps and slots and cargo pockets to carry supplies for a squad…“
(Excerpt from the ever relevant ‘Dispatches’ by Michael Herr, 1977)
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Tu Do Street (1964)
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Tu Do Street (circa 1966) Courtesy Rachel Smith
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Tu Do Street Cat Phuong Tailleur (1967) Phillip Hakes
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Saigon (1967) Photo Phillip Hakes
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Tu Do Street (1967), notice the “La PAIX” tailor in the right corner, which is replaced by a girlie bar in the 1971 photo of the same block
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Tu Do Street Saigon (1968) LIFE
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Tu Do Street (1970-71) Courtesy Steve (MACV Advisory Team 280)
(Vintage photo credits: Visual time travel courtesy of the internet, photos sourced here, there and everywhere. Gratitude to the owners of those flikr accounts for making their photostreams publicly available, for the sake of History preservation. Full credit to those who originally snapped the shots and chose to share them. I try to give credit to the best of my knowledge. Viewer discretion advised on some albums, war is hell.)
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And now, at last, a few words about our “Saigon Cowboy” garment du jour.
The Mister Freedom® ‘Continental‘ shirt/jacket only features four pockets and might not qualify as jungle-hell-ready, but a glance at its intricate inside construction makes it look quasi tailor-made. For the detail-oriented who opens a garment to check its structure, the combination of bias tape piping and fabric selvedge is quite pleasant to the eye, if we may say so ourselves. Our Continental might have had its place in a Tu Do Street store front window display.
Style-wise this jacket is a combination of several influences: fancy 1950’s-70’s unlined tropical gear, short sleeve blazers popular with the African elite, safari-type pocketing, elegant uniform silhouette, whiffs of colonial empires, Old World tailoring, Larry Burrows‘ wardrobe… and the mighty Sun Zhongshan suit, a favorite in China since 1949.
Our ‘Continental‘ overall pattern is adapted from a vintage late 60’s custom-made jacket, the work of a Vietnamese tailor by the name of My Nha, located at 827 D. Nguyen-Tran (unidentified city).
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The Sun Zhongshan suit
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Say the ‘what’ suit, son?
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Larry Burrows (1965)
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Larry Burrows (1966) Time & LIFE Pictures/Getty Images
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As much as I liked that vintage jacket, I figured we all could live without the 100% polyester fabric of the original sample. We opted instead for the following three textile options:
a) The “Bush” model (not to be misunderestimated): 100% cotton mil-spec OD popeline shell / 100% cotton Buzz Rickson’s USN selvedge blue chambray lining yoke.
b) The “Cholon” model (for the man of leisure): 100% cotton BR’s USN selvedge blue chambray shell / 100% cotton ERDL camo popeline lining yoke.
c) The “Cowboy” model (special jungle-hell edition): 100% cotton ERDL camouflage popeline / 100% cotton BR’s USN selvedge blue chambray lining yoke.
For those into Making Ofs, some boring bits behind the MF® Saigon Cowboy woven rayon label this season:
Our ‘local tailor’ looking MF® label combines the yellow background with three red stripes of the flag of South Vietnam and, for a USO flavor, the red white and blue of Old Glory. The specific rectangular shape with beveled corners seems typical of Vietnamese custom tailor woven labels of the period that I have seen.
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Making of the Spring 2015 label
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Vintage woven labels
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Cigarettes Nationales poster (1930)
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Vietnamese Safe Conduct Pass
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USO Chu Lai, courtesy Donald P. Sloat
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Voila!
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The “Continental” is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan by Sugar Cane Co.
SPECS
FABRICS
Three options, fabrics milled in Japan:
a) The “Bush” model: 100% cotton mil-spec OD popeline shell / 100% cotton Buzz Rickson’s USN blue chambray lining yoke.
b) The “Cholon” model: 100% cotton BR’s USN blue chambray shell / 100% cotton ERDL camo popeline lining yoke.
c) The “Cowboy” model: 100% cotton ERDL camo popeline / 100% cotton BR’s USN blue chambray lining yoke.
DETAILS
* Pattern inspired by tropical tailor-made attire, with a sober ‘Mao suit’ influence.
* Yes, we dared make a short sleeve blazer.
* Elegant tailored uniform-like silhouette with elaborate darting.
* Two chest flap pockets, one pencil slot.
* Two lower flap cargo pockets, ‘invisible’ stitch.
* All inside seams finished with OD color bias tape, unless selvedged.
* Corozzo wood buttons, golden brown.
* Two-piece back with vent.
* Made in Japan
SIZING/FIT:
Our ‘Continental’ comes raw/un-rinsed and will shrink to tagged size after a rinse/dry process. All three options will approximately shrink to the same measurements.
We recommend an initial cold soak, spin dry and line dry. The wrinkling ensuing this process is normal, in line with the ‘tropical’ look effect.
If you are a Medium in mfsc shirts/jackets, you are a Medium in the ‘Continental‘. Because of the specific cut, the darting and requirements of this blazer-like pattern, this shirt/jacket will not fit every frame. For instance, the arm construction, although comfortable, disqualifies this jacket as beach-volley attire. There are no expansion pleats.
Please consider the measurements below for an idea of the proportions and resulting fit.
CARE:
Launder when hygiene dictates and common sense prevails.
Hand wash or delicate cycle machine wash. Cold water, eco-friendly mild detergent and line dry.
Patina will develop according to activities and frequency of wear.
Available RAW/unwashed
SIZES:
Small
Medium
Large
X-Large
XX-Large
RETAIL $329.95
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
Well worn and washed vs. raw
Clutch Magazine, Vol.22, November 2014. Please note that these are GREAT quotes, but NOT my quotes.
Just for a touch of color
ERDL Patrol Shirt
“Sea Hunt” mfsc collection Fall 2014
We are adding another option to our Patrol Shirt grouping. After introducing the arctic white, jungle green, USN-type chambray during the “Sea Hunt” Spring 2014 chapter, here is a camouflage number.
You are correct, there is also a blue one.
In the genuine camo family, “Lowland ERDL” is one that always caught my eyes, long before I knew its name. When rummaging through piles of military clothing in my raghouse-picking days, I seemed to consistently be drawn to its specific pattern/color combo.
Drawing attention is probably not what John Hopkins, chief designer of camouflage at the “Engineer Research & Development Laboratories” of Fort Belvoir, Virginia, had in mind when he designed the ‘leaf pattern’ in 1948…
This artistic attempt at blending in with nature was further developed at the US Army Natick Soldier Center by a team of experts led by scientist Alvin O Ramsley. (The brave few who submit themselves to these write-ups will note that we had already mentioned that legendary facility in a previous post, when introducing our Skipper Jackets.)
Subsequent testing and adapting of the still un-issued ‘leaf pattern’ lead to an official camouflage pattern referred to as ERDL. By 1967, it was optimized for the Vietnamese terrain.
A lime-dominant “Lowland” version was issued to US elite troops for their vacations in Southeast Asian jungles. Followed a brown-dominant “Highland” version (a tan color replacing the lime green), better suited for arid mountainous areas of the ski resort-type.
Within original vintage ERDL Vietnam-era fatigues, one will find quite a few variations of technically the same thing. My favorite tropical camies are those combining panels of both lowland and highland shades, the finest hours of the contractor QC department.
ERDL stayed a US Gov’t issue until 1981, when it eventually morphed into the ‘Woodland‘ pattern that replaced it.
When stealth became a part of specific jungle missions for our “Sea Hunt” team, ‘Lowland ERDL’ had plenty street cred and was quickly adopted. Such a mission has been captured on camera and some rare images can be seen in the November 2014 issue of Japanese CLUTCH Magazine. Viewer discretion is advised however, as the sheer thrill and daredevil requisites of that cliffhanger of an assignment are palpable on the photos, and could prove quite disturbing for some. Haunting stuff. You have been warned my friend. That six-page magazine spread is also punctuated by quotes I wish I had come up with, such as “Go adventure!”…
I did manage to p*** off a black rattlesnake with my walking stick, but that’s the one thing that is not on film.
Anyways, back to our design studio and the R&D phase. The original vintage sample we used to develop our interpretation of this classic camouflage is an authentic 1969-issued ‘Lowland ERDL’ bush hat found in ‘New Old Stock’ condition, still in its original clear plastic packaging. Until recently, an old Army/Navy surplus store in Oxnard, California, still had some of these sitting on its shelves…
As mentioned when introducing the P1942 Frog Skin camouflage fabric of our Map Shirt, the printing process for our ERDL fabric is complex, not computer-generated.
The base fabric, a 100% cotton ripstop popeline is originally stark white. Through rotary screen printing techniques, four colors in the distinctive ‘leaf pattern’ are applied to the face of the fabric, lime green/forest green/brown/black, with almost no bleed-though. The reverse of the fabric gets a solid lime green coat of ink.
If our colors were closely matched to those of the NOS bush hat, several other vintage ERDL samples were provided to the printing factory to instruct the ink experts on how we wanted our fabric to evolve overtime. Just as its original forefathers, our ERDL printed fabric will naturally fade.
For those into the historical background of man-made camouflage, and fortunate to get their hand on a copy of the book, fascinating information can be found in Hardy Blechman’s “Disruptive Pattern Material” study.
Yet another fascinating book is the one displayed in the vintage ERDL gear shots above. It is the Vol.1 limited edition of “LRPP, Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol photos“, the works of Jay Borman. Thanks to Cory Piehowicz for the reference.
In terms of style, our Patrol Shirt is inspired by several vintage shirts from our archives, and is by no means a replica of Vietnam-era GI gear.
Throwing military/safari/uniform details in the MF® blender, the resulting garment is an apparently simple looking shirt. It features some fancy details however, most of which only the wearer will notice. This is not why people will stare at you while wearing this shirt, but take a look at the bottom of the button placket, on the inside, for some interesting folds and challenging pattern making magic.
Like its Spring 2014 predecessors, our ERDL Patrol Shirt features the usual elbow patches, box-pleat pockets, expansion ease-pleats, side gussets, rounded wrist cuffs…
The ERDL Patrol Shirt is designed in California by Mister Freedom® and manufactured in Japan in collaboration with Sugar Cane Co. Fabric milled and printed in Japan.
SPECS:
FABRIC:
100% cotton ripstop popeline, 4.75 oz., silkscreened with vintage 1960’s ERDL camouflage pattern.
Milled and printed in Japan.
DETAILS:
* All original mfsc pattern, inspired by vintage military, uniform and safari type shirting.
* Two box-pleat chest pockets, buttoned flap.
* Attractive 1940’s-style collar pattern.
* Early tailor-made custom uniform button placket.
* Elbow reinforcement patches.
* Side gussets.
* Double front & back expansion EZ-pleats on shoulder yoke.
* Corozo buttons, aka ‘ivory nut’, 100% wood, golden brown color.
* High stitch count 100% cotton tonal stitching.
* Vintage ½ cm wide flat-felled seam side construction.
* Double inside labeling: simple ‘minimalist’ neck patch (unbleached popeline stamped with sizing), and woven ‘Sea Hunt’ rayon label on bottom front panel (inside). Both to accommodate your own custom markings, if desired.
* Made in Japan
WASHING/SIZING:
This shirt comes raw/unwashed and will shrink to tagged size.
We recommend an original cold soak, spin dry and line dry.
Further care should be the low maintenance combo mild detergent/gentle cycle/cold water/line dry, as needed.
I wear a Medium in mfsc shirts and am a Medium in the ERDL patrol shirt.
Please refer to chart for cold rinse/line dry measurements.
Available RAW/unwashed.
SIZES:
Small
Medium
Large
X-Large
XX-Large
Retail $329.95
Available from www.misterfreedom.com
Please call 323-653-2014 or email sales@misterfreedom.com with any questions not answered above.
Thank you sincerely for your support.
Field testing. Ooooh
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